Policy
20.07.2018

EU-NATO: Distinguishing narrative from substance

At the NATO Summit in Brussels, the EU and NATO have committed to deepen their cooperation. This was an important political signal as it came after revived fears that the EU’s defence cooperation efforts might lead to decoupling, duplication and discrimination.Nicole Koenig critically assesses these fears and distinguishes from progress in practical cooperation. While fears of duplication and decoupling have largely been assuaged, there is concern that the EU’s initiatives might not deliver and could discriminate against non-EU Allies. Meanwhile, practical EU-NATO cooperation continues to circumvent old and new political obstacles through informal channels.

Image: CC Hernan Pinera, source: flickr.com