Future of NATO needs to be urgently addressed

2.57.08pm GMT Thu 16th Nov 2006

Andrew Duff MEP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Defence, has called on the European Parliament to undertake an enquiry into the future of NATO. After a debate in Strasbourg yesterday reviewing the European security strategy, Duff said:

'The European Union has given no thought to what happens if NATO fails in Afghanistan. NATO itself has had no serious reappraisal of its role since the end of the Cold War. EU assumes that NATO will continue to be responsible for Europe's collective defence and the platform for EU-US relations, but collaboration at a political level between the EU and NATO is very poor.

'The European Parliament should take its own initiative and conduct an enquiry into the long-term options for the future of the North Atlantic Alliance'.

ENDS