Role of NATO in the security architecture of the EU
The European Parliament adopted, by 293 votes to 283 with 60 abstentions, a resolution on the role of NATO in the security architecture of the EU. Parliament recalls that 94% of the EU’s population live in States that are members of the alliance. It considers that NATO forms the core of European security and the EU has sufficient potential to support its activities.
Strategic overview: Parliament underlines that the raison d'être of the European Union is to build peace within its borders and beyond. An effective security strategy bolsters democracy and the protection of fundamental rights according to the Parliament. It considers that the EU's ability to build peace depends on the development of the right security strategy or security policy, including the capacity for autonomous action and an efficient and complementary relationship with NATO. Therefore, Parliament calls on the EU to continue to deploy missions while ensuring greater sustainability of the ESDP. It calls for the EU's existing crisis-management tools to be further developed.
The Parliament strongly advocates increased solidarity among the EU Member States in developing common security and defence strategies. The Commission is called upon to carry out further research into the importance of the sequencing of military and civil interventions in conflict areas and to integrate their findings into its security and development policies.
The relationship between NATO and the security architecture of the EU: Parliament recognises the fundamental role of NATO in the security architecture of Europe. It notes that the Alliance remains the foundation of collective defence, and that the security of Europe as a whole, regardless of the individual positions adopted by its states, continues to benefit from the maintenance of the transatlantic alliance. According to the Parliament, the future collective defence of the EU should as far as possible be organised in cooperation with NATO and that the USA and the EU need to intensify their bilateral relationship and extend it to issues pertaining to peace and security.
Security risks in the modern world still require closer partnership and concentration on strengthening the core capabilities of the EU and NATO, according to the Parliament. Cooperation in elaborating the new European Security Strategy and the new NATO Strategic Concept is crucial.
Parliament is of the view that the EU must develop its own security and defence capabilities, and develop the instruments of its security strategy, ranging from diplomatic crisis-prevention and economic and development assistance to civilian capabilities in the field of stabilisation and reconstruction. Moreover, Parliament considers that strategic use should be made of the “soft power” instruments in the EU's neighbourhood. The “Berlin plus” arrangements, which allow the EU to have recourse to NATO assets and capabilities, need to be improved in order to allow the two organisations to intervene and effectively deliver relief in current crises. Parliament calls on the EU, in the process of developing a White Book on European security and defence, to also evaluate the coherence of Europe's external operations, especially as regards cooperation with other international partners in crisis areas.
Cooperation between NATO and the EU in security and defence issues: Parliament welcomes a formal return to the military structures of NATO. The EU and NATO should work together in response to the new security challenges and adopt concrete initiatives for the pooling of European defence capabilities. The proposal for the establishment of systematic contacts between the Secretaries-General of NATO and the EU Council is welcomed, in particular so as to avoid confusion where the EU and NATO operate side by side in different missions towards the same common purpose. EU Member States which are also members of NATO are asked to redouble their efforts towards the establishment of a framework for integrated cooperation between NATO and the EU. Parliament calls on the EU and NATO to better inform people of their missions and of the role those missions play in creating security and stability around the world.
EU Operational Headquarters: Parliament supports the establishment of a permanent EU Operational Headquarters, under the authority of the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative, having as part of its mandate the planning and conduct of military ESDP operations. It stresses that an EU Operational Headquarters would complement the current NATO command structures and would not undermine NATO's transatlantic integrity.
Capabilities and military spending: Parliament is of the opinion that the mutual challenge for the EU and NATO is to make use of the same national pool of resources in terms of personnel and capabilities. In addition to the need for the much more efficient use of military resources, the need for more investment in defence by EU Member States is essential in the interests of European security. Therefore, Parliament calls for a significant increase in the proportion of common costs in every NATO and EU military operation. In addition, Parliament recognises the important potential contribution of the European Defence Agency, strengthened by the Treaty of Lisbon, towards cost-effective procurement and enhanced interoperability of armaments.
Lastly, Parliament deplores the fact that the Cypriot problem continues to badly impair the development of EU-NATO cooperation. Cyprus is asked to review its political position on its membership of the Partnership for Peace and NATO member states are asked to refrain from using their veto to prevent EU Member States from becoming members of NATO. Parliament considers that the EU and NATO must maintain a realistic and frank dialogue with Russia, including on human rights and the rule of law, regional security, energy, missile defence, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the limitation of armed forces and space policy. It also states that, if and when Russia becomes a genuine democracy, and refuses military threats as a means of political pressure on its neighbours, the depth of cooperation between it and the EU could reach unprecedented levels, including the prospect of Russia's membership in all Euro-Atlantic structures. Turkey is called upon to cease hindering the cooperation between EU and NATO.