EU leaders on Friday (26 February) debated efforts aimed at beefing up the bloc’s defence capabilities. The discussion comes as ambitions of the EU as a ‘geopolitical actor’ remain unheeded.
“We are committed to cooperating closely with NATO,” EU leaders stated in a joint summit declaration, reiterating their intention to strengthen the EU’s partnership with NATO and work closely with the new US President Joe Biden.
According to a senior EU official, EU and NATO leaders in the meeting reiterated that “EU-NATO cooperation is of strategic importance” on areas such as reinforcing capabilities, military mobility, cybersecurity and hybrid threats as well as challenges in the immediate neighbourhood.
Met dank overgenomen van Europese Commissie (EC), gepubliceerd op vrijdag 26 februari 2021.
Bron:
European Commission
Thank you very much.
Indeed, a good EU-NATO cooperation remains a top priority for the Commission. We had an excellent exchange with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. And indeed, he was pointing out the very different threats and challenges we are facing. And in some cases we address these challenges in NATO. You know all the theatres NATO is engaged in at the moment being. But there are also scenarios where NATO is not engaged, but where the European Union is called upon - if you take for example the EU missions or the UN missions. And the European Union needs to be capable to do that.
EU seeks more autonomy but pledges close cooperation with US, Nato 1 minute read
Brussels, Feb 26 (efe-epa).- The European Union on Friday repeated its goal of becoming more autonomous in military and strategic defensive areas and reducing its reliance on the United States, while also underlining its intentions to continue working closely with Nato and Washington.
“We need to increase our ability to act autonomously and to strengthen our cooperation with our partners. We are committed to cooperating closely with Nato. A stronger Europe makes a stronger Nato,” European Council president Charles Michel told a press conference at the end of the second day of a virtual summit with EU leaders, which focused on defense and security.
| UPDATED: 11:56, Tue, Jan 19, 2021
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French MEP Nathalie Loiseau, who is a strong ally of Emmanuel Macron, has told an Institute of International and European Affairs (
| UPDATED: 09:35, Fri, Jan 15, 2021
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And Ben Habib suggested the bloc’s European Defence Fund was a clear indication of the bloc’s determination to transform itself into a military superstate - while questioning why the UK was involved at all given its ongoing membership of NATO. Buried away on page 1,051 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) ratified last month is a reference to Horizon Europe, a bloc-wide project due to get underway this year which centred on discovery-led research and facilitating large-scale partnerships tackling global challenges.