About Euro-Atlantic Association

The Euro-Atlantic Association (EAA, in Polish Stowarzyszenie Euro-Atlantyckie or SEA) was founded in 1994. In the founding declaration adopted on March 29, 1994, by 33 founding members, it was stated, among other things:

"The situation that has been developing in Europe and around the world over the past four years has created opportunities for Poland that it has not had for at least two centuries. A prospect has emerged for a favorable change in Poland’s geopolitical position through the removal of the double encirclement (from the East and from the West), which twice led to the loss of our independence. The current opportunities for Poland to join an integrated and successfully developing union of European countries, combined with accession to European and Euro-Atlantic security structures—if realized—will put an end to this encirclement and ensure our country a lasting sense of security. This opportunity must not be wasted. One of the means to achieve this goal is the creation, following the example of other countries, of a broad forum for civic reflection on matters of national security, which should not only facilitate a better and broader understanding of foreign policy issues but also promote consensus on key matters related to Poland’s national interest. The non-governmental nature of the Association not only facilitates open discussions but also provides greater opportunities for open exchange of views with foreign partners and interlocutors."

Euro-Atlantic Association's goals:

Undertaking activities in support of Poland’s participation in the North Atlantic Alliance and other security institutions of democratic European countries.
Conducting conceptual work on issues related to Poland’s foreign policy and international affairs.
Educational activities concerning Poland’s foreign policy and international relations.
The Association pursues its objectives through organizing lectures, discussion meetings, conferences, and presentations; hosting meetings with prominent public figures; engaging in publishing and public information activities; preparing and presenting political analyses related to security and foreign policy issues; and conducting publishing initiatives. It also participates in Polish and international conferences on integration processes.

The founding members of Euro-Atlantic Association included: Bogdan Borusewicz, Zbigniew Bujak, Bronisław Geremek, Bronisław Komorowski, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Stefan Meller, Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Aleksander Smolar, Hanna Suchocka and Longin Pastusiak.

The successive Presidents of the Association or Chairmen of the Council included: Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Andrzej Olechowski, Bronisław Komorowski, Jerzy M. Nowak, Marek Goliszewski and Jerzy Marek Nowakowski.

The mission and objectives of the Euro-Atlantic Association focus on:

supporting lasting Euro-Atlantic ties and promoting Poland’s interests within NATO, the European Union, and other democratic security structures in Europe;
conducting analyses and conceptual work in the field of security and defense policy;
public education on foreign policy, international security, the role of NATO and the EU in security policy, and national defense issues;
promoting democratic values in international relations and European integration in the broad context of security and defense policy;
supporting the Polish defense industry and technological innovation in the security sector.

The Euro-Atlantic Association’s activities are carried out through:

organizing discussion meetings, lectures, conferences, and special events;
holding meetings with distinguished figures in national and international politics;
engaging in publishing, promotional, and educational activities;
cooperating with state authorities, non-governmental organizations, and institutions involved in defense policy and national security.

Within the EAA, there operates an Academic Section that brings together younger individuals interested in foreign policy, international affairs, and issues related to broadly understood international security. Members of the EAA were actively involved in lobbying for Poland’s accession to NATO. The debates and conferences organized by the Association helped to develop arguments supporting the enlargement of the Alliance. It is worth mentioning the cost assessment of NATO enlargement prepared by the EAA, which, in contrast to the exaggerated estimates from other countries, including the United States, highlighted the realistic and well-founded benefits of admitting new members.

For many years, the EAA has been developing expert knowledge on international relations. Its members have contributed to the development of Poland’s security strategy and conducted numerous consultations with ministers of defense and foreign affairs from successive governments, as well as with representatives of foreign diplomatic missions. The Association has co-organized international conferences and seminars, including the Warsaw Transatlantic Forum with the participation of NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. EAA remains an active forum for the exchange of knowledge, experience, and analysis, supporting Poland’s security policy, international cooperation, and the development of a strategic culture in the country.

EAA – A Few Pages from History

In 1993, the government of Hanna Suchocka clearly identified NATO accession as an immediate goal of Polish policy. However, Poland’s membership in the Alliance was not at that time openly supported by all major political forces. A significant portion of right-wing circles, as well as the Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), opposed the idea. The post-communist left and the Polish People’s Party (PSL)—the groups that won the 1993 parliamentary elections and formed a new government—were also reluctant toward NATO membership. Although accession was formally included in the government’s program, there was uncertainty about how genuine those declarations were and how credible they would appear to Western partners.

In this context, a group of people concerned about Poland’s NATO membership decided to establish an association whose main goal would be to build the broadest possible support—both domestically and internationally—for Poland’s accession to NATO. Thus, in 1994, the Euro-Atlantic Association was founded. Its mission was not only to pave the way for membership in the Alliance but also to serve as a forum for public debate on foreign and security policy and, more broadly, on Poland’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

Among the Association’s members were many politically active figures, both from the opposition and from independent circles, as well as individuals linked to the then-ruling post-communist left. The Association’s significant contributions included organizing national conferences and numerous debates abroad, to which EAA representatives were invited, as well as publishing analyses and reports. Among them, the study on the costs of NATO enlargement deserves special mention.

The issue of costs eventually became a major argument used by opponents of enlargement. They relied on numerous analyses, including those prepared by a U.S. Congressional team, which estimated the costs at an unrealistically high level. The Polish side, however, could refer to the EAA’s assessment, which presented radically different results. The difference stemmed from alternative political assumptions, based on a post–Cold War evaluation of threats and the Alliance’s financial needs. It was recognized at the time that the absence of threats from Russia did not justify the need for very costly eastward relocation of NATO military installations and infrastructure.

The cost issue was raised by Senator Joe Biden (later President of the United States), who, as a special representative of U.S. President Bill Clinton, visited Poland in March 1997. The EAA’s analysis was referenced during his meetings at the Association, as well as during his speech at a conference organized by EAA.

It would be impossible to list all the debates, conferences, analyses, and recommendations developed by the Association. However, it is worth mentioning the significant involvement of EAA members in preparing the White Paper on National Security and the National Security Strategy published in 2014 by President Bronisław Komorowski. Notably, EAA members chaired three of the four thematic working groups that contributed to these documents.

The Association was also very active in promoting the importance of the national defense industry for state security—its strengthening and its international cooperation. In this context, it is worth noting several international conferences co-organized with the Polish Industrial Lobby and the Ministry of National Defense, focusing on cooperation between the Polish and Ukrainian defense industries.

The activities of the Association are described in more detail in the book “The Voice of the EAA on the Most Important Issues”, published during the presidency of Marek Goliszewski. Security based on Poland’s firm anchoring within the Euro-Atlantic integration institutions—such as NATO and the European Union—should remain a goal uniting all. The Euro-Atlantic Association intends to continue its work based on these principles.

You can find our articles of association below

Statut SEA