On Monday 12 February, the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, reiterated that the EU, which is developing its defence, cannot replace the Alliance.
“There is no way the EU can replace NATO”, he explained at a press conference in Brussels, ahead of the meeting of the defence ministers of the Alliance on 14 and 15 February, at which relations between the EU and NATO and European defence plans will be discussed. The Secretary General of the Alliance stressed that the European allies know that the EU's protection depends on NATO, reiterating that after Brexit, 80% of NATO expenditure would come from non-EU member states and the three of the four tactical battlegroups in Poland and the Baltic states would be under the command of a non-EU country (United States, United Kingdom and Canada).
“More European defence spending and capabilities can strengthen NATO and contribute to fair burden-sharing. But only if the EU's efforts are developed as a complement and not an alternative to NATO”, Stoltenberg said, stressing that it would make no sense for the EU and NATO to compete with each other. He reiterated that most of the member states of the EU were also members of NATO and that 90% of the European population lives in one of these countries.
This means that if the two organisations are not rivals, Stoltenberg's view is that the EU's efforts can bolster NATO. He said that a strong European defence would help to strengthen the European pillar within NATO.
The Secretary General went on to say that the EU leaders had confirmed to him that the EU did not aim to replace the Alliance or to be in conflict with it, particularly concerning capabilities. Similarly, when asked about permanent structured cooperation, making it possible to develop projects between EU member states, Stoltenberg warned against creating new barriers. He stressed that he hopes that due to cooperation within the PSC, but also with the European Defence Fund, the EU would be able to tackle the fragmentation of the European defence industry, which is reducing its competitiveness. He added that if this is done in a way that does not create new barriers, he welcomes efforts to strengthen European defence, as this will make it possible to create new capabilities at lower costs to all allies. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)