Briefing - EU-NATO relations in the southern neighbourhood - 20-04-2026
Europe's southern arc, spanning the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel, is increasingly viewed as a potential arena for renewed great-power rivalry, with some observers contending that such competition is already underway. In parallel with the European Union's broad engagement in the region, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has, since its founding, developed a range of initiatives aimed at its southern periphery, to deepen situational awareness, strengthen its regional presence and assist partner countries. This approach is grounded in the understanding that instability, armed conflict, terrorism, demographic growth, climate change, irregular migration, and intensifying geopolitical contestation across the southern flank carry direct consequences for Euro-Atlantic security and NATO's defence posture. As actors such as Russia and China promote alternative governance and security models in the region, the Alliance faces growing incentives to deepen its engagement in the southern neighbourhood. Strengthening existing cooperation frameworks would enable NATO to contribute to addressing shared security challenges while responding to the concrete needs and threat perceptions identified by its southern partners. NATO's heightened attention to the southern neighbourhood(s) has been progressively reflected in successive Strategic Concepts and reinforced in recent summit declarations. The Alliance has also relied on established partnership framework mechanisms, notably the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, to advance political dialogue, capacity building and tailored cooperation on mutually relevant issues, consistent with its comprehensive 360-degree approach to defence and security.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP
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