Meetings

Project Brief

Core Group

Policy Bulletin

Regional Conference
September 8-11, 2002

Agenda and Schedule

Participant List

Summary

The expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union will have a profound impact on the security environment in Eastern Europe—a region that, a decade after the fall of communism, still faces a number of critical security uncertainties and daunting reform challenges. This project seeks to examine how the dual enlargement of these two institutions will affect the Euro-Atlantic region, US foreign policy, and the mission and structure of the institutions themselves. Among the recommendations:

• There is an urgent need for serious debate among alliance members about NATO's new purpose and mission in the post-September 11 security environment.

• Europe needs to understand that for NATO to remain important to the United States, the alliance needs to retain its collective defense capability.

• Greater coordination and consultation between Europe and the United States is necessary to reverse the growing perception in Europe that the United States is downgrading the importance of its traditional allies and to avoid competition over threat perception and regional security that could undermine NATO.

• Europe must strengthen and modernize its defense capabilities to maintain NATO as the primary defense and security organization in Europe.

• NATO should establish an assessment and review mechanism to ensure that new member countries fulfill their obligations and requirements as member countries.

Implications of Enlarging the Euro-Atlantic Space: Problems and Prospects for Northeastern and Southeastern Europe

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