Ciarán Cuffe
Question:71 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Defence the progress in the development of the EU’s common defence policy under the Irish Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13466/04]
View answerTuesday, 11 May 2004
Questions (45)
Written answers
The European Union does not have a common defence policy, and I assume the Deputy is referring to the European security and defence policy, ESDP, and the development of the EU's capability to carry out Petersberg Task operations, namely, crisis management operations, peace support operations and humanitarian tasks.
The year 2003 was important for the development of the European security and defence policy. At the European Council meeting of 19 and 20 June 2003 held at Thessaloniki, the Council noted that the EU has an operational capability across the full range of Petersberg Tasks, limited and constrained by certain shortfalls. The operational capability of the European Union was demonstrated through the launching of four ESDP operations in 2003. These were the EU police mission, EUPM, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Operation CONCORDIA in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, fYROM, Operation ARTEMIS in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the police mission, Proxima, in fYROM, which followed the successful completion of Operation Concordia. These operations have made significant contributions to peace and stability in their respective areas of operations.
The Irish Presidency has taken forward a number of key issues relating to the post 2003 development of ESDP. The operational focus of this progress has been maintained. As Deputies may recall, the European Council held in Brussels in December 2003 confirmed the EU's readiness for an ESDP follow-on mission to the UN mandated NATO-led Stabilisation Force in Bosnia Herzegovina. The Irish Presidency has made significant progress on the necessary preparations for this operation. This work has also added an impetus to the development of relations between the EU and NATO.
Other key issues during the Irish Presidency have related to the development of a new headline goal for 2010, work in regard to the creation, in the course of 2004, of an agency in the field of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments as agreed by the European Council held at Thessaloniki, and the development of an EU rapid response capability with an emphasis on supporting the United Nations in crisis management.
In this regard, Ireland's commitment to collective security is pursued through the United Nations, which has the primary role in the maintenance of international peace and security. National sovereignty is a fundamental underlying principle of participation in any specific operation which is decided on a case by case basis. Participation in an overseas military operation requires UN endorsement, a specific Government decision and, where the level of participation is to exceed 12, the approval of Dáil Éireann.
Question No. 72 answered with QuestionNo. 66.