HL Deb 02 March 1998 vol 586 cc949-51

2.52 p.m.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What they consider to be the purpose and functions of the Western European Union, in the context of NATO's acceptance of the objective of developing a European security and defence identity and of the Protocol on Article J7 of the Treaty of Amsterdam.

Lord Whitty

My Lords, the Western European Union acts as the interface between NATO and the European Union, allowing Europe to take on an increased share of responsibility in security matters, consistent with the primary role of NATO. It provides Europe with a valuable crisis management tool and a military capability which the European Union can call on to support its common foreign and security policy.

The WEU is also an essential part of the development of the European security and defence identity in NATO, able to draw on the assets and experience of NATO to run crisis management operations in which our North American allies choose not to take part.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Will the Minister assure us all that, in the foreign policy led strategic defence review, the question of how our forces fit in with the developing European and defence initiative is being taken fully into account? Will the Minister accept that over the past few months we have heard more enthusiastic language about closer European defence co-operation from our American allies than we have from the British Government?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, on the first point, I assure the noble Lord that those aims will be taken into account in the defence review. On the second point, it is clear that the British Government wish to see a strong European dimension to NATO. What the noble Lord may be querying is the position which the Government have explained often to this House; namely, that we do not believe that the European Union should take on direct military responsibilities. We made that position absolutely clear in the Amsterdam negotiations.

Lord Bruce of Donington

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the protocol cited in the Question refers specifically to paragraphs 1 and 3 of Article J7? In view of the profound silence of the European Commission during the recent Iraq crisis, will the Minister reassure us that the members of the European Council meeting together can decide on courses of action regarding both the organisation and functions of the WEU without any proposals coming from the Commission or without being required to enter into any co-decision matters in conjunction with the European Parliament?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, clearly relations between the EU and the WEU are covered in the inter-governmental second pillar to which Article J7 and its paragraphs apply. That means that it is the Council of Ministers and not the Commission which is the prime authority in those matters and there is no co-decision with either the Commission or the Parliament in that respect.

Lord Hardy of Wath

My Lords, will my noble Lord comment on the proposition that the WEU is much more suitable as the base of the security pillar in western Europe but, if it is to fulfil that role properly, the Council of Ministers will have to take the same sort of approach as Her Majesty's Government have adopted over the past year.

Lord Whitty

My Lords, to some extent, I agree with that. Increasingly, the WEU can take on responsibility for aspects of crisis management within Europe. We should not expect it to take on aspects of the territorial defence of Europe which is the responsibility of NATO.

Lord Bruce of Donington

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the European Council of Ministers has no status whatever in the matter? The protocol concerned and the article to which it relates refer specifically to the European Council, which is set up under entirely different auspices from the Council of Ministers. Therefore, would the Minister care to revise his answer to my question?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, not very much. The article referred to relates to co-operation between the WEU and the EU. Clearly, the Council of Ministers does not have any authority in relation to the WEU's operations. Therefore, the co-operation is expressed in terms of co-operation between the European Council and the WEU.

Lord Carver

My Lords, will the noble Lord clarify his answer? Is he saying that the WEU as it exists at present and its relationship with NATO satisfactorily provides the European security and defence identity which has been envisaged? If so, I do not agree with him. Is he saying that nothing more needs to be done to produce a better organisation and relationship than the sort of muddle which exists now between the WEU and NATO?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, I am certainly not saying that the present position is satisfactory. But the role of the WEU would primarily be in the area of crisis management, whereas the European pillar of NATO would deal with territorial defence aspects. But certainly all those areas need further development and, in particular, the WEU needs to be turned more effectively into an operational unit to deal with crisis management matters. I hope that that clarifies the situation.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

My Lords, Article J7, which is now before the House as part of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill, states specifically that the WEU is an integral part of the development of the European Union. Are the Government saying that they agree with that sentiment or that they have deep reservations about it?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, for the European Union to develop a direct defence capability requires a unanimous decision and at present the British Government are not prepared to be party to that unanimous decision. Those longer term objectives will always be subject to a unanimous decision under the Treaty of Amsterdam as well as under the current treaties.