EU-NATO relations since the Lisbon Treaty

Abstract

EU-NATO relations have undergone a long process of developments throughout the past years, each eliciting more cooperation. It is widely accepted that the EU is incapable of offering its member states territorial defence. In light of such a deficiency, the EU has made NATO as the primary security provider to its member states. EU constitutional changes impacting union competence may alter the EU’s relationship with other organisations including its partner NATO. The landmark Treaty of Lisbon increased union competence in numerous areas, including those of security and defence by creating the CSDP within the CFSP. This dissertation first seeks to understand how these new powers granted to the EU affected the relationship between both organisations. It aims at showcasing the complementary relationship which both organisations enjoy, even with the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty which some perceived as a duplicating NATO’s tasks and capabilities.

Since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty new threats arose within the international system, each menacing the stability of societies and the security of their citizens. In order to counter these threats in the most efficient manner, both organisations signed the EU-NATO Joint Declaration, pushing for more inter-institutional cooperation. The second part of this dissertation will analyse those threats which incentivised the signature of this declaration.