Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the context of EU-UN relations, one of the issues on which we wanted to focus particularly is the need for EU states to provide greater participation in UN missions and to ensure there are the necessary resources across the European Union to facilitate appropriate missions being undertaken, and that resources are used wisely and acquired in co-operation. One of the issues with regard to the United Nations is that whereas the European Union contributes substantial funding to UN missions, the numbers participating from the defence forces across the EU in UN missions are remarkably small. One of the reasons for one of the seminars we held was to bring together the UN, NATO and EU Defence Ministers and top level members of the defence family across the European Union to focus greatly on how Europe can better engage in peacekeeping, conflict resolution and humanitarian missions, how we can facilitate a faster reaction when necessary, and how, in the context of using resources, there can be a greater use by way of pooling and sharing in the acquisition of resources and greater compatibilities, even when it comes to simple communication equipment that might be utilised by EU member states working in partnership in particular missions. Substantial progress has been made in advancing these issues and in creating an agenda of interest.

On Thursday this week there will be the first ever top-level conference on cyber security, bringing together top-level officials in both the defence and justice area at EU level. It is happening under the Irish Presidency in Brussels so as to provide for greater co-operation and co-ordination in dealing with cyber security issues across the justice and defence sectors. That is instead of each sector operating in isolation.

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