EU and NATO deepen cooperation - Hoofdinhoud

At today's NATO Summit in Warsaw, President Juncker signed a Joint Declaration on EU-NATO cooperation with the NATO Secretary-General and European Council President. The President also called for transatlantic unity alongside US President, Barack Obama.

"The Declaration we have signed today sends a clear message: a stronger European Union means a stronger NATO, and a stronger NATO means a stronger European Union," said President Juncker following the signature of the new agreement. "Our actions and our resources complement each other. But today we have decided to do more. We must use all the tools at our disposal."

The President outlined a number of areas where the EU is already providing political, material and financial support, including the response to hybrid threats, investment in Europe's cybersecurity sector and maritime cooperation in response to the refugee crisis. He highlighted the EU's commitment to the future of its defence industry: "Later this year, we will table our Defence Action Plan. It will bring together all the tools that the European Union can offer - our policies, programmes and funding - to support defence cooperation and our defence industry."

Earlier in the day, President Juncker met US President, Barack Obama, together with European Council President, Donald Tusk. All three reaffirmed the role of the EU, the US and NATO as central pillars of the global order. "Our first duty is to show unity, and re-affirm the values we share: human rights, freedom, democracy and, the keystone on which the others rest, the rule of law," said President Juncker. "They go to the core of the Euro-Atlantic alliance. They make us who we are. They guarantee our way of life."

Finally, President Juncker confirmed that TTIP had been discussed, and added that "we want to conclude these negotiations before the end of this year" for which the European Commission has received a mandate from EU Heads of State or Government.

Background:

Commission President Juncker, European Council President Tusk and High Representative / Vice-President Mogherini are attending the NATO Summit on 8-9 July and have an EU-US leaders' meeting with US President Obama.

On Friday morning, President Juncker, President Tusk and High Representative / Vice-President Mogherini met the US delegation led by President Obama. The meeting provided an opportunity to underline transatlantic unity and to discuss common political, economic and international security challenges. It also provided a first opportunity to discuss the outcome of the UK referendum together, following the meeting of the High Representative/Vice-President and the US Secretary of State John Kerry, at the end of June.

Ahead of the NATO Summit, Presidents Juncker and Tusk, alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, signed an EU-NATO Joint Declaration. The first of its kind, the Joint Declaration follows the discussion on EU-NATO cooperation at the last European Council on 28 June 2016, and, in line with the call from EU Heads of State or Government, will mark the importance of further strengthening EU-NATO cooperation at a time of unprecedented security challenges from the East and the South.

Later, the three EU representatives take part in the NATO Summit which starts on Friday afternoon and ends on Saturday.

In the side lines of the Summit, a number of bilateral encounters will also take place.