Perhaps the most contentious aspect of the debate on the Treaty of Nice is its alleged implications in the sphere of foreign and security policy. The Amsterdam Treaty of 1997 envisaged a key role for the Western European Union (WEU), with the potential to act as the EU's defence arm. It even held out the prospect of a merger between the two organisations: Ireland has observer status at the WEU, which was founded in 1948 to promote co-operation on defence and security. However, given the development of the EU's own capabilities in this respect, particularly the agreement to set up a 60,000-strong Rapid Reaction Force, the WEU has receded in importance and it is effectively sidelined under the Nice Treaty. Instead, the Political Committee of the EU becomes the Political and Security Committee (PSC).
This is made up of officials from the foreign ministries of each of the member-states. Previously it had a monitoring and advisory role under the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Under the Nice Treaty the PSC would have increased weight and importance and play a key role in the "political control and strategic direction of crisis management operations".
Crisis management is one of the list of joint security operations known as the "Petersberg Tasks", which have nothing to do with St Petersburg in Russia but are named after the German town of Petersberg where they were agreed by foreign and defence ministers of the WEU on June 19th, 1992. The list of tasks was subsequently adopted by the EU itself and consists of "humanitarian and rescue tasks, peacekeeping tasks and tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peacemaking". The Rapid Reaction Force was established by the EU to implement the Petersberg Tasks, with Ireland contributing 850 troops.
The Government has said it will only approve participation in UN-mandated operations.
For the first time, under the treaty, the principle of enhanced co-operation (also known as "flexibility") can be applied in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy. This means that, in the absence of unanimous agreement, a minimum number of eight member-states (currently there are 15) can take joint actions or policy positions. However, to the disappointment of some Mediterranean member-states, military and defence matters are specifically excluded. If it concerns CFSP, an individual member-state can still veto the establishment of a group for enhanced co-operation.
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