III

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 208

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding United States policy toward

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, in

light of the Alliance’s April 1999 Washington Summit and the European

Union’s June 1999 Cologne Summit.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

OCTOBER 28, 1999

Mr. ROTH (for himself, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. KYL, Mr. HAGEL, Mr.

SMITH of Oregon, Mr. LIEBERMAN, and Mr. HELMS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

NOVEMBER 3, 1999

Reported by Mr. HELMS, without amendment

NOVEMBER 8, 1999

Considered, amended, and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding United States

policy toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

and the European Union, in light of the Alliance’s April

1999 Washington Summit and the European Union’s

June 1999 Cologne Summit.

Whereas NATO is the only military alliance with both real

defense capabilities and a transatlantic membership;
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Whereas NATO is the only institution that promotes a

uniquely transatlantic perspective and approach to issues

concerning the security of North America and Europe;

Whereas NATO’s military force structure, defense planning,

command structures, and force goals must be sufficient

for the collective self-defense of its members, capable of

projecting power when the security of a NATO member

is threatened, and provide a basis for ad hoc coalitions

of willing partners among NATO members to defend

common values and interests;

Whereas these requirements dictate that European NATO

members possess national military capabilities to rapidly

deploy forces over long distances, sustain operations for

extended periods of time, and operate jointly with the

United States in high-intensity conflicts;

Whereas NATO’s military operations against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) in 1999

highlighted (1) the significant shortcomings of European

allies in command, control, communication, and intelligence resources; combat aircraft; precision-guided munitions; airlift; deployability; and logistics; and (2) the overall imbalance between United States and European defense capabilities;

Whereas this imbalance in United States and European

NATO defense capabilities undercuts the Alliance’s goal

of equitable transatlantic burden-sharing;

Whereas NATO has undertaken great efforts to facilitate the

emergence of a stronger European pillar within NATO

through the European Security and Defense Identity, including the identification of NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander as the commander of operations led by
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the Western European Union (WEU); the creation of a

NATO Headquarters for WEU-led operations; and the

establishment of close linkages between NATO and the

WEU, including planning, exercises, and regular consultations;

Whereas in promulgating NATO’s Defense Capabilities Initiative Alliance members committed themselves to improving their respective forces in five areas: (1) effective

engagement; (2) deployability and mobility; (3) sustainability and logistics; (4) survivability; and (5) command,

control and communications.

Whereas on June 3, 1999, the European Union, in the course

of its Cologne Summit, agreed to absorb the functions

and structures of the Western European Union, including

its command structures and military forces, and established within it the post of High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy; and

Whereas the European Union’s decisions at its June 3, 1999

Cologne Summit indicate a new determination of its

member states to develop a European Security and Defense Identity with strengthened defense capabilities to

address regional conflicts and crisis management: Now,

therefore, be it

Resolved,

SECTION 1. UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD NATO.

(a) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—The Senate—

(1) believes NATO should remain the primary institution through which European and North American allies address security issues of transatlantic concern;
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(2) believes all NATO members should commit to

improving their respective defense capabilities so that

NATO can project power decisively with equitable burden-sharing;

(3) endorses NATO’s decision to launch the Defense Capabilities Initiative, which is intended to improve the defense capabilities of the European Allies,

particularly the deployability, mobility, sustainability,

and interoperability of these European forces;

(4) acknowledges the resolve of the European Union

to have the capacity for autonomous action so that it

can take decisions and approve military action where the

Alliance as a whole is not engaged; and

(5) calls upon the member states of NATO and the

European Union to promulgate together during their respective meetings, ministerials, and summits in the

course of 1999 principles that will strengthen the transatlantic partnership, reinforce unity within NATO, and

harmonize their roles in transatlantic affairs.

(b) FURTHER SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is further

the sense of the Senate that—

(1) on matters of trans-Atlantic concern, the European Union should make clear that it would undertake

an autonomous mission through the European Security
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and Defense Identity only after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had declined to undertake that mission;

(2) improved European military capabilities, not

new institutions outside of the Alliance, are the key to

a vibrant and more influential European Security and

Defense Identity within NATO;

(3) failure of the European allies of the United

States to achieve the goals established through the Defense Capabilities Initiative would weaken support for

the Alliance in the United States;

(4) the President, the Secretary of State, and the

Secretary of Defense should fully use their offices to encourage the NATO allies of the United States to commit

the resources necessary to upgrade their capabilities to

rapidly deploy forces over long distances, sustain operations for extended periods of time, and operate jointly

with the United States in high-intensity conflicts, thus

making them effective partners of the United States in

supporting mutual interests;

(5) the European Union should implement its Cologne Summit decisions concerning its Common Foreign

and Security Policy in a manner that will ensure that

non-WEU NATO allies, including Canada, the Czech

Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland,

Turkey, and the United States, will not be discriminated
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against, but will be fully involved when the European

Union addresses issues affecting their security interests;

(6) the European Union’s implementation of the

Cologne Summit decisions should not promote a strategic perspective on transatlantic security issues that

conflicts with that promoted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;

(7) the European Union’s implementation of its Cologne Summit decisions should not promote unnecessary

duplication of the resources and capabilities provided by

NATO; and

(8) the European Union’s implementation of its Cologne Summit decisions should not promote a decline in

the military resources that European allies contribute to

NATO, but should instead promote the complete fulfillment of their respective force commitments to the Alliance.

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