Opting out of the European Rapid Reaction Force would have serious negative consequences for Ireland, according to the authors of a newly published booklet on the subject.
The possibility of an Irish decision to withdraw from the RRF has arisen in the context of a second Nice referendum. Patrick Keatinge and Ben Tonra, authors of The European Rapid Reaction Force, published yesterday by the Dublin-based Institute of European Affairs, warn against an opt-out on the following grounds:
1) It would reduce and perhaps ultimately eliminate whatever influence Ireland might have on the overall shape of the RRF;
2) An opt-out would leave Ireland in a position of "mute denial" on each occasion that the RRF was being deployed for an operation, even mine-clearing or humanitarian relief;
3) Irish influence over the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy would be diminished, since Ireland would be seen as playing no role in one of its key components, namely the RRF.
At the launch of the booklet, Dr Keatinge said the National Forum on Europe "hadn't really got to grips with" RRF membership. The issue was urgent because of the possibility a deal might be done "behind closed doors" for an opt- out as part of the formation of the next government.
Keatinge and Tonra propose a policy of "watchful engagement" in the RRF. In this way, they argue, "Ireland would have the opportunity to maximise its influence in dealing with local conflicts in the neighbourhood of the EU and to maintain consistency with the State's previous policies with regard to international security".
In the event of a second Nice referendum, a national declaration could be attached to the treaty, "spelling out explicitly the nature of the commitment undertaken and the relevant political conditions, including a UN mandate".