Cooperation between European Union and NATO
The global changes that modify the current world promote the appearance of new threats and risks to which modern societies must face. These facts, although they occur in distant territories, do not understand either temporal or geographical limits. Thus, the dispute over natural resources, terrorism or illicit traffic of all kinds, among others, are currently concerns of both governments and international organizations.
Although, a confrontation between European countries in the short term, or a military threat from one State against another, the current challenges are linked to how the world globally evolves will not occur. An example could be the explosive situation of instability that is lived in the Middle East or the great migratory pressure that is suffered in the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which indicate how the destiny of Europe is attached to the development of an increasingly globalized world.
These threats and risks indicated, and the change that occurs suddenly in societies are perceived as a danger to security, thus being forced the states to change the method that is carried out to defense of national interests and values. Thus, the concept of security has been forced to an extension incorporating more recent and new concerns along with more social sensibilities.
Saturnine ship captain Suanzes, speaker in this seminar, distinguished six challenges:
- Leadership capacity of organizations that pull the car, since there are always nations that lead on others;The latter do not resist by laziness but because each one has different interests. In the EU, it could be said that these leaders are France and Germany and it could also be included in the background to Italy and Spain, the challenge is basically the continuity of leadership that these four, to continue promoting and pulling others.
- Maintenance in order in a group of 25 members, since by increasing the Pesco (permanent structured cooperation) there is some resistance, which leaders will try to avoid.
- Action of third states. Being the Brexit almost overcome, the following is the alignment of some Member States with third states, such as the example that the relationship that each country has with the United States, weighs in all areas. Countries that remain within the EU can adopt an intermediate posture;Among those have gone and the so -called "leaders," that drive others.
- Commitment of the members of both NATO and that has within the EU, that is, the Baltic or Poland countries, for example, do not have the same commitment to the EU as the one in NATO, given to their border with Russia.
- Improvement and evolution of the defense budgets of all these countries. Operations, capacities development, etc.
- Citizen concern, since the perception by the population as a problem of great importance will make it more animated to support EU policies.
Sharing the same risks and threats, the EU is an important partner for NATO. Both try to act with an open character and with total transparency and complementarity.
The Joint Declaration of the President of the European Council, the president of the European Commission and the NATO Secretary General of July 8, 2016 identified seven cooperation areas:
- Counteract of hybrid threats: this area is more important than ever. A better awareness of the situation is critical to counteract this threat effectively. The establishment of the EU hybrid fusion cell and its interaction with the NATO hybrid analysis cell will help us elaborate a shared situation panorama:
- Operational cooperation included maritime and migratory issues: cooperation and coordination between Eunavfor Med Sophia and Sea Guardian operations have been improved through regular information exchange and logistics support.
- Cybersecurity and Defense: The exchange of concepts on the integration of the aspects of cyber defense in the planning and carrying out missions and operations has opened the door to greater cooperation in this area.
- Defense capabilities: increased efforts to guarantee the output coherence between the OTAN defense planning process and the EU Capacity Development Plan.
- Industry and research: great collaboration between strategic communications teams, especially in support of our partners and in the delivery of coordinated messages.
- Coordinated maneuvers: as the response of NATO and the EU staff that will exercise in a hybrid scenario in a parallel and coordinated manner.
- Capacity creation: Common objective of helping members develop their capacities and promoting resilience, particularly in Western Balkans, and in the Eastern and Southern neighborhood.
A common set of proposals for the implementation of the joint declaration was approved by the EU and NATO Councils on December 6, 2016. The set includes 42 concrete results oriented to the action that cover the seven cooperation areas. In addition, proposals were added to strengthen the political dialogue between the two organizations and a review mechanism was established in order to maintain the impetus and guarantee the implementation of these measures.
Cooperation between the EU and NATO is carried out according to the key principles of inclusion, reciprocity, transparency and full respect for the decision autonomy of both organizations, as well as without prejudice to the security and defense policy of all members. The implementation of this joint declaration and the common set of proposals remains a political priority for the EU. The first progress report, the head of the European Defense Agency, and the NATO general secretary were presented to the respective Councils in June 2017, highlighting the new culture, quality and dynamics of the EU-OTA.
There is much to apply, for pending work but the future is very important and cooperation with respect to the two organizations is today greater than ever, it is worth highlighting the role of NATO member countries who are not members of the EU, who of which ofSomehow have been facilitators of this substantial change process in the relationships of both.
The maintenance of Europe’s security is not only based on alliance projects with NATO, but also through a European Defense Action Plan. This requires investing in the common development of technologies and teams of strategic importance and greater cooperation between Member States and National Resources Commonunction. The objective of the European Defense Action Plan (EDAP) is to maintain the security of Europe encouraging member states to invest more. This desired cooperation has effects, not only on the operational level, building more and better defense capacities in the European Union, but also on the economic level, rationalizing and making the expense of the member states more efficient.
The priorities in the defense capacity identified in the EU Global Strategy Implementation Plan will serve as an orientation for EDAP: a European defense fund. The objective of the Commission with the Defense Fund is to promote cooperation in defense projects and support the entire sequence of defense capacities development, from the investigation to the prototype and the acquisition.
It consists of two complementary "windows":
- A ‘research window’ to finance collaborative research in innovative defense technologies such as electronic, metamaterials, encrypted or robotic software, but also any technology necessary to develop other specific defense capabilities considered priority. 25 million euros have been approved for defense investigation as part of the EU budget for 2017. This assignment is
- A first step to test the waters to support defense research at the EU level. A ‘capacity window’ to help member states to develop defense capabilities through cooperation. It will be financed by sharing national contributions and, when possible, with the EU budget. The capacities will be agreed by the Member States, who will in the end acquire and possess technology and team.
Promote investments in SMEs and other suppliers of the defense industry through support efforts to improve its access to the financing of the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund.
Strengthen the only defense market. The development of a European open and competitive defense market will help companies operate beyond borders and member states to obtain the best value for money in their defense acquisitions.
EDAP represents a substantial contribution to the strengthening of European defense. Several concrete proposals were presented in June 2017. These proposals have a clear calendar for action. Three main tasks are identified;Response to external conflicts and crisis when they arise, construction of the capacities of the classmates and protection of the European Union and its citizens through external action.
To achieve these objectives, the EU and its member states will make a complete use of political security and defense (PCSD) and EU treaties, as well as continue close cooperation with members, particularly with NATO and nationsUnited. The proposal includes the following concrete actions for a higher level of ambition.
In the light of a changing security environment, the Global Foreign and Security Policy Strategy (EUGS) initiated a closer cooperation process in security and defense matters. The EU member states agreed to intensify the work of the European Union in this area and recognized greater coordination, a greater investment in defense and cooperation to develop defense capabilities are key requirements to achieve this.
This is the main objective of a permanent structured cooperation on safety and defense (Pesco -permanent Structured Cooperation-), as described in the EU Treaty. Through Pesco, Member States increase their effectiveness in addressing security challenges and moving towards greater integration and strengthening of cooperation in defense within the EU framework.
Pesco is a framework based on the treaty to deepen defense cooperation between EU member states that are capable and willing to do so. The objective is to jointly develop defense capacities and make them available to EU military operations. This will improve EU’s capacity as an international security actor, will contribute to the protection of EU citizens and maximize the effectiveness of defense spending.
The difference between Pesco and other forms of cooperation is the legally binding character of the commitments assumed by the participating Member States. The decision to participate was voluntarily taken by each participating Member State, and decision -making will remain in the hands of the Member States participating in the Council.
While the family membership is only for those member states that have assumed more binding commitments, third states can participate exceptionally at the level of Pesco projects. As a first step, the Council plans to develop the general conditions according to which third states can be exceptionally invited to participate in Pesco projects. The Council will decide if a third state meets these requirements. After a positive decision, the project can then reach an administrative agreement with the third state in question, in accordance with the procedures and decision autonomy of the Union.
The EU, after a couple of decades of decreased popularity and a growing populist challenge, has actually experienced a small increase in popularity from Brexit, according to the Eurobarometer surveys organization.
In short, of great importance talking about Brexit, saying that it is cold outside the EU. It is crucial that the United Kingdom perceives that feeling, since even keeping us as partners or allies, this would help other countries with possible doubts, if they also perceive this cold, they want to stay inside. However, the way to do it is not against the United Kingdom, or in general against those who decide to leave, but deepen the European Union.
To conclude with the analysis, mention the role of Spain in the EU security and defense policy. The obstacles in the development of the common security and defense policy, comes from the complexity of the Spanish position, which often has to lead with the criticism of both allies, and with differences of opinion within the same country (which happens so muchSpain as in other countries.)
Spanish politics always seeks to rely on the foreign policy of the Union, such as helping to build that policy. The PCSD is now guided by the EU global strategy. Spain for budgetary reasons is not well prepared, however, for example, it is evident that one of the main threats of threats are the so -called failed states, which need institutional support and the first institutional support is always to build a security environment, thatpart, which is relatively new, the EU is prepared to do it and Spain has to stick to support in everything that can.
In Spain foreign policy, in security policy there are 3 pillars, NATO, 2. The PCSD and the bilateral relationship with the US.UU. Already mentioned, NATO, the PCSD is responsible for the threats to which NATO does not respond, nor the bilateral relationship with the USA.UU., Those who come in the modern world in which we are, come from failed states, of asymmetric relationships. This is something much more difficult to respond, because it is a threat of security that does not have a territorial focus, which does not depend on the decision of a government or a president, which do not manifest controllable, quantifiable armed forces, to that is what it isthat Spain wants the PCSD to respond. To respond to that, you have to do operations, but the EU is not yet able to do operations that really make the difference in the security of Spain, and in that is the Spanish foreign policy.
Objective of the PCSD for Spain, to be able to have a policy that is able to intervene in complex conflicts and serve in advance of the security of Spain. Beyond that, Spanish foreign policy pursues an increasingly narrow, more united EU. We are going through difficult times, in which the EU is going to redefine, but in any format that redefines the foreign policy Spain will battle so that the PCSD is part of the European project.
To end;Although the EU presents many challenges and threats, it is enough to emphasize that making it a reality of the will of the Europeans to take care of their security will not be possible without counting the support of citizenship, especially in relevant decisions such as the one that represents the definition of the definition of theRequired military capacities. In my opinion, as has already been said above, the good of the EU, are the small advances, that despite being lower than those that occur in many other organizations, we know that once a section is advanced, we are not exposed to therecoil.
In short, a stronger Europe is needed. That is what we deserve as citizens, and what the world in general expects. We live in times of existential crisis, inside and outside the European Union, where the Union is under threat, the European project, which has brought peace, prosperity and democracy unprecedented, is being questioned. However, these are also times of extraordinary opportunities. Global growth, mobility and technological progress, along with our increasingly deep associations, allow us to prosper and allow more and more people to get out of poverty and live longer and longer lives. We will sail for this difficult world, more connected, disputed and complex guided by our interests, principles and priorities shared. Based on the values enshrined in the treaties and on the basis of our many historical strengths and achievements, we will remain united to build a stronger union, playing its collective role in the world.
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