EU-NATO cooperation: the key to Europe's security future

The re-launch of the EU's security and defence project in the wake of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump has focused the spotlight on the relationship between NATO and the EU. This article reviews the detailed aspects of that relationship as studied in the various contributions to this special issue. It argues that, over and above cooperation on the ground, the key issue to be addressed, which is usually skated over in the "big picture" literature on this question, is: where is all this heading? Is there a move towards a clear EU-NATO division of labour (if so, will it be geographic or functional?); or are the allies seeking a radical new balance of responsibilities and commitment as between the US and the Europeans for the stabilisation of the European neighbourhood? The paper argues that EU "strategic autonomy", as called for in the Global Strategy document of 2016, can only be achieved through the Europeanisation of NATO itself.