Timmy Dooley
Question:19. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Defence his plans for enhancing EU-UN relations during Ireland's EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13257/13]
View answerThursday, 14 March 2013
Questions (19)
Written answers
Since the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, now conducts the Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy assisted by the European External Action Service. The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy forms an integral part of the Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. In the area of Common Security and Defence Policy, the role of the Presidency is now limited to supporting the High Representative and the European External Action Service in this regard. However, that said, this arrangement provides Ireland with an opportunity to influence the Common Security and Defence Policy agenda. As part of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Council 2013, I prioritised a number of areas including enhancing EU/UN Relations, in particular, through EU engagement and participation in UN Peacekeeping. I hosted a very successful and well attended seminar in Dublin Castle on this subject. Speakers from the EU, NATO, the UN and, for the first time, the African Union as well academia gave informative presentations to over 120 delegates who attended from all over Europe.
This seminar informed the follow up discussion at the Informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers who recognised the primacy of the UN in the maintenance of international peace and security and the requirement for the EU to work hand in hand with the UN. The attendance at the Informal meeting of EU Ministers for Defence including, for the first time the UN represented by the Under Secretary General at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations also has cemented this priority into the thinking of the EU. At the Informal meeting a number of follow-up work strands were identified and these will be progressed with the European External Action Service.
In summary, this priority has and will continue to provide impetus to the Union as a whole to the enhancement of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy, a critical component of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, and to the United Nations which is central to the achievement of Ireland’s foreign policy objectives.