NATO leaders have described the European Union in their new Strategic Concept as the Alliance’s “unique and essential partner”.
They announced their willingness to enhance the strategic partnership between the two organisations, strengthen political consultations and increase cooperation on issues of common interest, such as “military mobility, resilience, the impact of climate change on security, emerging and disruptive technologies, human security, the Women, Peace and Security programme, as well as countering cyber and hybrid threats and systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security posed by China”.
In their political declaration, the leaders state that they will continue to strengthen the strategic partnership “in a spirit of full mutual openness, transparency and complementarity, and respect for the organisations’ different mandates, decision-making autonomy and institutional integrity” of both organisations.
The concept recalls that NATO and the EU play “complementary, coherent and mutually reinforcing” roles in supporting international peace and security. “Our common resolve in responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine highlights the strength of this unique and essential partnership”, the leaders’ statement said.
According to NATO, for the development of the strategic partnership, “non EU Allies’ fullest involvement in EU defence efforts is essential”. While the Alliance recognises the value of a stronger and more capable European defence that makes a positive contribution to transatlantic and global security and is complementary to and interoperable with NATO, there is no mention in the concept of the EU’s ‘Strategic Compass’, which mentions NATO 28 times (see EUROPE 12915/10). Some Allies, members of the EU, wanted the opposite.
The Strategic Concept also considers that initiatives to increase defence spending and develop coherent and mutually reinforcing capabilities, while avoiding unnecessary duplication, are essential to joint efforts to make the Euro-Atlantic region more secure.
“If you want NATO to function well, you need two legs equally important, one is the Atlantic Alliance, one is the EU. The stronger the EU is, also in its defence component and in its defence industry component, the more balanced NATO will be and the better it will function”, said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo.
Despite all this evidence of good intentions, there is no mention of a new declaration between the Union and the Alliance, which is still under discussion (see EUROPE 12920/15).
See the strategic concept: https://aeur.eu/f/2et
See the Madrid declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/2fi (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Léa Marchal)