Robert Brieger
General, Chairman of the European Union Military
Committee (CEUMC)
Brussels, Belgium
The EU-NATO cooperation in the new world order is of paramount importance given the evolving geopolitical landscape and security challenges facing the international community. Both, EU and NATO share common interests in promoting peace, stability, security, and prosperity in Europe and beyond. In the face of emerging threats such as cyber-attacks, terrorism, hybrid warfare, conventional threats and geopolitical tensions, collaboration between the both organizations has become increasingly vital in order to show our strength together towards other geopolitical actors.
However, what does an honest inventory look like? And, how can we synergistically foster the development of the EU within NATO? In any case the war in Ukraine, which has entered its third year, really brought EU and NATO closer together!
One of the dogmas we have to take for granted is that EU and NATO are and remain inherently different, in nature. There are good and solid reasons for that, not least the conditions and intentions that were behind their establishment. When NATO is a clear military and defence alliance the EU is first and for most a political and economic institution. Only since 20 years the EU became a credible actor in the security architecture. Many, though, say that this has caused an unnecessary rivalry, when they deal with the same or similar matters. Truth is that both organizations can support each other, especially since many Allies and Member States have started to develop a common threat perception.
However, the EU should appear more complementary to NATO, but at the same time it should clearly express its own interests. There is a need for EU strategic autonomy in defence, where Europeans should address military capability gaps within the EU and in NATO. It is important to avoid duplication and to seek for synergy. With the many force requirements both in EU and in NATO context, we need to allocate the single set of forces in a smart way and show flexibility.
To set accents, Europe must reinforce the European component of NATO, primarily through EU structures. Strengthening the already-launched European Defence Fund (EDF), Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) initiatives. Backing the European Sovereignty Fund is necessary, given their potential to boost Europe’s armament industry and make the EU able to provide for itself.
The EU has a crucial role to play in enabling defence investment and encouraging EU Member States to cooperate more in defence research, development and procurement. Something that NATO would also benefit from. The EU is especially well placed to deal with those security issues that do not need a conventional military element – for instance relating to regulations or economic sanctions. NATO’s Strategic Concept and the EU’s Strategic Compass talk about strengthening EU-NATO partnership. However, the Strategic Compass emphasizes cooperation with NATO more than the other way around.
Looking at it from a political and strategic angle, the EU should be the framework for defining political and strategic interests of the European nations. EU-NATO cooperation is then a mechanism for implementing common interests. We therefore have to clearly define what we want and see how we can best implement it.
In summary, it can therefore be stated that EU-NATO cooperation serves as a cornerstone of regional and global security architecture, fostering stability, resilience, and effective response to emerging threats. Strengthening this core partnership is essential for addressing the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century.