Kathleen Lynch
Question:18 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Defence his views on the Western European Union's draft declaration on operational development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11515/95]
Written Answers. - WEU Operational Capacity.
I understand that the Deputy's question refers to the decisions taken by the Western European Union Ministerial Council on 15 May 1995, to develop further the Western European Union's operational capacity.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs has already informed the House, in a statement which he made on 23 May in reply to a parliamentary question, of Ireland's approach to this meeting, and the benefits for the Government of attendance, in an observer capacity, at such meetings. This ensures that we are fully informed of developments in the Western European Union which may have a bearing on the options that will arise for Ireland and our EU partners in the area of security and defence, including in the context of the preparations for the EU Intergovernmental Conference next year.
The recent decisions of the Western European Union are intended to provide it with the political and military procedures and decision-making mechanisms needed to enhance its operational capabilities. They reflect, in particular, the Western European Union's efforts to improve its ability to respond to EU requests in accordance with the Common Foreign and Security Policy provisions in Title V of the Maastricht Treaty. Article J.4 provides for the EU to "request the Western European Union, which is an integral part of the Union, to elaborate and implement decisions and actions of the Union which have defence implications". In its Petersburg Declaration of June 1992, the Western European Union decided that it should develop its operational capacity, particularly with a view to humanitarian and rescue tasks, peacekeeping tasks and crisis management — what have become known as the "Petersburg tasks". It is generally accepted that, in the new security situation in Europe, such tasks would usually be conducted at the request of the UN, the OSCE, or the EU, in accordance with the Maastricht Treaty.
Since the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty one such request has been made by the EU to the Western European Union, namely to provide the police element for the EU's Administration of Mostar. Members of the Western European Union are providing police contingents for this operation. Recently, Austria, Finland and Sweden, as Western European Union observers, announced their intention of providing police for the operation, and they have expressed their general interest in involvement in Western European Union Petersburg's tasks, based on their long UN peacekeeping and humanitarian experience.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs has already indicated that the Government is considering the possibility of Ireland's participating in such humanitarian and peacekeeping tasks in a way that would be consistent with the priority that we attach to peacekeeping and humanitarian involvement in the UN context, and that draws on our experience in this area. I understand that this issue is likely to be taken up in the forthcoming White Paper on Foreign Policy.