Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
112 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Defence the role Ireland can play in the European armaments, research and military capabilities agency; if Ireland will have a permanent staff at the agency; if it will contribute money to this agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28817/04]
View answerA decision to establish an inter-governmental agency in the field of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments, known as the European Defence Agency, EDA, was formally adopted at the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting on 12 July 2004.
The overall aim of the agency is to support member states in their efforts to improve European defence capabilities in support of European security and defence policy. To achieve this, the agency has been ascribed four functions, relating to: defence capabilities development; armaments co-operation; the European defence technological and industrial base and defence equipment market; and research and technology.
At its meeting on 6 July 2004, the Government agreed that Ireland would participate in the framework of the agency. Participation in individual projects of the agency will be a matter for national decision on a case by case basis. The agency will be an important forum by which the EU can seek to improve competitiveness and efficiency in the defence equipment sector which has been notable for fragmentation and duplication. While Ireland is not a major consumer of defence equipment, I believe that we should encourage developments which improve market efficiencies or which may yield some economies of scale for equipment procurement for the Defence Forces.
The agency is still in the early stage of development and is currently in the process of recruiting staff. The recruitment process is open to citizens of all the EU member states. None of the staff appointed by the agency to date has been nominated by Ireland. Ireland has paid a contribution of €21,733.07 towards the agency's initial general budget for 2004. The budget for 2005 will be discussed at a second meeting of the agency's steering board which I will attend in Brussels on 22 November 2004.
