Mr. Colm Markey:

The Senator is as succinct as ever. There is no one or single matter.Ursula von der Leyen's speech last week captured some of the main issues relating to the world and the environment, creating a sustainable future for Europe and the world and making sure Europe is not left behind. If we are best in class, despite the leakage that was talked about in terms of human rights and environmental standards in third countries, we will not lose out as Europeans in that debate. The environment is key.

Alongside that, Senator Chambers touched on the debate concerning our military future or our defence future, whatever way you want to put it. We are at a point where the US has stepped back from the world stage. There is a sense among some that there may be a space for Europe to become a military powerhouse. We have to be careful about where we go on that. We have always had a history, as other Senators touched on, and Europe as a whole has had such a history of being a leader in the moderate approach to world affairs. It is about looking at where we can play a role within the UN in bolstering the power that is there and having a global response, rather than creating another superpower. Superpowers have not served the world well and we need a pan-global response to address those issues. The environment, food security and defence are where that debate is going. I am more concerned about where the debate is going than where the issues are.