THE SECOND PILLAR IN THE NICE TREATY

Abstract

The Nice Treaty introduced a number of institutional changes, necessary for the enlargement of the European Union, while other issues were discussed on the fringes of the Conference. The strengthening of European security and defense is in close correlation with the transfer of WEU capacities onto the European Union. Bearing in mind that the process may have for the relations between the European Union and NATO, there arose a need to re-define their relations. The current process amounts to the creation of new European defense architecture, based on ′rival complementariness′ of NATO and the European Union, so that it is necessary to regulate the WEU position clearly.