Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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22. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide a report on the seminar on the European Council on Defence 2013 held in Dublin Castle on 17 May; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29086/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The European Council meeting in December next will include, for the first time in five years, a thematic discussion on defence issues. The European Council will discuss three clusters of issues. These are (a) increasing the effectiveness, visibility and impact of CSDP; (b) enhancing the development of defence capabilities; and, (c) strengthening Europe’s defence industry. As part of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Council, I hosted a seminar in Dublin Castle on 17th May, 2013, to discuss these issues. The seminar formed an integral part of the preparatory process of developing the agenda for the European Council discussion, with presentations from the European External Action Service, the European Defence Agency, the European Commission, Member States, academia and industry. In my own address, I underlined the importance of this Council meeting and the need for clarity and consensus at EU level to ensure that the EU can effectively respond to emerging international crises. I pointed out that achieving the EU’s ambition in Common Security and Defence Policy requires a greater willingness amongst Member States to coordinate their efforts, rather than continuing to act individually. There is also a need to ensure that the Union has the requisite resources and military capabilities, able and willing to effectively respond to emerging international crises that could ultimately have an adverse effect on the EU and on the security of our States and our citizens. Having capabilities is one thing, but as I said at the seminar, the political will to deploy them is a key and missing component, which Heads of State and Government will need to address in December. I also pointed to the important role which the Defence Industry plays in support of jobs, growth, leading edge technology and innovation and, with a particular focus on our own national capacity, the contribution which SMEs can make in this regard. Contributors and participants had the opportunity to consider this and to debate the issues across the three clusters mentioned above.