Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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289. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on President Juncker's plan for a more united, stronger and democratic union, in particular plans in relation to further enhancing subsidiary proportionality and better regulation in the daily operation of the European Union. [39668/17]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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290. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the state of the union speech by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, in the European Parliament on 14 September 2017 (details supplied); and his views on these suggestions. [39798/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together.

The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker made his annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday 13 September. In a wide-ranging speech President Juncker touched on multiple issues on the EU agenda including Climate Change, Trade, Industrial Policy, Migration, the Single Market, the Digital Agenda, the Eurozone, the Schengen Area, Defence and Taxation.

I welcome the positive tone of the speech echoing the Bratislava Declaration of the 27 Heads of State and Government of September last year which acknowledged that while the EU is not perfect, it remains indispensable for its members.

In March this year the European Commission published a White Paper on the Future of the EU. The purpose of the White Paper is to open a wide-ranging debate with citizens, setting out five scenarios for how Europe could evolve by 2025. These five scenarios are neither mutually exclusive nor exhaustive and in putting them forward the Commission is aiming to move the debate beyond a binary choice between more Europe or less Europe. By opting, in the White Paper, for a wide debate, rather than recommending a clear, integrationist path for the future, the Commission is respecting the need for the EU to rebuild its trust with its citizens. I very much welcome this approach.

Since the publication of the White Paper, the European Commission has further contributed to the debate with five Reflection Papers. Each Paper contains different levels of ambition which broadly reflect the scenarios set out in the White Paper. My colleague the Minister for European Affairs and I are planning to lead a process of public engagement on these and related issues in the coming months. It is imperative that we use our influence to shape the future direction of the European Union.Each Member State, Ireland included, will be bringing its own contributions to the debate.

In his address President Juncker made over 40 proposals. Some of them will enjoy the support of the Government, some will not and others will need further analysis. I welcome, however, the President’s emphasis on a Union that works for its citizens and on Europe’s values: a Union of freedom, equality and the rule of law. The speech echoes our broad approach to the debate with our commitment to completing the single market, completing the banking union and opening up new markets around the globe. I also agree entirely with President Juncker when he says that “the future of Europe cannot be decided by decree. It has to be the result of democratic debate and, ultimately, broad consensus.”

With respect to the President’s proposal for a European Defence Union, I can assure the deputy that, under the terms of the Treaty on European Union, a common Union defence would require unanimity in the European Council and would have to be in accordance with the constitutional requirements of Member States. As the Deputy is aware, Ireland’s participation in a European Common Defence is prohibited by article 29.4.9 of the Constitution of Ireland. This protection is reinforced by the Irish Protocol to the Lisbon Treaty. Any change in that position could take place only with the approval of the people in a referendum to amend the Constitution.

In his address the President also asked Member States to look at which foreign policy decisions could be moved from unanimity to qualified majority voting. As he made clear, the Treaty already provides for this, if all Member States agree to it. I can assure the Deputy that we will study any such proposals, if they emerge, very closely to ensure the careful balance enshrined in the Treaty on European Union is fully respected.