Eng. / Fr.
NATO leaders recognize that the disruption of the flow of vital resources could affect Alliance security interests. They have declared their support for a coordinated, international effort to assess risks to energy infrastructure and to promote energy infrastructure security.
At the Bucharest Summit in April 2008, the Allies noted a report on “NATO’s Role in Energy Security,” which identifies guiding principles and outlines options and recommendations for further activities. They will review progress at their next summit in 2009.
The report identifies five key areas where NATO can provide added value: information and intelligence fusion and sharing; projecting stability; advancing international and regional cooperation; supporting consequence management; and supporting the protection of critical infrastructure.
Consultations are ongoing as to the depth and range of NATO’s involvement in this issue. Meanwhile, a number of practical programmes both within the Alliance and with NATO’s Partner countries are ongoing, alongside workshops and research projects.
Official discussions on this topic take place in the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s top political decision-making body and concrete initiatives are also underway. NATO members have supported a number of workshops and forums addressing this topic. For instance, an Advanced Research Workshop was held in London, January 2004, to discuss potential emerging threats to energy security, and a forum on ‘Energy Security Technology’ took place in Prague, in February 2006.
Through Operation Active Endeavour, NATO maritime forces have been maintaining security for key resource routes in the Mediterranean. Allies also cooperate with Partner countries and relevant experts through the Partnership for Peace programme, NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme and other agreements.
More...The North Atlantic Council adopted NATO’s existing Strategic Concept in Washington D.C. in April 1999. The document outlines the Allies’ perception of the international security environment and states that the disruption of vital resources could impact on Alliance security interests. In the last few years, international trends and a number of international disputes have further contributed to Alliance concerns over resource security. This was reaffirmed by the Allies in the Riga Summit Declaration and in the Comprehensive Political Guidance document endorsed by NATO Heads of State and Government at the Summit.
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