EN E-001328/2021
Reply (5.7.2021)
In their statement (1) of 26 February 2021, the EU leaders committed to cooperating closely with NATO, in full respect of the principles set out in the Treaties and those agreed upon by the European Council. They also stated that they looked forward to cooperating with the new United States administration on a strong and ambitious transatlantic agenda that would include a close dialogue on security and defence, and that this global cooperation would benefit from a stronger EU in the field of security and defence.
On 25 March 2021, leaders had the opportunity to welcome President Biden during a videoconference, and on this occasion reiterated their strong commitment to the transatlantic agenda.
The Council had, in its conclusions (2) on EU-US relations of December 2020, already underlined its interest in a strong, mutually beneficial long-term strategic partnership with the United States, in a strengthened multilateral order. On this occasion, the Council welcomed the commitment of the new US Administration to multilateral diplomacy and international alliances and considered that it was time to work together to reinforce the global non-proliferation, disarmament and arms-control architecture. In that context, the Council particularly highlighted the need to work together to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015), a key pillar of the global non-proliferation architecture, and also to further its achievements and address future challenges.
The Council also emphasised in December 2020 that the EU and the United States should continue to maintain close cooperation and dialogue in the area of security and defence and further enhance their common efforts, including through enhanced, mutually-reinforcing and beneficial strategic EU-NATO partnership in areas of shared interest in the framework of the 2016 Warsaw and 2018 Brussels Joint Declarations. The Council considered that this would enable the EU and the United States to effectively address various traditional and emerging threats and challenges. The Council also reiterated that in line with the Council conclusions of 17 June 2020, EU security and defence initiatives would enhance the European contribution to transatlantic security, and that this would also contribute to strengthening the rules-based international order with the United Nations at its core.
Most recently, on 10 May 2021, in its Conclusions (3), the Council welcomed the significant progress achieved on EU-NATO cooperation since the signature of the 2016 Warsaw and 2018 Brussels Joint Declarations and underlined the importance of an enhanced, mutually reinforcing and beneficial strategic EU-NATO partnership in areas of shared interest with the overall objective of building a genuine and constructive organisation-to-organisation relationship. In light of the common challenges to Euro-Atlantic security, the Council reiterated the importance of reinforced cooperation between the two organisations in order to promote and uphold shared values and common security interests. In this regard, it reaffirmed that the swift and tangible implementation of the Joint Declarations and the common set of proposals remains a key political priority of the EU and reiterated that EU-NATO cooperation continues to take place in full respect of the principles of transparency, reciprocity and inclusiveness as well as the decision-making autonomy and procedures of both organisations. In view of the fifth anniversary of the signature of the Warsaw Joint Declaration, the Council encouraged further work towards implementation within the agreed framework of the two Joint Declarations and the common set of 74 proposals in close cooperation with and the full involvement of all Member States.
In particular, the Council called for swift progress towards an ambitious implementation of the new Parallel and Coordinated Exercises plan and it reiterated the need for an effective operational cooperation in common areas of deployment, in particular between NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) and EUNAVFOR Irini, calling for the conclusion of an administrative arrangement, building on the framework achieved for Operation Sophia. In addition, the Council highlighted the need for renewed and sustained efforts in areas such as political dialogue, military mobility, countering hybrid threats, including bolstering resilience, cyber security and defence, and capacity building for partners. Moreover, it acknowledged the need for exploring possibilities to identify, in an inclusive process, new areas to work on together, while respecting EU’s competences and institutional balance. Furthermore, the Council reaffirmed the importance of unimpeded exchange of information between EU and NATO, in an inclusive and non-discriminatory manner, for further enhancing the cooperation between the two organisations across all agreed areas of interaction to foster synergies and avoid unnecessary duplication. Finally, while taking into account the different nature of both organisations and their respective responsibilities and memberships and in full respect of the EU’s decision making autonomy, the Council recognised the importance of coherence between the reflection processes ongoing within the EU and NATO.
1 SN 2/21
2 Council conclusions of 7 December 2020 on European Union – United States relations, available at: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/12/07/council-conclusions-on-european-union-united-states-relations/
3 8396/21
Source: Answer to a written question – EU and NATO military and defence relations – E-001328/2021(ASW)