The relationship between EU and NATO
The end of the Cold War led to significant transformations of the geopolitical environment. A complex, much more unpredictable multipolar security landscape, had replaced the bipolar structure of confrontation between two rival power blocs (US and The Soviet Union). Transatlantic relations saw themselves confronted with new security threats: international terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, failed states, regional conflicts. Especially after 2001, global terrorism became the priority threat, when linked with the prospect of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
In response to the new environment and changing threats, NATO has brought in new members and conducted combat missions far outside its traditional territory. The EU has developed its own security and defense policy. At the same time, EU members have taken steps toward political integration with decisions to develop a common foreign policy and a defense arm to improve EU member states’ abilities to manage security crises. Both those changes in the geopolitical environment and Europe's expanding capabilities as a global political and strategic actor led to a positive reassessment of EU-NATO relations at the end of the Cold War.
However as EU continues to evolve, some U.S. analyst worry that a larger, potentially more confident EU may seek to rival the United States and could weaken the transatlantic link. They also contend that a more unified EU would likely lessen Washington’s leverage on individual members and could complicate U.S. efforts to rally support for its initiatives in institutions such as the United Nations or NATO. As the potential for overlap has grown, some has concern about the dangers of competition between NATO and the EU. Even U.S. and European leaders have pledged many times to ensure that NATO and the EU work together, concrete examples of collaboration remain limited. However others suggest that an EU able to “speak with one voice” — especially on foreign policy and defense matters — would be a more credible, capable partner for the United States in managing global challenges and could shoulder a greater degree of the security burden, both within and outside of Europe. Opinion in Europe is also divided. Some view the EU’s defense efforts as a way to encourage Europeans to take a greater role in providing for Europe’s security, but others see the EU as an emerging competitor to NATO. Most EU member states support close NATO-EU links, but also view ESDP as a means to give themselves more options for dealing with future crises. Some numbers view EU either as a “counterweight” to the United States or as a key element of transatlantic security.
The main purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of the relationship of NATO and EU.
This paper will answer the follow questions:
1. What was the relationship between EU and NATO in the history?
2. What problems exist in the relationship between NATO and EU now?
3. Is it possible for them to cooperate together?
4. If they can, what they should do to transform the NATO-EU relationship into an effective partnership? If they can not, what the relationship will be in the future.
). If you have the permission, you can login now.