Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Mar 2001

Vol. 533 No. 4

Written Answers. - EU-WEU Merger.

Alan Shatter

Question:

73 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's view of the announcement made by the Belgian Government that upon taking over the European Union presidency on 1 July 2001, it will seek to progress greater integration between the European Union and the Western European Union alliance; and his views on the impact of any such proposed merger on Irish neutrality. [9166/01]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

I understand the Belgian authorities have yet to make any formal announcements regarding their EU presidency work programme in the security and defence area. I am not aware of any current proposal to integrate the Western European Union into the EU.

At the time of the Treaty of Amsterdam, it was envisaged that the Western European Union would play a key role in the security and defence area. Article 17 of that treaty evoked the possibility of a future merger of the EU and Western European Union. However, with the enhancement of the EU's capabilities in the area of humanitarian and crisis management tasks, through the European security and defence policy, the role of the Western European Union has diminished. In effect, the issue of the possible integration of the Western European Union into the EU has now been left aside. In the Treaty of Nice, the relevant clauses regarding a possible future EU-WEU merger have now been deleted.

Under the French EU Presidency, the Council of Ministers agreed in principle to the transfer of certain Petersberg Task functions of the Western European Union into the European Union. These comprise a satellite image analysis centre located in Spain, an academic security research institute currently based in Paris and a police training and advisory mission in Albania. The modalities to facilitate the transfer of these functions are currently under consideration.

The overall objective of the ESDP, incorporating the transfer of the Petersberg functions of the Western European Union, is to enhance the conflict prevention and crisis management capabilities of the EU. These objectives are fully consistent with Ireland's policy of military neutrality, to which the Government remains firmly committed.