Article HighlightsSeptember 9, 2003A new emblem, the European Union's circle of stars, has replaced NATO's pointed cross on foreign military vehicles and uniforms.For the European Union, however, it is a historic achievement. It may consist of only 400 soldiers at the moment, but the European Union finally has an army.the EU has already begun to step out from under NATO's shadow with a three-month military mission this summer in the Republic of Congo. This second EU mission did not depend on NATO help, but analysts say traditionally pacifist Europe will have to quadruple its military spending if it ever hopes to rival the US militarily.
November 1, 2006The constitutional treaty was signed by representatives of the member states on October 29, 2004, and is now in the process of ratification by all of the member states. If this were successful, the treaty would have been scheduled to enter into force on November 1, 2006. However, in 2005, French (May 29) and Dutch (June 1) voters rejected the treaty in referenda, prompting other countries to postpone their ratification procedures and leaving the Constitution with a highly uncertain future.