John Gormley
Question:116 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's views on the recent French and British proposal for a 40,000 strong rapid reaction capability for the EU. [24379/99]
Written Answers. - Common Foreign and Security Policy.
John Gormley
Question:117 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give details of the EU Defence and Foreign Ministers' agreement on 17 November 1999 to support the establishment of structures under which non-EU member states could participate fully in EU led operations. [24380/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together.
For background to the issues raised, I refer the Deputy to the response I gave in this House to Deputy Gay Mitchell on 2 November. The British proposal for a capability target of 40,000, which is about the size of KFOR in Kosovo, is one of the ideas that has been put forward in the continuing debate on security and defence. It will have to be studied carefully. The emphasis in the EU debate is on how to ensure that the EU can play a more active role in both non-military crisis management and the Petersberg tasks. Participation in the Petersberg Tasks under the Treaty of Amsterdam is voluntary. There is no question of a European army being set up.
At the Cologne European Council of June 1999, it was agreed that arrangements should be put in place that allow involvement by non-EU member states in EU-led Petersberg tasks. The General Affairs Council on 15 November 1999, which was attended by Foreign and Defence Ministers, reviewed progress since the Cologne Summit. There was no agreement at the General Affairs Council, or since, on the issue raised by the Deputy. The Helsinki European Council next month will consider a progress report from the Finnish Presidency on developments since Cologne.