John Gormley
Ceist:86 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the objection, if any, he expressed to the appointment of Javier Solana as head of the Western European Union; and his views on the appointment. [26236/99]
Written Answers - Western European Union.
I refer the Deputy to the answer given to a question on this subject on 2 December 1999.
John Gormley
Ceist:87 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's views on the proposed merger of the Western European Union into the EU. [26237/99]
Following the Cologne European Council, and in light of the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, the European Union has been examining how it can have a more effective role in the conduct of Petersberg Tasks, and also in non-military aspects of crisis management. The Cologne European Council mandated the General Affairs Council to consider how the Western European Union's Petersberg Task functions could be adapted and brought into the EU to fulfil its responsibilities under the Amsterdam Treaty in the area of Petersberg Tasks. As I made clear in the Dáil in an answer to questions on 2 November, this approach emphasises the Petersberg Tasks but leaves the Western European Union's Article V mutual defence clause to one side. Nor does the approach set out at Cologne involve nuclear matters. Moreover, the Cologne declaration makes clear that the different status of member states in regard to collective defence guarantees will not be affected. The Finnish presidency will submit a progress report to the Helsinki European Council.
The approach agreed at Cologne should be distinguished from a merger of the Western European Union as an institution, including its Article V clause, into the EU. Incorporation of Article V is simply not relevant to what the EU is trying to do, which is to focus on the Petersberg Tasks and not issues of mutual defence.