Written answers

Tuesday, 8 March 2005

Department of Foreign Affairs

Common Foreign and Security Policy

8:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his preferred options in regard to European defence and security in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7688/05]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Since the entry into force of the Amsterdam treaty in May 1999 the EU has worked to make a constructive reality of the treaty's provisions on the Petersberg Tasks through the development of the European security and defence policy (ESDP). The challenge of ensuring that the EU makes an effective contribution for a stable Europe and a more secure and just world is a significant one and ESDP has an important role to play in this area. At its core ESDP is concerned with ensuring that the EU has the necessary civilian and military capabilities for crisis management.

In this context Ireland has sought to play a positive and constructive role in the evolution of ESDP. It is an inclusive project and it has been conceived and elaborated with the engagement of all EU member states including Ireland. We have and will continue to participate actively in its ongoing development.

Since 2003 the EU has deployed a total of seven crisis management missions, both military and civilian. Two further civilian missions are currently in the planning stage. Ongoing missions include EUFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a 7,000 strong military crisis management mission to which Ireland is contributing more than 50 personnel from the Defence Forces and the EU Police Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina headed by an assistant commissioner from the Garda Síochána. The continuing development of the capabilities of the EU in order to carry out these types of missions is a priority for the Union.

From a national perspective we have stressed the need for a balanced development of civilian and military aspects of ESDP. In this context Ireland has supported recent work to further enhance the EU's civilian capabilities. These include the development of rapidly deployable civilian response teams as well as enhancing the Union's civil protection capacity to respond to major humanitarian disasters, such as the recent tsunami in South East Asia.

I welcome the expansion of the Petersberg Tasks foreseen in the European Constitution in particular in relation to conflict prevention and post-conflict rehabilitation tasks. The broadened scope of the Petersberg Tasks provide for the continued engagement of the EU in the full spectrum of conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict reconstruction into the future.

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