Written answers

Thursday, 23 February 2006

Department of Defence

Common Foreign and Defence Policy

4:00 pm

Photo of Dan BoyleDan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Defence the agenda of 7 March 2006 meeting of the European Defence Agency; his views on whether Ireland, along with other EU states must spend more on defence research and technology as suggested by Mr. Javiar Solana, head of the European Defence Agency and high representative for the EU's common foreign and security policy, due to the scale of the challenges the EU faces to transform its military capabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7479/06]

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I will attend the meeting of the European Defence Agency steering board in defence ministers' formation in Innsbruck, Austria on 7 March 2006. While the formal agenda for this meeting has not yet issued, among the issues expected to be discussed are: the setting up of the 2006 European Defence Agency's college of auditors to audit the agency's 2005 accounts; discussion of the chief executive's report on current activities and issues; and a review of European defence research and technology on the basis of a memorandum from the agency to the steering board.

The steering board is the principal decision-making body of the agency on which the 24 participating member states are represented. Denmark does not participate under its general opt-out on decisions with defence or military implications. The overall aim of the agency is to support member states in their efforts to improve European defence capabilities in support of European security and defence policy.

I believe the agency is an important forum through which the EU can seek to improve competitiveness and efficiency in the defence equipment sector, which has been notable for fragmentation and duplication. While Ireland is not a major consumer of defence equipment in relative terms, I believe that we should encourage developments which improve market efficiencies or which may yield some economies of scale for equipment procurement for the Defence Forces.

The main focus of the European Defence Agency is not increasing defence expenditure, but rather, obtaining better value for existing spending levels and securing improvements and greater efficiency, particularly in the area of research, technology, manufacturing and procurement. Ireland has advocated that the EU should prioritise the development of qualitative aspects of capability development. I am aware that this view, and a recognition of the need for greater efficiency and effectiveness in defence expenditure, is shared by many of my ministerial colleagues at EU level, at a time when the majority of member states, including Ireland, has no plans to increase their defence spending.

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