§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that European partner countries shoulder a proportionate burden of contributions to NATO. [96093]
§ Mr. HoonThe achievement of NATO's aims depends on the equitable sharing among all Allies of the roles, risks, and responsibilities, as well as the benefits, of common defence. NATO Defence Planning gives practical effect to this burden sharing. Force goals, which set challenging but realistic targets for each Ally, are designed to ensure that our collective defence arrangements continue to provide for the full range of Alliance missions.
In addition, the development of the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) will enable European Allies to make a more coherent and effective contribution to the missions and activities of the Alliance. This is being taken ahead in step with NATO's Defence Capabilities Initiative (DCI), which is designed to ensure that all Allies are able to contribute to NATO's effectiveness. The UK is playing a leading role in both of these initiatives.