Energy issues will define the politics of the 21st century. Knowing that energy could become a really scarce good in a growing world economy, the battle for energy may even become a matter of survival, of war and peace.

However, history is not a fate, but man made. The art of politics is to deal with such challenges. That is why it is so important to reflect upon the subject,
as in this issue of Les Dossiers Européens.

Relations between the European Union and NATO have now reached a key turning point.
Indeed, on the one hand, the treaty of Lisbon provides us with new instruments in the field of security and defence while, on the other, the establishment of a new Strategic Concept offers new opportunities for working together more effectively.

Belgium has always treated the improvement of relations between the EU and NATO as a priority of first importance, since these two institutions are the pillars of our foreign and defence policies. Within the framework of our tenure in the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we are devoting special attention to this subject, with the intention of making real and pragmatic progress. We have fully taken on the new role of the rotating Presidency within the framework of the Treaty of Lisbon, which came into force at the end of last year, by giving our wholehearted support to the work undertaken by the High Representative and the Secretary General of NATO. We are thus devoting special attention to cultivating relations at the political and strategic levels, while also supporting coordination and cooperation between the two organisations’ respective Staff structures.