Ireland’s neutrality will continue to be protected in any future deepening of the EU’s common defence and security co-operation, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.
Speaking in Bratislava at a meeting of European Union leaders to consider the fallout from the British referendum, Mr Kenny said that Ireland "has always contributed – taking into account the red-line issues we have in terms of neutrality – to European co-operation and we will continue to do so."
EU leaders agreed to step-up co-ordination in security measures and pool defence resources at a one-day meeting convened to discuss the future of the union post-Brexit.
While Ireland's neutrality is protected in the protocol to the Lisbon Treaty, Ireland has participated in EU common security and defence policy missions in the past, including in Chad and Kosovo.
The EU held its first major discussion on future defence co-operation yesterday, and the issue is expected to feature in December's EU summit, with EU high representative Federica Mogherini expected to bring forward a number of proposals.
Among the measures agreed by leaders yesterday was a commitment to proceed with further EU-Nato co-operation by December, as agreed at the Nato summit in Warsaw in July.
Ireland is one of six EU member states which are not members of the transatlantic defence body.
Existing treaty
Leaders stressed that any measures taken to intensify defence co-ordination would be undertaken within the existing treaty.
In particular, there has been a growing call from a number of larger member states to adopt the notion of “permanent structured co-operation” contained within the Lisbon Treaty, which allows a core group of states to co-operate on defence capabilities.
Mr Kenny said he had raised concerns about the status of the Border following the British referendum result during the summit, particularly in light of the EU drive to strengthen the union’s external borders. Ireland had also explained how critical the Border issue was during a series of diplomatic initiatives in the last few weeks, he said.
"I think the Europeans understand the contribution they've made to the peace process in Ireland has resulted in the Border that used to be there – one of the most heavily militarised borders for many years – being moved. In that sense what we want to do is maintain our co-operation with our European colleagues and, at the same time, maintain our contact and close relationships with the United Kingdom. "
