NATO’s role in energy security
What does this mean in practice?
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.
Operation Active Endeavour
NATO ships have been patrolling in the Eastern Mediterranean monitoring shipping to detect and deter terrorist activity since October 2001, as part of the Alliance’s response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The operation has since been extended to cover the Straits of Gibraltar and the entire Mediterranean, providing escorts to non-military shipping and conducting compliant boarding of suspicious vessels.
In addition to these tasks, NATO ships systematically carry out preparatory route surveys in “choke” points (formed by narrow waterways and straits) as well as important passages and harbours throughout the Mediterranean. Keeping the Mediterranean’s busy trade routes open and safe is critical to NATO’s security. In terms of energy alone, some 65 per cent of the oil and natural gas consumed in Western Europe pass through the Mediterranean each year, with major pipelines connecting Libya to Italy and Morocco to Spain.
Discussion forums and research
The Advanced Research Workshop on threats to energy security in London, 2004, received support from NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division. The workshop brought together numerous policy-makers and advisors. It sought to assess energy security related threats and to discuss potential international security strategies in response to such threats.
The Prague workshop in 2006 received support from the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme, which offers grants to encourage collaboration among scientists from NATO, Partner and Mediterranean Dialogue countries. The forum provided a platform for participants (representing governments, industries and the security and defence community) to debate a range of crucial issues relating to energy security and possible roles for the Alliance.
Through the then Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (now amalgamated with former Science Committee into the new Committee on Science for Peace and Security) a pilot study examined the safety and security of specific maritime assets and strategic ‘choke’ points, in case of possible terrorist attacks. This study provided practical recommendations to prevent and effectively respond to such attacks.
Cooperation with Partner Countries
Due to overlapping security concerns, cooperative activities with Partner countries often impact on energy security issues. Activities under the Partnership for Peace and the Science for Peace and Security Programme are the main cooperative frameworks, although bilateral arrangements also exist. Areas such as defence reform, critical infrastructure protection, counter-terrorism cooperation and environmental protection may all impact on resource security.
