Irish neutrality

The Republic of Ireland has been neutral in international relations since the 1930s. The nature of Irish neutrality has varied over time, and has been contested since the 1970s. Historically, the state was a ""non-belligerent"" in World War II and has never joined NATO, although during the Cold War it was anti-communist and aloof from the Non-Aligned Movement. The compatibility of neutrality with Ireland's membership of the European Union has been a point of debate in EU treaty referendum campaigns since the 1990s. The Seville Declarations on the Treaty of Nice acknowledge Ireland's ""traditional policy of military neutrality"", reflecting the narrow formulation of successive Irish governments. Others define Irish neutrality more broadly, as having ""a strong normative focus, with a commitment to development, United Nations peacekeeping, human rights and disarmament"".