Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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567. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on the most recent meeting of EU defence Ministers. [40586/16]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I attended the recent joint Foreign Affairs and Defence Council on the 14 November along with my colleague Minister Dara Murphy, who represented Minister Flanagan at the meeting. Discussions took place on the implementation of the EU Global Strategy in the area of Security and Defence. The High Representative presented her proposed Implementation Plan for consideration by Ministers to give effect to the security and defence aspects of the EU Global Strategy. Council Conclusions were adopted Ministers, drawing on the HRVP proposals, and the Council determined a Level of Ambitionin support of three strategic priorities identified in the EU Global Strategy:

- responding to external conflicts and crises,

- building the capacities of partners, and

- protecting the Union and its citizens.

The Council:

- Determined that the EU needs to pursue an integrated approach linking up different EU instruments in a coordinated way, building on the EU's Comprehensive Approach and promoting civil-military cooperation.

- Stressed that the level of ambition needs to be underpinned by the necessary financial coverage

- Underlined that the EU will continue to act in cooperation with partners, notably the United Nations, NATO, the OSCE and the African Union, with due respect for the autonomy of EU decision-making and the principle of inclusiveness.

The Council also prioritised actions to implement the Level of Ambition through adjusting tools and financing, Permanent Structured Co-operation (PESCO) and taking forward CSDP Partnerships.

There was also an exchange of views on EU-NATO Cooperation following the recent Joint Declaration at the Warsaw Summit and on ongoing Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations with a focus on the Mediterranean Naval CSDP mission, 'Operation Sophia' and CSDP missions in the Sahel.

In addition Ministers were presented with an outline of the Commission's European Defence Action Plan (EDAP). This plan was subsequently published by the Commission on 30 November 2016.