EU army
35. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will comment on the proposal by the Polish President, Mr. Lech Kaczynski, for a 100,000 strong European Union army linked to NATO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38107/06]
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern): I am aware that President Lech Kaczynski of Poland was reported earlier this month to have said that the European Union should have an armed force of between 80,000 and 100,000 personnel, within the framework of NATO. While the leaders of Member States of the European Union and others are, of course, free to raise such ideas, I am not aware that Poland or any other Member State intends to put forward a formal proposal of this kind. In any case, all decisions related to the Union’s Security and Defence Policy are taken by unanimity. Nor is there any current basis in the Treaties for the establishment of such a force.
The Government would be strongly opposed to any such move and, as I have already stated in response to reports of President Kaczynski’s remarks, Ireland cannot under the Constitution enter into any arrangement that would entail a common defence.