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European Union

EU-NATO Debate Continues: Key Takeaways and Insights

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The European Union's (EU) drive for increased military autonomy and integration is underway, with the Nice summit expected to finalize the details of the EU's defence policy. However, the debate surrounding the relationship between the EU and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remains contentious, with key stakeholders advocating for a harmonized approach to defence planning.

Key Takeaways:

  • The EU is set to endorse its military commitments and progress made towards new mechanisms, but the exact nature of relations between NATO and the new-born EU rapid reaction force will continue to dominate the debate.
  • French ambitions for greater autonomy from NATO, and thus from the US, are expected to influence the EU's defence policy.
  • Javier Solana, EU High Representative and Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, stated that the EU will be able to carry out the full range of Petersberg tasks by 2003, but certain capabilities will need to be improved.
  • NATO Secretary-General Lord George Robertson emphasized the need to get the institutional NATO-EU linkages right and encouraged the EU to establish a permanent relationship with NATO.
  • US Defense Secretary William Cohen proposed a common defence planning process involving all 23 NATO and EU countries to ensure maximum co-ordination of limited resources.
  • Cohen warned that the creation of separate bureaucracies and planning organisations would create competing institutions, leading to defence budgets remaining flat or decreasing, and potentially excluding non-EU members from consideration.
  • Franklin Kramer, Assistant Secretary of Defense for international security affairs, advocated for the role of NATO's Deputy SACEUR as the strategic commander for all European forces.
  • The EU force of 60,000 is not a new military forces structure, but rather an extension of the existing force structure, according to Kramer.

Statistics:

  • By 2003, the EU is expected to be able to carry out the full range of Petersberg tasks.
  • The EU will have to improve its capabilities in numbers and quality to meet its defence goals.
  • 23 countries will be involved in the common defence planning process, including 19 NATO members and the four non-NATO EU Member States (Austria, Finland, Ireland, and Sweden).
  • The EU Defence Policy is expected to be finalized at the Nice summit.
  • The EU's defence spending and co-operation on defence procurement will be crucial elements in achieving self-sufficiency in military matters.

Sources:

  • European Council in Nice
  • Conclusions adopted by EU Foreign Affairs Ministers at their 4/5 December Council meeting
  • NATO Secretary-General Lord George Robertson
  • US Defense Secretary William Cohen
  • Javier Solana, EU High Representative and Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers
  • Franklin Kramer, Assistant Secretary of Defense for international security affairs

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