MEPs at last week's Strasbourg plenary session voted for a resolution that called on member states to increase EU defence cooperation. 
The report wanted to see  EU defence-related agencies, such as the European Defence Agency (EDA) and Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), to have the same legal and budgetary status at as the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Parliament's co-rapporteur on the file, Esteban González Pons, said, "This is an ambitious and strategic report that comes at an opportune time, as the security and defence union will be one of the top priorities of the Rome declaration." [...]