Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 219: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he proposes to influence defence policy at EU level in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42337/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy will be aware, the European Union's security and defence policy, ESDP, has developed as the operational arm of the Union's common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and is primarily intended to help prevent conflict overseas and to strengthen security and stability in regions such as the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan. As reflected in the Ministerial Declaration on "ESDP Ten Years – Challenges and Opportunities", adopted at this month's meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, the development of ESDP has enabled the Union to become an ever more active, capable and credible global actor, allowing it to combine in a comprehensive approach crisis management capabilities with longer term assistance and development policies.

Along with the successive deployment of 22 ESDP missions and operations in three continents - across a wide range of conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict peace-building tasks - Ireland and its EU partners have streamlined and continue to reform ESDP structures; refine ESDP planning capability; improve the EU's crisis management and rapid response capabilities; and increase cooperation with key partners, none more important than the United Nations. Ireland has sought to play a positive, constructive and active role in the evolution of ESDP that accords with our traditional policy of military neutrality. Along with like-minded partner countries, we continue to influence the overall parameters within which ESDP operates by acknowledging and placing particular emphasis placed on the primary role of the United Nations Security Council for the maintenance of peace and security. Conflict prevention has also been at the core of the Union's approach and Ireland has worked to ensure that this centrally important dimension to ESDP is given prominence.

The Union's security and defence policy is an inclusive project that has been conceived and elaborated with the engagement of all EU Member States – the intergovernmental nature of ESDP and the continued application of unanimity to decisions taken by the Union in the security and defence area has helped to safeguard Ireland's influence on developments. Once the Lisbon Treaty enters into force, ESDP will be known as the common security and defence policy (CSDP). CSDP will remain an integral part of the common foreign and security policy and will continue to provide the Union with an operational capacity to undertake missions outside the Union for peace-keeping, conflict prevention and strengthening security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Ireland will continue to work with our EU partners to ensure that the EU, in the service of UN objectives, continues to make an effective contribution to a more secure, just and stable world and we will work to influence the development of the Union's security and defence policy towards that end.