Proposals are to go to Cabinet today to allow for changes to the Defence Act to allow for Ireland to join battlegroups, Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said yesterday.
Mr O'Dea said that Ireland and Sweden have an agreement in principle that Ireland join the Nordic battlegroup.
Speaking after a meeting with the Swedish ambassador in Brussels yesterday, the Minister said the Defence Act would be modified to allow soldiers to be trained abroad.
The proposed changes to the Act will also give the Government the right to send troops to humanitarian crises by changing the narrow wording of when troops may be deployed under a UN mandate.
Currently, Ireland can send troops on peacekeeping missions that have been "established" by the UN.
However, recent looser language from the UN "calling on" regions to engage in peacekeeping activities could fall foul of the Defence Act wording.
Ireland's contribution to any battlegroup, whose headquarters are likely to be located just outside London, would be "at the lower end of the scale" but is likely to consist of explosives and communications experts and up to 200 troops.
The EU battlegroups, meant to be sent to trouble spots around the world, will go into operation from 2008.
Mr O'Dea reiterated that Irish troops would only be deployed if there is a UN mandate.