12/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - On the occasion of the 29th congress in Hildesheim of the Paneuropa-Union-Deutschland chaired by the European CSU member, Bernd Posselt, the president of the EPP-ED group at the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, received the Medal of Merit from the Paneuropa-Union. On this occasion, a press release states, Mr Posselt was opposed to the argument whereby European defence would not be possible without the United Kingdom. In his view, "it can quite well come about that former EU members remain outside joint defence while the countries of Eastern Europe are part of it from the outset, because they want to and because they meet the criteria".