andMr. McQuillan asked the Taoiseach whether the retention of military neutrality is compatible with membership of the EEC.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC and Military Neutrality.
2.
The Treaty of Rome, by which the European Economic Community was established, contains no provisions of a military character.
The Taoiseach has made it clear that acceptance of the EEC and the Rome Treaty presupposes acceptance of the Bonn Declaration. One of the general principles of that is that EEC would help to strengthen the NATO alliance. In that regard, could the Taoiseach give us an assurance that he is quite satisfied that membership of EEC would not lead to our having to make military commitments?
We have applied to accede to the Treaty of Rome. That is the only application that we have made and it is the only matter on which negotiations are proceeding.
How does the question of the Bonn Declaration enter into it? It has been accepted by us and why has it been introduced into the question at all?
Because the members of the EEC stated in the Bonn Declaration that they were prepared to accept as members of the Community countries that were willing to accept these wider political objectives.
Then is the Taoiseach satisfied that these do not include military implications of any kind for Ireland?
As the Deputy is well aware, these further obligations have not been further defined in any document and we can only guess as to what form they may take from the published statements of the leaders of the Community countries. I would refer the Deputy to a statement published in the newspapers to-day of one important leader.
Question No. 3.
The Bonn Declaration —one final question—did mention the Atlantic Alliance. Does the Taoiseach believe that this does not mean the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation?
I would not attempt unilaterally to define the significance of the Bonn Declaration. That obviously is something that has to be settled in discussion between all the countries willing to participate in the Convention and that has not yet been undertaken.