The two faces of EU–NATO cooperation: Counter-piracy operations off the Somali coast

Abstract

Maritime engagement in the Gulf of Aden is a puzzling case for anyone interested in the political and institutional problems underlying European Union-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (EU-NATO) cooperation. Although the EU's operation NAVFOR 'Atalanta' and NATO's 'Ocean Shield' operate in the same theatre and with similar mandates, there is no formal link between them. No joint planning has been envisaged, and no official task-sharing takes place. As this article aims to show, cooperation and coordination between EU and NATO forces at the operational and tactical levels have nevertheless worked surprisingly well. Two faces of EU-NATO cooperation become apparent: the political level is dominated by a permanent deadlock, while on the ground and at sea staff have developed a modus operandi that allows them to deliver fairly successfully in complementing yet detached operations. Based on 60 interviews with NATO officials (2010-2013), this article illustrates how the operational and tactical levels have developed ways of coordinating efforts informally despite the lack of a formal framework. It aims to show to what extent and how they succeed at bypassing organizational boundaries and at overcoming political limitations. Although these practices are becoming increasingly institutionalized, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into formal changes.

The EU’s partners in crisis response and peacebuilding: complementarities and synergies with the UN and OSCE

“…the EU providing funding to the OSCE), ad hoc (e.g. use of logos in Kosovo), or informally coordinated (Gebhard & Smith, 2015) (e.g. EU parallel support for OSCE in Armenia).…”

Doing Europe: agency and the European Union in the field of counter-piracy practice

“…It was the first mission that "did not involve or require the use of NATO resources, including its planning capacities or operational headquarters" (Germond and Smith 2009, p. 576). As suggested by Gebhard and Smith (2015), the operation also allowed to meet NATO at the same height and to develop and explore new means of informal cooperation between the organisations.…”

The West and the Global Power Shift

“…Consider the anti-piracy and humanitarian aid operation off the Horn of Africa led by the EU through its fi rst-ever naval CSDP mission, Operation Atalanta. EU-fl agged forces collaborated with NATO-fl agged US vessels even if operational protocols were found to be so unworkable (due to institutional rivalries) that fl eets resorted to communicating with each other via Yahoo messenger (see Gebhard and Smith 2015 ;Peterson and Geddes 2015 : 196-7).…”