Written Answers. - Defence Policy.
Austin Deasy
Question:
16
Mr. Deasy
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if any request, formal or informal, has been made by the EC for Ireland's participation in a Community security and-or defence force; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Jim O'Keeffe
Question:
22
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will outline his views on the comments of Commissioner MacSharry that Ireland cannot opt out of a developing EC defence policy; and whether, if current developments continue, Irish neutrality will cease to be an issue.
Paul Connaughton
Question:
42
Mr. Connaughton
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he intends to participate in the Franco-German discussions for a European army; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
William Cotter
Question:
67
Mr. Cotter
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will outline his views on the proposals for a common foreign and security policy set out in the Luxembourg Draft Treaty of the Union of the European Community.
Madeleine Taylor-Quinn
Question:
72
Mrs. Taylor-Quinn
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will outline the position he will be taking at future EC meetings in regard to the establishment of a European Defence System with particular reference on our position on European security at next months meeting in Maastricht.
Michael Creed
Question:
92
Mr. Creed
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will outline the response which he will be making to the Franco-German initiative on a European army.
John Bruton
Question:
106
Mr. J. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will outline his views on the proposals for a common foreign and security policy set out in the Luxembourg Draft Treaty of the Union of the European Community.
Paul McGrath
Question:
112
Mr. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will outline his views on the proposals for a common foreign and security policy set out in the Luxembourg Draft Treaty of the Union of the European Community.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 22, 42, 67, 72, 92, 106 and 112 together.
The Treaties establishing the European Communities and European Political Co-operation do not entail any military or defence commitments and no such commitments were involved in Ireland's acceptance of these Treaties. The question of an approach by the European Community for Ireland's participation in a Community security or defence force does not therefore arise.
Ireland is however committed to the objective of a common foreign and security policy and is actively involved in the negotiations on this issue in the Inter-governmental Conference on Political Union. Our approach was outlined by the Taoiseach in his detailed statement to the Dáil on 9 July.
It is now accepted at the Conference that the proposed new chapter of the Treaty dealing with a common foreign and security policy should constitute one of the pillars of the Union but that it should not be incorporated directly into the traditional Community framework. We accept this approach as appropriate at this stage of the Community's development. We also accept the broad structure of this chapter which would: set out the objectives of a common foreign and security policy; establish systematic co-operation between member states in that context; gradually introduce joint action in areas where member states have important interests in common; and provide for closer co-operation on security issues in general.
We accept furthermore that the general guidelines for a common foreign and security policy should be set by the European Council; and that the definition and implementation of policy on the basis of these guidelines would be a matter for the General Affairs Council.
Although some progress has been made in defining objectives for a common foreign and security policy and on proposals to strengthen foreign policy co-operation, several important questions have yet to be settled. These include: the concept of a new, more binding form of co-operation on foreign and security policy to be called "joint action"; whether all decisions should be taken by unanimity or whether some could be taken by majority vote; whether the Community should accept as an objective in the longer term the eventual framing of a common defence policy; in the interim, whether, and if so to what extent, the new Union should have links with the Western European Union (Western European Union).
I expect that the negotiations in coming weeks will focus on these issues.
On the issue of "joint action", we have indicated our willingness to work on the concept which would involve more binding commitments on member states than European Political Co-operation. We are however concerned to ensure that the concept is clearly defined in the Treaty in regard to the areas and matters to be covered by joint action, the scope of such action and the decision-making mechanism to apply.
Our view is that in an area as sensitive as foreign and security policy, which would now be made the subject of joint action for the first time, decisions should be by consensus. However we do not rule out the idea of majority voting for limited implementing measures — if these can be clearly defined and if adequate safeguards in the decision-making mechanism can be built into the new Treaty.
On security and defence we have said that we will judge the issues in the light of the position of successive Irish Governments, that if the Community were to develop its own defence arrangements for its own security, then Ireland would consider participating. During the present negotiations we have advocated that the Union's role in the security area be extended gradually beginning with such issues as arms control, peace-keeping and the transfer of military technology. The prospect of a role for the Union in defence matters would be considered with a view to the future.
Some partners accept this approach. Others wish to go further and to include issues related to the defence of the Union in the new Treaty from the beginning.
A related issue is whether a link with the Western European Union might provide a way of establishing a framework within which in due course a defence role for the Community might be developed. Some of the most difficult discussions within the Conference negotiations, and indeed in negotiations elsewhere on European security, have centred on this issue and on the various proposals advanced to deal with it.
In general the question of security and defence is one of the most sensitive in the Political Union negotiations and it is still not clear how the issue will be resolved. I expect that there will be intensive discussion on this in the weeks ahead leading up to the Maastricht European Council.
In a separate development in early October, President Mitterrand of France and Chancellor Kohl of Germany announced that they had jointly decided to strengthen Franco-German military co-operation beyond the existing joint brigade which they maintain in Germany. They suggested that the strengthened Franco-German force might in time become the nucleus of a European Corps to include the forces of other members of Western European Union. They also suggested that it might become the model for closer military co-operation between members of Western European Union.
The question of Franco-German military co-operation is, of course, a matter for those two countries. In so far as Western European Union is concerned, Ireland, as a non-member of Western European Union, is not party to decisions taken by that organisation.
Finally, I confirm that I have seen press reports of views attributed to Commissioner MacSharry. These are a matter for the Commissioner himself. I would add that it is always open to Mr. MacSharry, as a member of the Commission, to give his views on the direction of European integration and the implications for Ireland as he sees them.
