Seas cover 70 % of the surface of the Earth, whilst most of the world’s trade takes place on seas. Although the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has already recognised the importance of the maritime domain, its significance is growing in light of the migrant crisis and the possible cooperation with the European Union on the topic.
Roots of the NATO-EU cooperation can be traced back to foundation of both the organisations, yet the most important arrangements underlying the cooperation are the “Berlin Plus” agreements from 2003. Nonetheless, the possibilities they offer have hardly ever been exploited. The year 2016 has marked an unprecedented increase in the level of formal cooperation. In the maritime domain, the two institutions are going to further cooperate in the Mediterranean where both conduct maritime security operations.
The need to address the migrant crisis is pressing. With the willingness of the representatives of both NATO and the EU, now more than ever is the time to find ways how these two global actors can cooperate, which will be up to the delegates of Model NATO to discuss.