NATO-EU: A strategic partnership

The “NATO-EU Declaration on ESDP

The “NATO-EU Declaration on ESDP”, agreed on 16 December 2002, not only reaffirmed the EU assured access to NATO’s planning capabilities for its own military operations, but also reiterated the following political principles of the strategic partnership:

• effective mutual consultation;
• equality and due regard for the decision-making autonomy of the EU and NATO;
• respect for the interests of the EU and NATO members states;
• respect for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations;
• coherent, transparent and mutually reinforcing development of the military capability requirements common to the two organisations.

The “Berlin Plus” arrangements

Following the political decision of December 2002, the “Berlin Plus” arrangements, adopted on 17 March 2003, provide the basis for NATO-EU cooperation in crisis management by allowing EU access to NATO's collective assets and capabilities for EU-led operations. In effect, they allow the Alliance to support EU-led operations in which NATO as a whole is not engaged. They consist of the following major elements:

• a NATO-EU Security Agreement (covers the exchange of classified information under reciprocal security protection rules);
• assured EU access to NATO's planning capabilities for actual use in the military planning of EU-led crisis management operations;
• presumed availability of NATO capabilities and common assets, such as communication units and headquarters for EU-led crisis management operations;
• procedures for release, monitoring, return and recall of NATO assets and capabilities;
• terms of reference for NATO’s Deputy SACEUR - who in principle will be the operation commander of an EU-led operation under the "Berlin Plus" arrangements (and who is always a European) - and European command options for NATO;
• NATO-EU consultation arrangements in the context of an EU-led crisis management operation making use of NATO assets and capabilities;
• incorporation within NATO's long-established defence planning system, of the military needs and capabilities that may be required for EU-led military operations, thereby ensuring the availability of well-equipped forces trained for either NATO-led or EU-led operations.