A British flag flies at the entrance of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, March 28, 2017 (Photo: Yves Herman/Reuters)

The announcement followed earlier British objections to the project.

Under a March deal, the EU agreed to set up a Military Planning and Conduct Capabilities (MPCC) unit, which would be responsible for EU military EU missions in foreign countries. The UK has been consistently opposed to uniting EU military forces, considering it a threat to NATO, while EU Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini and other member countries, including France and Germany, think the EU needs to do more on defense.