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NATO-EU Relations
At the British-French Summit at St. Malo, in December 1998, France and Britain agreed that the European nion "must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises" and issued a !oint Statement outlining their determination to enable the European nion to gi"e concrete e#pression to these ob$ecti"es. %his decision represented a pro&ound change in the policies hitherto adopted b' the nited (ingdom )ith regard to this issue and opened the )a' &or the adoption o& practical measures )ithin the European nion to put it into e&&ect. *n the ne) climate that pre"ailed a&ter the St. Malo meeting, &urther progress could be made. Follo)ing the entr' into &orce o& the Amsterdam %reat' on 1 Ma' 1999, the European +ouncil met in +ologne in !une 1999 and agreed to gi"e the E itsel& the means and capabilities needed &or the implementation o& a common European securit' and de&ence polic' ,ESD-.. %he role pre"iousl' underta/en b' the 0E )as progressi"el' assumed b' the European nion. *n the inter"ening period, 1A%2 continued to )or/ )ith the 0E to complete and implement arrangements to &acilitate cooperation bet)een the t)o organisations in the e"ent o& a 0E -led crisis management operation ma/ing use o& 1A%2 assets and capabilities. Further )or/ )as underta/en to re&ine arrangements &or the use o& such assets and &or in&ormation-sharing. !oint testing and e"aluation o& procedures )ere underta/en. A $oint 1A%2-0E crisis management e#ercise )as held in Februar' 3444. At their meeting in Marseilles in 1o"ember 3444, 0E Ministers decided to suspend routine 1A%2-0E consultation mechanisms, apart &rom those that )ould be re5uired during the transition period. 0ith the trans&er o& responsibilities &rom the 0E to the E , the relationship bet)een 1A%2 and the E too/ on a ne) dimension, re&lected in de"elopments )ithin both organisations. %he 6elsin/i meeting o& the +ouncil o& the European nion held in December 1999 established a 76eadline 8oal9 &or E member states in terms o& their militar' capabilities &or crisis management operations. %he ob$ecti"e o& the 6eadline 8oal is to enable the E , b' the 'ear 344:, to deplo' and sustain &or at least one 'ear, militar' &orces o& up to ;4 444 troops to underta/e the &ull range o& the so-called -etersberg tas/s set out in the Amsterdam %reat' o& 199<. %hese consist o& humanitarian and rescue tas/s= peace/eeping tas/s= and tas/s o& combat &orces in crisis management, including peacema/ing. %heir role )ill be to underta/e militar' operations led b' the E in response to international crisis, in circumstances )here 1A%2 as a )hole is not engaged militaril', in line )ith the E >s resol"e to de"elop a common European polic' on securit' and de&ence )hich )ould underpin its +ommon Foreign and Securit' -olic' militaril'. E member states ha"e stated their intention to a"oid unnecessar' duplication )ith 1A%2 structures and ha"e emphasised that these decisions do not impl' the creation o& a European arm'. *n addition, the E decided to create permanent political and militar' structures, including a -olitical and Securit' +ommittee, a Militar' +ommittee and a Militar' Sta&&, to ensure the necessar' political guidance and strategic direction &or such operations. %he E also decided to de"elop arrangements &or &ull consultation, cooperation and transparenc' )ith 1A%2 and

to ensure the necessar' dialogue, consultation and cooperation )ith European 1A%2 members )hich are not members o& the E on issues related to European securit' and de&ence polic' and crisis management. %he dialogue bet)een the Alliance and the European nion has steadil' intensi&ied in accordance )ith the decisions ta/en at 0ashington and therea&ter, and in the light o& de"elopments )ithin the E . Meetings o& the European +ouncil in 1ice and o& the 1orth Atlantic +ouncil in Brussels in December 3444 registered &urther progress. Alliance Foreign Ministers stated that the' shared the goal endorsed b' E member states &or a genuine partnership in crisis management bet)een 1A%2 and the E . Both organisations agreed that consultations and cooperation )ill be de"eloped bet)een them on 5uestions o& common interest relating to securit' and e&&ecti"e de&ence and crisis management, so that crises can be met )ith the most appropriate militar' response. An e#change o& letters too/ place in !anuar' 3441, bet)een the Secretar' 8eneral o& 1A%2 and the S)edish -residenc' o& the E , pro"iding &or $oint meetings at Ambassadorial le"el and Ministerial le"el. %he arrangement en"isages at least three meetings at Ambassadorial le"el and one meeting at Ministerial le"el e"er' si# months ,i.e. during each E -residenc'.. Both organisations are committed to stepping up consultations in times o& crisis. Since Februar' 3441, regular meetings o& the E -olitical and Securit' +ommittee and the 1orth Atlantic +ouncil ta/e place. %he &irst &ormal meeting o& 1A%2 and E Foreign Ministers too/ place in Budapest in Ma' 3441 in the margins o& the Ministerial meeting o& the 1orth Atlantic +ouncil. !oint 1A%2-E Ad 6oc 0or/ing 8roups ha"e also been meeting since mid 3444 to discuss securit' issues such as procedures &or the e#change o& classi&ied in&ormation and intelligence= modalities &or E access to Alliance assets and capabilities= capabilit' goals ,including issues relating to the Alliance>s de&ence planning s'stem.= and permanent consultation arrangements, ta/ing into account all rele"ant &actors including those relating to participation. *n spring 3441, the Secretar' 8eneral o& 1A%2 )as in"ited &or the &irst time to brie& the E 8eneral A&&airs +ouncil on 1A%2 polic'. *n !ul' 3444, 1A%2 and the E +ouncil Secretariat established an interim securit' agreement bet)een the t)o organisations go"erning the e#change o& classi&ied in&ormation and both organisations are )or/ing to)ards the conclusion o& a permanent 1A%2-E securit' agreement. *n the second hal& o& 3444, Alliance e#perts began contributing militar' and technical ad"ice to the )or/ o& E e#perts on the establishment o& a catalogue o& &orces and capabilities &or the E 6eadline 8oal, in preparation o& the E >s +apabilities +ommitment +on&erence held in 1o"ember 3444. 0ithin 1A%2, )or/ on the principal issues &acing the &urther de"elopment o& ESD* has continued during 3441 and 3443, in particular the identi&ication o& a range o& European command options= the presumption o& a"ailabilit' o& pre-identi&ied assets and capabilities= the adaptation o& Alliance de&ence planning= and 1A%2-E consultations in times o& crisis. +ooperation bet)een 1A%2 and the European nion has been de"eloped in a number o& speci&ic &ields and speci&icall' in relation to the campaign against terrorism. Direct contacts ha"e increased and, in the )a/e o& the terrorist attac/s o& 11 September, the Secretar' 8eneral o& 1A%2 participated in the deliberations o& the E 8eneral A&&airs +ouncil held on 13 September to anal'se the international situation &ollo)ing the attac/s.

+ooperation bet)een the t)o organisations has also contributed to the securit' situation in the &ormer ?ugosla" @epublic o& MacedoniaA, )here 1A%2 is pro"iding securit' &or E and 2S+E monitors o& the peace plan. @egular contacts ha"e ta/en place bet)een the t)o organisations as )ell as the 2S+E to ma#imise international support &or political re&orms in the countr' and the maintenance o& the political process. A $oint delegation consisting o& the 1A%2 Secretar' 8eneral, the E 6igh representati"e, the +hairman in 2&&ice o& the 2S+E and the Supreme Allied +ommander Europe "isited S/op$e on 18 2ctober 3441 &or discussions )ith -resident %ra$/o"s/i and other political leaders. Discussions o& the situation in the 0estern Bal/ans has become a regular &eature o& meetings o& the 1orth Atlantic +ouncil and the -olitical and Securit' +ommittee o& the E . Foreign Ministers o& 1A%2 and the E also met in Brussels on ; December 3441 to re"ie) cooperation across the board, and underlined their continued engagement in strengthening the peace process in the &ormer ?ugosla" @epublic o& MacedoniaA as )ell as else)here in the 0estern Bal/ans. Further contacts bet)een the 1A%2 Secretar' 8eneral and the E 6igh @epresentati"e ha"e continued to contribute to cooperation and, in Ma' 3443, Foreign Ministers o& both organisations met again in @e'/$a"i/ rea&&irming their commitment to achie"e a close and transparent relationship. %he situation in southern Serbia has also been the sub$ect o& consultations and cooperation, &ollo)ing the need &or international inter"ention in 3441 to de&use the ris/ o& ci"il con&lict in the area and to help to bro/er a cease&ire. +loser pro#imit' bet)een the Serb and Federal ?ugosla" go"ernments and European institutions continues to mani&est itsel& and has been re&lected, &or e#ample, in the interest sho)n b' the Federal @epublic o& ?ugosla"ia in participation in the -artnership &or -eace programme. %he strengthening o& the political process, &or e#ample through the success&ul conduct o& municipal elections in southern Serbia in !ul' 3443, has continued to be a priorit' concern o& both 1A%2 and the E , each o& )hich has acted to de&use set-bac/s )hen these ha"e occurred. Further in&ormation relating to the e"olution o& the 1A%2-0E and 1A%2-E relations is to be &ound in +hapter 1B.