Good presentation, but given the lack of interest in EU member states in funding an enlarged military, or the logistic support to conduct large/medium size deployment away from home waters, the ability for the EU to project power past the Med is questionable without a major joint effort by EU member states. Furthermore, you would need a unified member state action plan, which all member states need to agree to, and will garuntee to support politically and monetarily.
The latter part I would imagine would be the more difficulty part. Look at the recent Georgia/Russia/South Ossetia Conflict and you can see the wide range of reactions to the events in de jure Georgia by EU member states. Presently the EU is not a nation-state in and of itself, and unless it were to have some type of rebirth such as the Articles of Confederation were replaced by the present Constitution of the United States, it is unlikely that the EU will begin to have a unified voice for some time to come. But that is moving away from the initial point of discussion.
I am going to assume that SCOO, will, overtime coeles to become the counter weight to NATO. If this is the case, the question is, with the newer major powers arising, India, Brazil, maybe the Arab League. . . where will their allegiences fall under? Or will it be fluid to fit their own geopolitical needs.
It is very true that maintaining safe and secure, and preferably neutral, SLOCs are very important to international commerce. But if SLOCs are to not be neutral, then it would be very important for the benifiting party/ies to control those SLOCs and their points of confluence.
Oh, and news flash, as predicted, PRC is now the
third largest economy.