An Cosantóir

| 11 Defence contributions during Ireland's presidency of the Council of the European Union (January – June 2013) by Lt Col Tony Cudmore (SPB, DFHQ) Photos DF Photographers and as accredited S ince the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Baroness Catherine Ashton now conducts the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), assisted by the European External Action Service. The EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) forms an integral part of the EU's CFSP. The role of the presidency in the area of CSDP is to support the High Representative and the European External Action Service. In this context, Ireland has utilised the presidency as an opportunity to influence the development of the CSDP agenda. As part of the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Minister for Defence prioritised a number of areas to progress during our presidency. These priorities included: contributing to the preparations for the European Council (heads of state and government) meeting in December 2013, which will include a thematic discussion on security and defence and military capabilities; continued development of the CSDP; addressing the impact of the financial crisis on defence (including progressing the opportunities for pooling and sharing); enhancing EU/UN relations; developing EU co-operation in the area of maritime security and surveillance; support for jobs, growth and innovation through focusing on the role of small and medium enterprise (SME) in fostering innovation in the security sector. © Niall Carson In relation to progress made during the presidency, the key event was the informal meeting of defence ministers held in Dublin Castle in February. The Secretary General of NATO, on his first formal visit to Ireland, attended the meeting, as did the UN (also for the first time) represented by the under-secretary general in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. A range of issues were discussed, including the upcoming meeting of the European Council on defence; Mali; the Horn of Africa; and partnerships between the EU and the United Nations. Three very successful CSDP seminars were also held in Ireland. The first was on the topic of regional organisations' co-operation with the United Nations in the area of crisis management, peace support and peace enforcement operations. The second dealt with the issue of maritime security and surveillance. The third focused on defence issues for consideration at the European Council meeting to take place later in 2013. The outcomes from all these seminars have been very positive and have stimulated debate in these areas at EU and institutional levels. In summary, the priorities have centred on how Ireland and the Union as a whole can contribute to the enhancement of the EU CSDP, a critical component of the EU CFSP, which is central to the achievement of Ireland's foreign policy objectives. www.military.ie the defence forces magazine

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