Robert Walter (Response to reply)

I thank the minister for that response. I came here to provoke him.

I do feel that we should be concerned that we have created a very useful instrument. As such, that instrument has not been deployed, although we have deployed EU forces in a number of very successful missions, in Chad and in other places.

My concern is that we will get to a point where, having not deployed a battlegroup, the countries who were providing the facilities for those battlegroups may not take the commitment as seriously as they should.