Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 1

Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 105

Resolution Adopted by the North Atlantic Council¹

secret
C9–D/19

[Lisbon,] 22nd February 1952.

German Participation in Western Defence

The North Atlantic Council

Having considered the reports presented to it at its Ninth Session on the Paris Conference on the European Defence Community (C9–D/12²), by the Occupying Powers concerning the proposed contractual arrangements with the German Federal Republic (C9–D/16³), by the Council Deputies on the relations between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Defence Community (D–D (52)35 (Final)⁴), and having accepted the conclusions of the Military Committee on the military effectiveness of arrangements proposed by the Paris Conference on the European Defence Community (MC.40 (Final)⁵),

1. Approves the principles which will, as set forth in the report of the Paris Conference, underlie the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community;

2. Reaffirms the urgency for the defence of Western Europe of establishing at the earliest possible date a militarily effective European Defence Force, including a German contribution of the size and nature recommended by the Military Committee, in close conformity with the principles and provisions described in the report on the Paris Conference;

3. Considers that the entry into force of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community and the entry into effect of the protocol and relationships recommended in the report of the Council Deputies would establish a European Defence Community which would meet the following requirements of the Brussels decision (C6–D/1⁶);

(a) it would strengthen the integrated defence of the North Atlantic area;

(b) it would be effectively integrated into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization framework;

(c) it would promote the closer association of the countries of Western Europe and the more intimate relationship of Western Germany with the Western Powers;

(d) it would fulfil, from the point of view of military effectiveness, the requirements set forth in the Brussels decision;

(e) it would fulfil the provisions of the Brussels Agreement relating to security safeguards to the extent that such safeguards are not rendered unnecessary by altered circumstances or will not be provided for by the Occupying Powers in any general settlement with the German Federal Republic.

4. Adopts the reports of the Council Deputies and of the Military Committee;

5. Agrees in particular that the principles set out in paragraphs 8 and 9 of the report of the Council Deputies shall govern the relationships between the two organizations;

6. Takes note that the Paris Conference proposes to insert in the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community guarantees between the members of the European Defence Community and to the parties to the North Atlantic Treaty equivalent to the guarantee contained in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty;

7. Agrees that, contingent upon the insertion in the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community of such guarantees, the obligations contained in the proposed Treaty establishing the European Defence Community will be consistent with and will not conflict with those of the North Atlantic Treaty;

8. Therefore recommends that when the Council Deputies have confirmed that the text of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community is in accordance with the principles approved by the Council in this resolution and that the said Treaty, as signed, contains the equivalent guarantees referred to in paragraph 6 above, the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty should sign a protocol on the lines set out in Annex A; and

9. Invites the Governments which are members of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Defence Community Conference:

(a) to consider and initiate any measures which might henceforth be taken prior to or in anticipation of ratification, in order to bring about immediately after ratification the raising of the German contribution to the European Defence Forces;⁷

(b) to provide in the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community for that flexibility essential to the implementation of a plan of this nature, and necessary to ensure that the timing and manner of implementation will increase to the maximum extent possible the effectiveness of the defences of Western Europe;

(c) to establish the European Defence Community without delaying their force build-up efforts within NATO.

Annex A

Draft Protocol

The Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty, signed at Washington 4th April 1949,

Being satisfied that the creation of the European Defence Community set up under the Treaty signed at Paris on__________________will strengthen the North Atlantic Community and the integrated defence of the North Atlantic area, and promote the closer association of the countries of Western Europe,

Agree as follows:

article i

An armed attack

(i) on the territory of any member of the European Defence Community in Europe or in the area described in Article 6 (i) of the North Atlantic Treaty (as modified by the protocol on the accession of Greece and Turkey), or

(ii) on the forces, vessels or aircraft of the European Defence Community when in the area described in Article 6 (ii) of the said Treaty,

shall be considered an attack against all the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty, within the meaning of Article 5 of the said Treaty, and Article 5 shall apply accordingly.

The expression “member of the European Defence Community” in paragraph (i) of this Article means Belgium, France, German Federal Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

article ii

The present Protocol shall enter into force as soon as each of the Parties has notified the Government of the United States of its acceptance, and the Council of European Defence Community has notified the North Atlantic Council of the entry into force of the Treaty setting up the European Defence Community. The Government of the United States of America shall inform all the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty of the date of the receipt of each such notification and of the date of the entry into force of the present Protocol.

article iii

This Protocol shall remain in force for so long as the North Atlantic Treaty and the Treaty signed at Paris_________________establishing the European Defence Community remain in force, and the latter Treaty contains guarantees to the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty equivalent to the guarantee contained in Article 5 of the latter Treaty.

article iv

The present Protocol, of which the English and French texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited in the Archives of the Government of the United States of America. Duly certified copies thereof shall be transmitted by that Government to the Governments of all the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty and of all the Parties to the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community.

In witness whereof, the undersigned plenipotentiaries have signed the present Protocol.

Done at___________________the____________day of_____________________1952.

1. This resolution was adopted by the North Atlantic Council at its third meeting on Feb. 22; see telegram Secto 49, Feb. 22, from Lisbon, p. 136. An earlier version of this resolution and the annexed protocol was circulated as an attachment to document C9–D/7 (Revise), Feb. 21, supra. The difference between the text printed here and the earlier draft is indicated in footnote 7, below.
2. Dated Feb. 19, p. 230.
3. Not printed, but see footnote 5, p. 137.
4. Dated Feb. 20, p. 247.
5. Not printed.
6. Regarding this document, see footnote 2, p. 247.

7. In the earlier version of this resolution circulated as an attachment to document C9–D/7 (Revise), supra, this paragraph reads as follows:

   “(a) to consider and initiate any measures which might henceforth be taken prior to or in anticipation of ratification, to expedite the raising of the German contribution to the European Defence Forces;”.