In the 21st century, globalization has become a leading trend that defines the political, social, and economic landscapes of the Earth. International alliances are acquiring a status of paramount importance, determining geopolitical affairs to a considerable degree. Among these trends, a supranational union has been formed that is often referred to as the West. In a general sense, this alliance often coincides with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), comprising the majority of the European Union, as well as the United States and its closest allies. The purpose of the NATO is to ensure the security of its member states and defend their interests in the global arena.
From one perspective, this organization addresses an array of challenges that pose risks to the security of its members. The range of threats varies from the spread of international terrorism and radical groups to the emergence of opposing superpowers in the geopolitical arena. Within its framework, there remain heated debates regarding the status and the role of the European Union (EU). The EU in its own capacity assembles the leading states of Europe within a single organization. However, the efforts of the Union have been centered around economic and legislative activities of its members. The defense component of the nations’ well-being remains delegated to the NATO, which prompts the Alliance’s opponents to stand in favor of an autonomous position of Europe in this regard. More specifically, it is said that the reliance on the U.S. for defense and national security leads to a situation, in which American interests are placed above the well-being of the EU.
In this regard, the European Union is a strong entity that encompasses some of the world’s leading nations. In response to the central question, the EU will benefit from a more independent stance on the matters of national security and defense. In spite of the alignment of values, European nations are located on another continent and they face different threats, as compared to the U.S. Therefore, the EU should not refrain from defending its interests and maintain its own, independent security policy. This perspective does not imply that the NATO partnership should be abandoned. Instead, a multi-tier framework needs to be established, in which the EU will determine its own security, while the Alliance will address full-scale, worldwide threats and cooperation.
The EU will benefit from being autonomous in defense and security policy. The position of an independent actor could assist the Union in strengthening its role in the international society and contributing to peace-making on the global scale. At the same time, Brattberg and Valasek (2019) note that the EU needs to establish specialized decision-making structures that could work independently from the ones of sovereign states in crises and wartime situations. Furthermore, to become autonomous in defense and security realms, the EU needs to improve its operational and civilian capabilities “through a competitive high-tech European defense industrial base” (Brattberg &Valasek, 2019, p. i). Still, the development of these capabilities is a matter of time and eventually will make the EU a strong international actor that enjoys autonomy in defense and security decision-making.
If the EU becomes autonomous in defense and security policies, its interest might intersect with the ones of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). At the same time, this intersection is expected to strengthen cooperation between the two alliances on security issues. As Tardy and Lindstrom (2019) put it, cooperation between the EU and NATO is a cornerstone for effective resistance to contemporary international security threats. Furthermore, it should be added that currently, the EU focuses on autonomy in economic and legal aspects, and the inclusion of defense and security will only strengthen its positions.
To conclude, there are debates on whether the EU should gain autonomy in defense and security policies. Such a model of EU resembles NATO because it is concerned with protecting its member-states from external threats. The present essay proves that the EU will benefit from it and make the participating countries better off. Still, to become autonomous, the EU needs to improve its operational and civilian capabilities and develop a way to separate the national and supranational responsibilities.
References
Brattberg, E., & Valasek, T. (2019). EU defense cooperation: Progress amid Transatlantic concerns. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Tardy, T., & Lindstrom, G. (2019). The scope of EU-NATO cooperation. The EU and NATO: The Essential Partners, 1-11.