NATO

Established in 1949 as a security alliance, the purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. NATO is a key actor in advancing transatlantic and European security and stability. It has 32 member countries, 23 of which are also members of the European Union.

NATO's capabilities consist of the national defence forces and capabilities of its member countries, which are developed through the common defence planning system and are interlinked by the integrated command and force structure. NATO provides standards, operating practices and exercises that enable military interoperability in multinational operations.

Collective defence is based, on the one hand, on a strong political commitment and show of solidarity among the member countries and, on the other hand, on concrete mechanisms for implementing collective defence. NATO provides a forum for North American and European countries to negotiate common security challenges and to decide on joint measure to address them. In addition to the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO's activities are guided by the Strategic Concept and the guidance provided by the member countries in the North Atlantic Council (NAC).

NATO’s decision-making structure

NATO is an intergovernmental organisation, meaning that it does not have supranational decision-making powers, unlike, for example, the European Union in certain sectors. Chaired by NATO Secretary General, the highest decision-making body is the North Atlantic Council (NAC) where each member country has a permanent ambassador-level representative. In addition to meeting regularly at the level of foreign and defence ministers, the NAC meets at the level of Heads of State or Government at Summits.

The committees under the NAC at NATO Headquarters in Brussels support its work and decision-making. They meet under the chairmanship of the Secretariat and, as is the case with the NAC, as a rule all member countries are represented in them. Each level and thematic entity has its own committee. 

NATO's highest military body is the Military Committee, which advises the NAC on military issues. In the composition of military representatives, the Military Committee meets on a regular basis while in the composition of Chiefs of Defence of the member countries the Military Committee meets three times a year. NATO's military structure and all its activities are in line with the political guidance provided by the member countries.

Divided into civilian and military sides, the public officials at NATO Headquarters prepare the work of the NAC and its committees.

Basis for decision-making in NATO: consensus and consultations

Decision-making in NATO is based on consensus between the member countries. The matter is considered closed when no NATO member country actively opposes the decision. Consensus making emphasises that decisions in NATO are taken jointly by the member countries and that all member countries are committed to the decision-making process.

It follows from the consensus principle that NATO functions through consultations. Negotiations, i.e. consultations, will take place between representatives of the member countries at different levels until agreement is reached, or it is concluded that it cannot be reached. Carried out both informally and formally at different levels, consultation is a continuous process in NATO.

The consensus requirement means that each member country has the possibility to stop (veto) NATO's decision-making when important national interests are at stake. Each member country participates fully in the decision-making process based on equality, irrespective of its size or its political, military or economic strength. To influence NATO's policies, active participation in the wording and preparing decisions is required.