Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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848. To ask the Minister for Defence when the next meeting of EU Defence Ministers will take place; the agenda for same if decided; his priorities for it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46319/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The next Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers format will take place in Brussels on the 18^th and 19^th November. The provisional agenda for the meeting was circulated last week. The first session will take place on the 18^th November with a joint meeting of Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers who will be presented with the opportunity to discuss Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Council Conclusions in view of the upcoming European Council meeting on defence in December 2013. At this meeting, Heads of States and Governments will discuss defence issues for the first time in five years.On the 19^th November the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board meeting in Defence Ministers format will take place. This session will primarily focus on the EDA’s input to European Council discussions in December.

The final session will focus on CSDP Missions and Operations. At this session, the Operation and Mission Commanders of the four ongoing EU military missions will brief Defence Ministers on the current state of play regarding their missions. These are Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Operation EUNAVFOR ATALANTA the EU’s anti-piracy maritime mission off the coast of Somalia; and the EU Training Missions in Mali and Somalia (EUTM Mali and EUTM Somalia).

I am of the view that CSDP needs to reinvigorated and that the processes and mechanisms of CSDP need to be made more efficient and effective. We also need political commitment at the highest level to the development and provision by the Member States of capabilities for CSDP operations and an effective industrial and technology base to deliver those capabilities. I look forward to the European Council discussions in December, which I expect will provide strong support and political direction to the continuing development and evolution of a credible, effective and operational CSDP.