Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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129. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the new initiatives that are anticipated within the European Union as tension mounts in many sectors globally. [3861/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Strategic Compass initiative, which has its origins in the Council Conclusions on security and defence from June 2019, aims to enhance and guide the implementation of the Level of Ambition arising out of the EU's Global Strategy. It is envisaged that the Strategic Compass will set out policy orientations and specific goals and objectives in areas such as crisis management, resilience, capability development and partnerships. EU Member States have, over the last number of years, worked together on its further development with the adoption of a finalised version of the Compass expected in March of this year.

The first draft of the Strategic Compass was presented by HRVP Borrell to Foreign and Defence Ministers in a joint session of the Foreign Affairs Council in Foreign Affairs and Defence format on 15th November 2021. The draft set out an analysis of the prevailing strategic environment, followed by proposals in the areas of crisis management, resilience, capability development and the EU’s work with key partners.

Ireland has, and continues to play an active role in efforts to develop the EU’s Strategic Compass. Once agreed by all Member States, this policy document will serve to guide the EU’s approach towards CSDP for the next decade, while also reflecting the increasingly complex security landscape faced by the EU. There are many proposals within the Strategic Compass which may lead to tangible future initiatives, but these remain under discussion by all Member States and are yet to be agreed.

Ireland has always engaged constructively in the development of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

From Ireland’s perspective, we welcome the Strategic Compass as a means of setting out our shared strategic vision as a Union for the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and of enhancing the role of the EU as a security provider that can contribute effectively to international peace and security.

In my view, the Strategic Compass also offers an important opportunity for the EU to project its values. In my discussions with other Member States, I have therefore suggested that the starting point for the Compass, should be the core values that underpin our approach to CSDP, including our collective commitment to effective multilateralism and the rules-based international order. In this regard, the exercise offers an excellent opportunity to strengthen the EU’s cooperation with the United Nations, including in the areas of peacekeeping and crisis management.