In an attempt to bolster Europe's ability to counter global security threats, the European Commission has proposed that the European Union consider funding military research. Observers say that the proposal could encourage cooperation in an area that has largely remained the turf of individual countries.The commission is not suggesting using the region's primary vehicle for cooperative research, Horizon 2020. That program will keep an "exclusive focus on civil applications," the proposal says. But the commission wants to see if some technologies funded by Horizon 2020 could also be used in defense applications. Commission President Jose Manuel Bar-roso presented the plans on 24 July, along with two European commissioners. "Twenty years ago it wouldn't have been natural for the commission to talk about defense. [But] times have changed," Barroso told reporters. Spending on military research in E.U. member states dropped by 14% from 2005 to 2010, and the unspoken fear is that Europe may be falling behind in developing new technologies such as drones and systems for detecting new biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. The proposal will be discussed at the European Council meeting in December.
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机译：为了增强欧洲应对全球安全威胁的能力，欧洲委员会提议欧盟考虑资助军事研究。观察家说，该提案可能会鼓励在很大程度上仍是各个国家的领域进行合作。委员会未建议使用该地区的主要合作研究工具Horizon2020。该计划将“始终专注于民事应用，提案说。但是该委员会希望了解由Horizon 2020资助的某些技术是否也可以用于国防应用。委员会主席何塞·曼努埃尔·巴罗佐（Jose Manuel Bar-roso）于7月24日与两名欧洲委员一起介绍了该计划。巴罗佐对记者说：“二十年前，欧盟委员会谈论国防并不自然。但时代已经改变了。”在欧盟进行军事研究的费用从2005年到2010年，欧盟成员国下降了14％，而人们毫不讳言地担心，欧洲在开发无人机和探测新的生物，化学和核武器系统等新技术方面可能落后于欧洲。该提案将在12月的欧洲理事会会议上进行讨论。
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