Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the progress made implementing the EU Strategic Compass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22789/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Strategic Compass, approved by the Foreign Affairs Council and endorsed by the European Council in March of last year, outlines the way forward for the European Union in the field of security and defence. The document sets out the reality of the current European security environment, notably in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and then proposes a series of actions and deliverables in areas such as crisis management, resilience, capability development and partnerships with key international actors. Each of these actions lists a set of clear policy objectives, with timelines for implementation.

Implementation began immediately after adoption, and is progressing rapidly. The EU has succeeded, amongst other things, in bolstering its capacity to counter hybrid threats, foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) and strengthening resilience through the development of an EU Hybrid Toolbox, a new FIMI Toolbox and the establishment of EU Hybrid Rapid Response Teams, while an EU wide approach to strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure has also been agreed.

In addition, there has been progress toward securing access to strategic domains, including through an update to the Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox, the proposed Cyber Resilience Act, the first ever EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence and an updated Maritime Security Strategy.

The EU has also increased the effectiveness of its civilian and military crisis management tools and demonstrated speed and flexibility in this regard, including through the deployment of an EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine, an EU Civilian Mission in Armenia and an EU Civilian Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova. The foundation has also been laid for the adoption of a new Civilian CSDP Compact in May 2023.

Ireland fully supports the implementation of the Strategic Compass, and has engaged constructively across all areas of activity.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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149. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the progress made developing an EU Hybrid Toolbox; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22790/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Hybrid threats can be characterized as a mixture of coercive and subversive activity and conventional and unconventional methods which are used by state or non-state actors to achieve specific objectives, while remaining below the threshold of formally declared or actual warfare. Typical methods employed by such actors range across the diplomatic, military, economic, technological, cyber and disinformation domains, often in a coordinated manner.

In recognition of the deteriorating security landscape in Europe following the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, the EU has stepped up its work to tackle hybrid threats.

In this regard, the EU’s Strategic Compass, adopted in March 2022, includes a specific focus on hybrid threats, including a commitment to develop an EU Hybrid Toolbox. This will comprise of a range of preventive, cooperative, stability-building, restrictive and support measures, focused on identifying complex and multifaceted hybrid campaigns, and coordinating tailor-made and cross-sectoral responses to them. In addition, a new and complementary Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) Toolbox is also being examined by Member States.

Ireland actively supports the development of these measures at EU level. We are also implementing a range of relevant measures at national level, including increased investment in the National Cyber Security Centre, a Third Country Investment Screening Bill and legislation on relevant vendors in the Communications Regulations and Digital Hub Agency Act. We have also taken measures to safeguard the electoral system and to address disinformation through the Electoral Reform Act and the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act respectively.