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Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 June 2004

Thursday, 24 June 2004

Questions (58, 59, 60)

Dan Boyle

Question:

51 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the changes to the draft EU constitution proposed by the Irish Presidency to the June 2004 summit in the field of common security and defence policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18855/04]

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Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

56 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Irish Presidency’s proposals for enhanced co-operation on defence issues in the EU constitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18857/04]

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Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

80 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs to elaborate on the new Article I-40(7) proposed by the Irish Presidency in the draft EU constitution on mutual defence; the way in which the specific character of Ireland’s security and defence policy is not prejudiced when the commitments and co-operation in this area shall be consistent with commitments under NATO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18856/04]

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Written answers

I propose to answer Question Nos. 51, 56 and 80 together.

The foreign policy, security and defence proposals in the draft constitutional treaty were discussed in detail by the Intergovernmental Conference under the then Italian EU Presidency in 2003. Following a meeting of Foreign Ministers in Naples on 28 and 29 November 2003, the then Presidency produced a revised package of proposals on defence, structured co-operation and the solidarity clause which achieved consensus. These proposals represented a significant improvement on the original convention proposals in this area which had been problematic for a number of member states including Ireland and the other neutral and non-aligned partners. In particular, the concerns of Ireland, Finland, Sweden and Austria, who conferred closely at the time on the issue of mutual defence, were resolved by the post-Naples text. Although no formal political agreement was reached on these proposals, they secured a wide measure of consensus among EU partners, including among our fellow neutral and non-aligned EU member states, at the subsequent meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference held in December 2003. Against this background, no necessity arose for the Irish Presidency to bring forward new proposals in these areas. In keeping with this, the draft security and defence provisions were included in the paper of closed issues presented to the meeting of foreign Ministers on 17 and 18 May 2004. On this basis, they were subsequently incorporated in the overall agreement reached last week by EU Heads of State and Government.

In relation to Article 40.7 of the treaty, I underline that the agreement reached has fully retained the safeguard clause included at the instigation of Ireland and our fellow neutral and non-aligned member states. This makes clear that the obligation to come to the aid of another member state in the event that it is attacked is without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain member states. Ireland retains the right to take its own sovereign decision to come to another member state's assistance in the event of an armed attack. This is in keeping with the Government's position on non-participation in a mutual defence commitment as set out in Ireland's national declaration at the European Council in Seville on 21 June 2002. As regards references to commitments to NATO, the Deputy will note that upon inspection of the text of the draft treaty article in question, it will be clearly seen that these are only of relevance to EU member states which are also members of that organisation.

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