Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The European Union Institute for Security Studies, EUISS, was created by a Council joint action on 20 July 2001. It has the status of an autonomous agency that comes under the EU's second "pillar", the common foreign and security policy, CFSP. Having an autonomous status and intellectual freedom, the EUISS does not represent or defend any particular national interest. Its aim is to support and contribute to the development of CFSP and European security and defence policy, ESDP. The institute's core mission is to provide analyses and recommendations that may be of use and relevance in the continued evolution of ESDP. While the political and security committee of the EU exercises political supervision over the activities of the institute, it does not impinge on the intellectual independence of the institute in carrying out its research and seminar activities.

The EUISS contributes to the development of the CFSP by performing three functions, research and debate on the major security and defence issues that are of relevance to the EU, forward-looking analysis for the Union's Council and high representative and development of a transatlantic dialogue on all security issues between the EU on the one hand and Canada and the United States on the other.

After the terrorist attacks on the US on 11 September 2001, the institute set up an independent task force to address the issue of European capabilities. In addition, the presidency report on ESDP approved by the European Council in Laeken in December 2001 stated that "the institute will work in particular on a publication on European defence in the framework of the Petersberg Tasks". The paper, entitled European Defence: A Proposal for a White Paper, was the outcome of the work of this task force. It should be noted that the paper and the views expressed are those of the members of the task force and have not been endorsed by EU member states. However, the analyses and publications of EUISS would fall to be considered in formulating the Union's policy in regard to CFSP and ESDP and would inform the development of that policy, as do many other studies and analyses, not least the views of individual member states.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The European security strategy, which was endorsed by all 25 member states in December 2003, sets out the Union's analysis and recommendations on the development of ESDP. This, together with the headline goal 2010, sets out the policy direction, objectives and capabilities of the ESDP and rapid response elements for the foreseeable future.

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