A key issue is the approaches that will be taken on mutual defence and the question of an eventual EU common defence. It is clear that this is potentially a highly controversial area. The Fine Gael document identifies important questions in relation to any such arrangement; namely, the automaticity of any such commitment and the extent to which individual members of a mutual defence commitment retain discretion over their participation. This aspect of the document is interesting. There is, for example, a difference in this regard between the mutual defence commitments contained in the Western European Union and NATO treaties, with the latter allowing greater discretion to the participants.