http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Missiroli
The following atricle form 2004 mentions some very familiar issues:
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commen ... ty-council
Europe Needs Its Own Security Council
The reality of who actually possesses power in Europe has given rise to movement toward the creation of a foreign policy "triumvirate" comprising France, Germany, and the United Kingdom - something the leaders of the three countries will invariably discuss when they meet later this week. In terms of population, GDP, commercial and diplomatic outreach, culture, and military clout, these countries indisputably form Europe's core.
The problem for the EU is thus to find a mechanism that recognizes the international heft of the three without antagonizing the rest of the Union.
If Europeans want to take part in vital global decisions - as the EU security strategy outlined not long ago by Javier Solana argued - they must find a middle way between the unanimity rule and the reality of member states' actual power. Only by doing so can the Union achieve a more credible foreign and security policy and become a serious partner for the United States, its neighbors, and the rest of the world.
To make this body viable, realistic criteria must underpin its design. First, it must be small, with no more than, say, ten seats. Just a glance at an ordinary EU meeting room suffices to show that a council of 25-plus members is more talk show than decision-making body.
Second, the three major EU member states - France, Germany, and the United Kingdom - should be granted permanent seats. The three would thus receive the status they strive for, within a larger structure and without acting as a self-appointed directoire