Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The steering board of the European Defence Agency, EDA, met in Defence Ministers formation in Innsbruck, Austria, on 7 March 2006 and one of the items discussed was the need for a new mechanism for joint investment in research and technology projects. The EDA is proposing to establish a category A or opt-out programme with an associated budget. The first area of joint work being considered is force protection and the detection and neutralisation of a range of threats to military personnel, vehicles and installations in the context of ESDP missions. The agenda item was premised on the view that category A or opt-out programmes would enable more member states to contribute to the overall research and technology effort, would allow each member state to take its own decision on whether to contribute to such a programme and would leave control firmly in the hands of member states that choose to contribute.

While discussions took place at the meeting on the outline concept of such a programme, significant further elaboration and refinement is required before decisions can be taken, probably at the next steering board meeting in May. Participation in any EDA programme is a matter for each member state on a case-by-case basis and the EDA does not have the authority to force states to contribute to, or participate in, any particular programme.

The main focus of the EDA is on obtaining better value for existing spending levels and securing improvements and greater efficiency, especially in the area of research, technology, manufacturing and procurement. Ireland has advocated that the EU should prioritise the development of qualitative aspects of capability development. This view, and a recognition of the need for greater efficiency and effectiveness in defence expenditure, is shared by many of my ministerial colleagues at EU level at a time when the majority of member states, including Ireland, have no plans to increase their defence spending.

The EDA is an important forum through 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 in relative terms, we should encourage developments which improve market efficiencies or which may yield some economies of scale for equipment procurement for the Defence Forces.

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