Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Accepted
Identify specific measures to support the improvement of the relationship between the EU and NATO.
Conclusion
The UK Government has endorsed greater EU-NATO working but should now identify specific measures through which it could best support the improvement of the relationship between the EU and NATO. This could include making it a discussion point in engagements with NATO and EU leaders and developing new ways of working (such as the sharing of classified information) with the European Commission that could potentially be adopted by NATO if successful. (Recommendation, Paragraph 66) Reforming the UK defence industrial base
Government Response Summary
The government states it has long supported EU-NATO cooperation, actively engaging allies and advocating for openness in EU defence industrial programmes. It highlights the Security and Defence Partnership, which includes established regular foreign and security policy dialogues focused on strengthening NATO linkages and collaboration.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The UK has long been a steadfast supporter of defence cooperation between the EU and NATO to reinforce NATO’s role as the primary guarantor of European security. This includes engaging allies and partners to encourage Europe’s collective defence industrial base to be utilised to better meet Alliance capability and warfighting requirements. It will be necessary to continue to advocate for the openness of the EU’s defence industrial programmes to non-EU Alliance partners. The Security and Defence Partnership is a key part of this and represents a significant step forward in the UK’s relationship with the EU, providing a foundation for cooperation in support of NATO, including and beyond industrial considerations. This includes enhancing military mobility to ensure the UK can deploy to and across Europe efficiently, including through membership of relevant Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects, as well as facilitating the sharing of threat assessments and situational awareness. As part of the Partnership, the UK and EU have also established regular, formalised foreign and security policy dialogues. The first of these, hosted by the Defence and Foreign Secretaries in October, focused on strengthening NATO linkages and exploring deeper collaboration, including support for Ukraine, where the UK and EU already work together to coordinate their respective Ukrainian troop training efforts. Additionally, the Partnership enables joint work on shared challenges such as maritime security and hybrid threats. Reforming the UK industrial base