Den 14. maj 1986 anførte hr. Van Eekelen i Europa-Parlamentets forhandling om forslaget om oprettelse af en europæisk strategisk styrke, at den rette ramme for behandlingen af forsvarsproblemer frem for alt var NATO og WEU.
On 14 May 1986 Mr Van Eekelen, speaking in Parliament's debate on the proposal to set up a European Strategic Defence Force, said that the appropriate bodies to deal with defence matters were basically NATO and the WEU.