Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

During each European Union Presidency, one formal and one informal meeting of Defence Ministers is held. There is no separate Defence Ministers' Council within the EU Council of Ministers. The formal meetings are held in Brussels or Luxembourg at the invitation of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the informal meeting in the country holding the Presidency. The agenda at the meetings varies according to the priorities of the European External Action Service and topical subjects or issues that have recently arisen. The issue of collaboration in defence capabilities is a recurring theme during these meetings.

At this meeting, the chief executive of the European Defence Agency and the European External Action Service update Ministers on its activities and initiatives. My colleague, the Minister for Defence, and his Department fully co-operate with the agency through ministerial steering board meetings and other fora.

The agency has developed pooling and sharing as a way of enhancing military capabilities and ensuring co-operation in these capabilities. In November 2012, Ministers adopted a code of conduct that proposed a number of concrete actions to mainstream this pooling and sharing initiative in member states, thus leading to co-operation in the provision of defence capabilities. These actions would be only implemented on a national and voluntary basis.

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