European Union

European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg signed in Brussels the second EU-NATO declaration.

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

© luzitanija / Fotolia

NATO heads of state or government will meet in Brussels on 11 and 12 July for a keenly awaited summit. Some analysts and diplomats fear a tense atmosphere, following US President Donald Trump’s tough treatment of European allies at a recent meeting of the G7 group of developed countries, and his imposition of steep tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium from the EU.

President Trump is expected to pressure many NATO members to increase their military spending level to the agreed 2 % of GDP guideline, with particular emphasis on Germany. The NATO summit precedes President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 16 July in Helsinki, where some analysts speculate some rapprochement might take place. President Trump’s unpredictability and his widely criticised attitude towards President Putin is causing unease at home and abroad regarding the potential outcome of this summit.

This note offers links to commentaries and studies on NATO and European defence by major international think tanks. Earlier papers on the same topic can be found in a previous edition of ‘What Think Tanks are Thinking’, published in December 2017.

Anxious Anticipation Ahead of NATO Brussels Summit
German Marshall Fund, July 2018

Counting Dollars or Measuring Value. Assessing NATO and Partner Burden Sharing
Center for Strategic and International Studies, July 2018

Trump’s two summits: Can NATO navigate the dangers?
Centre for European Reform, July 2018

The 2018 NATO summit: The burden of transatlantic burden-sharing
Clingendael, July 2018

Tailored assurance: Balancing deterrence and disarmament in responding to NATO-Russia tensions
Institut français des relations internationales, July 2018

NATO’s force generation and deployment
German Marshall Fund, July 2018

NATO needs a strategy for countering Russia in the Arctic and the Black Sea
Chatham House, July 2018

More than burden-sharing. Five Objectives for the 2018 NATO Summit
Center for New American Security, June 2018

EUISS Yearbook of European security 2018
European Union Institute for Security Studies, June 2018

Why joining France’s European Intervention Initiative is the right decision for Germany
Egmont, June 2018

EU defence capability development: Plans, priorities, projects
European Union Institute for Security Studies, June 2018

Military mobility returns to the forefront in Europe
Rand Corporation, June 2018

The future of NATO’s Mediterranean dialogue
German Marshall Fund, June 2018

The United States and Russia target Germany
Carnegie Europe, June 2018

Rethinking the regional order for post-Soviet Europe and Eurasia
Rand Corporation, June 2018

Priorities for Central Europe ahead of NATO Brussels summit
German Marshall Fund, June 2018

Ein schwieriger Gipfel für die Nato
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, June 2018

A perennial candidate waits for NATO to open its door
German Marshall Fund, June 2018

Security needs a new narrative
German Marshall Fund, June 2018

Can Reagan show Trump how to save the INF Treaty?
Council on Foreign Relations, June 2018

The defence of Finland and Sweden: Continuity and variance in strategy and public opinion
Finnish Institute for International Studies, June 2018

The Other Europe? How Central Europe views the continent’s security concerns and aspirations
Royal United Services Institute, June 2018

Will the upcoming Missile Defense Review maintain the current course or plot a new direction?
Brookings Institution, June 2018

Before the Brussels Summit: How is the NATO Alliance Doing, Really?
Royal United Services Institute, May 2018

The EU and multilateralism in an age of great powers
Egmont, July 2018

NATO Brussels summit: Prospects and opportunities
International Centre for Defence and Security, May 2018

European defense cooperation: Headed in the right direction?
Rand Corporation, May 2018

Poland courts American boots
Carnegie Europe, May 2018

The ‘New Turkey’ as a NATO member: Domestic state transformation and competing strategic cultures
Finnish Institute of International Affairs, May 2018

The dangerous geopolitics of populism, and what NATO and the EU can do about it
Egmont, May 2018

The art of dealing with Trump
Clingendael, May 2018

Defending Europe: ‘Global Britain’ and the future of European geopolitics
The Henry Jackson Society, May 2018

Georgia looks to the NATO Brussels summit
German Marshall Fund, April 2018

NATO’s bad apples
Carnegie Europe, April 2018

NATO allies go head to head in Syria
German Marshall Fund, April 2018

The future of the United States and Europe: An Irreplaceable partnership
Chatham House, April 2018

Between continuity and erosion: Three scenarios for the future of transatlantic relations
College of Europe Policy Brief, April 2018

Preventing escalation in the Baltics: A NATO playbook
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, March 2018

Strategic warning on NATO’s Eastern flank
Rand Corporation, March 2018

A guide for EU-NATO security cooperation on foreign terrorist fighters
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, March 2018

NATO’s intelligence: Adaptation challenge
GLOBSEC Policy Institute, March 2019

Franco-German differences over defense make Europe vulnerable
Carnegie Europe, March 2018

Report on EU comprehensive approach to conflict prevention and peacebuilding
Istituto Affari Internazionali, Centre for European Policy Studies, European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, March 2018

EU-NATO alignment after Brexit
Carnegie Europe, March 2018

Autonomie stratégique: Le nouveau Graal de la défense européenne
Groupe de recherche et d’information sur la paix et la sécurité, March 2018

Groupe de recherche et d’information sur la paix et la sécurité, March 2018

NATO’s next nuclear challenges
Carnegie Europe, March 2018

PESCO: Good News for NATO from the EU
Egmont, February 2018

Preparing for the NATO summit: Why military mobility should be on top of the agenda
Rand Corporation, February 2018

Assessing the conventional force imbalance in Europe: Implications for countering Russian local superiority
Rand Corporation, February 2018

European regional organizations and climate-related security risks: EU, OSCE and NATO
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, February 2018

NATO summit 2018: An implementation summit?
German Marshall Fund, February 2018

Why we are unconvinced NATO’s cyber policy is more aggressive, and that’s a good thing
Council on Foreign Relations, February 2018

European defense vs. NATO: Not the right fight
Carnegie Europe, February 2018

NATO and the south: Opportunities for coherence and integration
Real Instituto Elcano, February 2018

New tasks for EU-NATO cooperation
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, January 2018

An American perspective on Pesco: The dangers of de-linking EU defence from NATO
Policy Exchange, January 2018

Revisiting the EU’s security partnerships
European Union Institute for Security Studies, January 2018

Transatlantic relations: Converging or diverging?
Chatham House, January 2018

The United Kingdom and the future of European security and defence
Friends of Europe, January 2018

Poland and European defence integration
European Council on Foreign Relations, January 2018

Read this briefing on ‘NATO Summit and European defence‘ on the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

A senior EU official said on Tuesday (10 July) that an agreement on a European Deposit Insurance Scheme (EDIS) to protect savers across the bloc would be “very hard” given Berlin’s opposition.

As a new round of free trade negotiations between the European Union and Indonesia begins in Brussels, Perrine Fournier argues that improving forest governance should be central to any agreement.

A legal proposal to overhaul the EU’s cybersecurity rules passed a major hurdle on Tuesday (10 July) as the European Parliament’s Industry Committee (ITRE) approved a plan to create a voluntary system for certifying the security level of technology products.

When the so-called “Spitzenkandidaten” or lead candidate method for designating the Commission president was introduced in 2014, it was celebrated as a democratic revolution. Five years later, it is difficult to find anyone seriously questioning the method - but the enthusiasm has somewhat washed away, writes Christopher Glück.

The European Commission continues to serve the interests of big companies rather than consumers, and this will lead to new food scandals soon, the European consumer organisation foodwatch said on Tuesday (10 July).

After the storm came relative calm. Boris Johnson joined former Brexit Secretary David Davis in resigning yesterday after spending most of the last two years trying to be sacked.

US lawmakers are banned from holding second jobs due to possible conflicts of interest. Yet MEPs in the European Parliament have earned up to €41m from side jobs since 2014.

EU institutions should change their working methods to better involve national parliaments, as well as regional and local authorities in policy making, said the so-called task force on subsidiarity, proportionality and 'doing less, more efficiently', chaired by European Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans. In a report issued Tuesday, the seven-strong group proposed to assess regularly the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, and give parliament a quicker say.

Committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

The entire Brexit debate since at least 2015 has been like a bad date. But this is the age of Tinder, why can't we just swipe left?

As the largest seafood market in the world, importing more than 60% of its seafood from other countries, the EU has a responsibility to tackle illegal fishing, writes Dr Samantha Burgess.

Heating and cooling takes up half the European Union’s energy consumption but it is often radiators and heaters that hog the spotlight, while air conditioning and fans are sidelined. But the changing climate and economic situation means cooling is set to become far more important.

EU and Nato pledged Tuesday to continue strengthening the transatlantic military alliance which they say plays a "unique and essential role as the cornerstone of collective defence for all allies." In a joint declaration ahead of Wednesday's summit, they said Nato members should "foster an equitable sharing of the burden, benefits and responsibilities." Meanwhile US president Donald Trump tweeted "Nato countries must pay more, the United States must pay less."

Written by Silvia Polidori,

© Drical/Shutterstock.com

A study and a briefing published by the European Parliament’s (EP) Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) Panel, based on a proposal submitted by the EP Committee on Regional Development (REGI), provide policy options offering new directions in cohesion policy for the post-2020 period. The publications focus on scientific and technological priorities and means for policy implementation aimed at enhancing regional economic strengths and thereby building confidence in the EU’s added value. The study and briefing stem from a workshop organised by STOA, and draw upon follow-up interviews, and recent research and policy evaluation reports. Their draft versions were presented to the STOA Panel and the REGI Committee. A sample of the main policy options is given below:

New technologies for improved productivity: The least competitive regions need to develop more flexibility when facing new challenges and improve their ability to position their economies dynamically. In the next stage, cohesion policy should promote ‘excellence in innovation’ in the regional economic context, as a new EU policy instrument.

Knowledge for innovation-led growth through smart specialisation: The implementation of the smart specialisation strategy is often disappointing, due to a lack of resources, potential partners, tech transfer support systems etc. To overcome the huge differences in the tangible and intangible resource base among EU regions, an ‘impact-focused’ approach is recommended in designing future cohesion policy initiatives, to make innovation-led growth more relevant and achievable.

Better governance through technology and big data: Digital technology represents an opportunity to make cohesion policy initiatives more effective and transparent. It provides a variety of instruments for rethinking public policy, and the workings of democratic institutions at the regional and national levels.

Bringing the regional authorities back in: To speed up regional policy-making and achieve more and better results, regional authorities should reconsider their leadership role. For these reasons, cohesion policy should allow for a wider variety of management practices and operational programmes to help EU funding of innovation-led growth to succeed in any type of region.

Dynamic positioning as a fast and flexible approach: Following failures to ‘smartly specialise’ by using a region’s own resources, a dynamic strategic approach by the regional authorities can be achieved by: (a) an ongoing regional ‘economic diagnosis’, which defines and explains principal and practical challenges; (b) a flexible guiding policy dealing with both obstacles and opportunities; and (c) a set of coherent actions needed to address the ever-changing regional circumstances.

Revising the current framework of regional innovation policy: Mission-oriented innovation policy could become an important complement to other development policies, especially in regions that lack the variety of resources needed to develop strategies through smart specialisation. Mission orientation will typically respond to sector-specific needs and wider societal challenges, and could open up new markets.

Shaping markets through mission-oriented investments: Some regional authorities are implementing more ‘market-creating’ policy frameworks, by combining horizontal (sector-neutral) policies and vertical (sector-specific) policies. EU cohesion policy needs to embrace the evolution towards more active public-sector involvement in innovation-led growth in various regions and promote conditions for evolving business ecosystems that generate growth.

‘Outside-in’ approaches to innovation-led growth: Some regions are implementing ‘outside-in’ policies to seize opportunities for acquiring up-to-date technology, expertise and inventive solutions by actively inviting inward investments. European and global production networks, in particular in manufacturing, are potential assets for promoting innovation-led growth in a region, serving as catalysts for advancing new industrial capabilities in the region.

Science parks as nodes of innovation: Science and technology parks highlight the importance of local and regional clustering of competencies for invention and innovation. Cohesion policy could support them as effective nodes in networks that foster business development, particularly small, knowledge-intensive enterprises with growth potential.

Tapping the potential of the digital platform economy: Digital platforms easily attract new customers, clients and other users and drive the scaling-up of SMEs into larger enterprises. This affects regions too. Cohesion policy must help the EU’s regional economies to increase value by availing of existing digital platforms and by building new ones.

To find out more about the policy options, consult the study. As recommended by Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso (EPP, Spain), EP Vice-President responsible for STOA, Constanze Krehl (S&D, Germany) and Lambert van Nistelrooij (EPP, The Netherlands), all Members of the REGI Committee, STOA will circulate the study and the briefing to the relevant actors responsible for future cohesion policy at European and national levels.

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies voted in favour of a new offshore law on Monday evening (10 July) that will impose taxes on oil and gas companies operating in the Black Sea. The ruling party's controversial leader insisted it will help cut reliance on Russian energy imports but oil companies said it might deter new investments.

European Council president Donald Tusk told US president Donald Trump on Tuesday to appreciate his European allies, adding "after all, you don't have that many." Tusk's message comes a day before the Nato summit where Trump is expected to push EU countries to pay more. Tusk also warned Trump not to confuse the US's strategic friends and problems ahead of the president's meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin next week.

"Europe is your best ally, please remember that," Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday (10 July) in an indirect message to US president Donald Trump, who will attend a crucial NATO summit in Brussels this week and then meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the row over Britain's exit from the EU, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has followed Brexit Minister David Davis's lead and resigned. Both have criticised Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plan as too soft. Commentators speculate about what Johnson will do next and fear that with fresh elections the whole Brexit process could end in chaos.