On Monday 18 June, Gábor Iklódy, the director of the Crisis Management Planning Directorate of the European External Action Service, and Petr Chalupecký, head of the 'NATO and multilateral affairs' section of the Political Affairs and Security Policy division of the Alliance, stressed the need to focus on the implementation of 74 common EU-NATO actions rather than decide on new ones.
Chalupecký told a hearing of the 'security and defence' committee of the European Parliament that they already have their work cut out, as there are many subjects to work on together. “There are many areas in which we can improve, work on over the next two years”. He said that EU/NATO relations will be one of the subjects debated at the Alliance summit to be held in Brussels on 11 and 12 July. He explained that NATO set much store by collaboration with the European institutions. “We hope to work with you more and more in the future”, he told the MEPs.
Iklódy said that it was possibly time to take stock and focus on implementing measures that will have an impact. “We must try to focus on practical and specific measures that will help us to have a better combined reaction. We do not need processes, but concrete results”, he said. The representatives of EU and NATO stressed many areas of cooperation, such as military mobility, described by Iklódy as a major priority (see EUROPE 12037), the operational nature, hybrid threats, terrorism and setting capability and partnerships in place in the countries of the eastern and southern neighbourhoods.
As well as EU/NATO cooperation, the Alliance summit will discuss defence and deterrence, the stability of the eastern and southern neighbourhoods, “with specific results in the form of a package to reinforce capabilities for Jordan and Tunisia and strengthen NATO training and capabilities in Iraq”, Chalupecký said, referring in addition to an update of the Alliance and, finally, defence spending (2% of GDP). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)