NATO and ESDP: Institutional complexities and political realitiesa

Relations between NATO and the ESDP work well on the ground. However, political and functional confusion dominates the relationship between the Alliance and the European Union. This goes back to the origins, different logic and policies of both institutions. In the immediate future it will surely be preferable to establish ad hoc arrangements, sector by sector, rather than a general agreement, which is likely to be hard to achieve, given the rapidly changing nature of the Alliance and the EU.