Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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691. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Ireland was one of the 27 EU member states that agreed a legal mandate in preparation for an EU military headquarters; the nature of the proposed legal mandate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24242/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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There are no plans at EU level to establish an EU military headquarters. The proposal, currently being advanced is the development of civil/military planning and conduct capabilities, coordinated through a joint support coordination cell (JSCC), to improve the EU's capacity to react in a faster, more effective and more seamless manner. The proposal is to build on existing structures with a view to enhancing civilian-military synergies to support the effective planning and operation of civilian and non-executive military CSDP missions, as part of the EU's Comprehensive Approach.

In effect this means the creation of a Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), within the existing EU Military Staff structures in Brussels, which will be responsible at the strategic level for the operational planning and conduct of non-executive military missions working under the political control and strategic guidance direction of the Political and Security Committee. Once created, the MPCC will work in parallel and in a coordinated way with the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) supported by the JSCC which brings together the civilian and military expertise in key mission support areas. The Director of the MPCC, a responsibility to be taken up by the Director General of the EU Military Staff, will carry out the same role, tasks and command authority as those attributed to an EU Military Operation Commander, for non-executive military missions only, including the current three EU Training Missions deployed in the Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia. Non-executive military missions are capacity building, training and advisory missions. This will further strengthen and enable effective civilian/military coordination and cooperation in the operational planning and conduct of CSDP civilian and non-executive military missions.

The new Council Decision required to establish the MPCC and also amend the existing Council Decisions of the three current non-executive military missions remain under discussion. No legal mandate can be agreed until a unanimous decision is agreed by all member States. Such an agreement is not currently in place.

I do not believe that it represents an increase in or a move towards militarisation of the EU. The Lisbon Treaty provides that the Common Security and Defence Policy “shall provide the Union with an operational capacity drawing on assets, civil and military. The Union may use them on missions outside the Union for peace-keeping, conflict prevention and strengthening international security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. The performance of these tasks shall be undertaken using the capabilities provided by the Member States.”

I am satisfied that the issue of having an effective joint planning and operational capacity to support civilian and non-executive military CSDP missions is one which is reasonable, particularly having regard to the EU’s comprehensive approach to international crises.