CIAO DATE: 11/04

The EU & NATO: Harmonizing Efforts in Southeast Europe

Alan Gorowitz

April 2003

George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

The beginning months of 2003 have witnessed historic moments in the evolution of the policies and visions of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Southeast Europe. On March 30, 2003, NATO forces handed over responsibility for peacekeeping operations in Macedonia to a European Union-led operation. Dubbed Operation Concordia, this operation marked an important victory toward harmonizing the efforts of the EU and NATO. Almost simultaneously, many countries of Southeast Europe were taking important steps toward integration into European structures: Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovenia signed the protocols for Accession to NATO in March 2003. Finally, many European leaders were pointing to the need for the EU to more fully develop its European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) in order to better cope with world events.

In light of these changes, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and the German Foreign Office jointly sponsored a conference in Berlin, April 7-10, 2003. An integral part of Marshall Center efforts to consistently reexamine the future of cooperative security in Eu rope and Eurasia, the conference brought together 35 representatives from Southeast European (SEE) countries (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, FYROM, Romania , and Slovenia) with observers from EU and NATO countries. The interagency purpose of the conference was supported by participation from a variety of ministries and organizations responsible for their countries’ relationships with NATO and the EU, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Offices of the President or Prime Minister, and several Parliamentarians.

The purpose of the conference was four-fold. First, the conference was a forum for leaders from the European Union and its constituent countries to provide their visions for the future of the European Security and Defense Policy, and the role of NATO within this vision. Second, the conference provided an opportunity for EU and NATO leaders to provide some insights into the future capabilities that the EU and NATO would need to face future challenges in Southeast Europe. Third, the conference served as a forum for a two-way communication between representatives from SEE countries and senior leaders from the EU and NATO concerning consultative processes that sought to engage leaders from SEE into the formulation of EU and NATO visions. Fourth, the conference provided a venue to discuss the future role of the SEE countries in EU and NATO cooperative actions and the mechanisms that would facilitate cooperation.

The conference methodology provided a forum for EU and NATO leaders to present their visions during morning sessions, followed by an opportunity for SEE representatives to discuss these visions in smaller workshops during the afternoon. These workshops were supported by a small number of representatives from EU and NATO countries who provided on the spot feedback to issues of concern. Workshops produced common assessments and recommendations for the future that were reported back to the larger plenary at the end of the day.

This report will not attempt to summarize the future visions of the ESDP or the future vision of NATO as expressed by the leaders present at the conference. It is assumed that there is ample direct access to EU and NATO documents that express future visions and strategies. The primary purpose here is to convey the general themes of conclusions and recommendations provided by the participants from the SEE countries. It should be noted that, like all Marshall Center events, this conference followed a strict policy of non-attribution for both speakers and participants. The conclusions that follow represent the author’s understanding of the general mood of the conference participants as well as his understanding of the specific recommendations put forward by the workshops. In no way do these conclusions and recommendations reflect the views or positions of any individual participant or the official policy of their country or agency.

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