III

Calendar No. 377

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

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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SRES 208 RS

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

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD NATO.

3 (a) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—The Senate—

4 (1) believes NATO should remain the primary

5 institution through which European and North

6 American allies address security issues of trans7 atlantic concern;
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1 (2) believes all NATO members should commit

2 to improving their respective defense capabilities so

3 that NATO can project power decisively with equi4 table burden-sharing;

5 (3) endorses NATO’s decision to launch the De6 fense Capabilities Initiative, which is intended to im7 prove the defense capabilities of the European Allies,

8 particularly the deployability, mobility, sustain9 ability, and interoperability of these European

10 forces;

11 (4) acknowledges the resolve of the European

12 Union to have the capacity for autonomous action so

13 that it can take decisions and approve military ac14 tion where the Alliance as a whole is not engaged;

15 and

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

17 the European Union to promulgate together during

18 their respective meetings, ministerials, and summits

19 in the course of 1999 principles that will strengthen

20 the transatlantic partnership, reinforce unity within

21 NATO, and harmonize their roles in transatlantic

22 affairs.

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

24 the sense of the Senate that—
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1 (1) on matters of trans-Atlantic concern the

2 European Union should make clear that it would un3 dertake an autonomous mission through its Euro4 pean Security and Defense Identity only after the

5 North Atlantic Treaty Organization had been offered

6 the opportunity to undertake that mission but had

7 referred it to the European Union for action;

8 (2) improved European military capabilities,

9 not new institutions outside of the Alliance, are the

10 key to a vibrant and more influential European Se11 curity and Defense Identity within NATO;

12 (3) failure of the European allies of the United

13 States to achieve the goals established through the

14 Defense Capabilities Initiative would weaken support

15 for the Alliance in the United States;

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

17 the Secretary of Defense should fully use their of18 fices to encourage the NATO allies of the United

19 States to commit the resources necessary to upgrade

20 their capabilities to rapidly deploy forces over long

21 distances, sustain operations for extended periods of

22 time, and operate jointly with the United States in

23 high-intensity conflicts, thus making them effective

24 partners of the United States in supporting mutual

25 interests;
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1 (5) the European Union must implement its

2 Cologne Summit decisions concerning its Common

3 Foreign and Security Policy in a manner that will

4 ensure that non-WEU NATO allies, including Can5 ada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Ice6 land, Norway, Poland, Turkey, and the United

7 States, will not be discriminated against, but will be

8 fully involved when the European Union addresses

9 issues affecting their security interests;

10 (6) the European Union’s implementation of

11 the Cologne Summit decisions should not promote a

12 strategic perspective on transatlantic security issues

13 that conflicts with that promoted by the North At14 lantic Treaty Organization;

15 (7) the European Union’s implementation of its

16 Cologne Summit decisions should not promote un17 necessary duplication of the resources and capabili18 ties provided by NATO; and

19 (8) the European Union’s implementation of its

20 Cologne Summit decisions should not promote a de21 cline in the military resources that European allies

22 contribute to NATO, but should instead promote the

23 complete fulfillment of their respective force commit24 ments to the Alliance.

Calendar No. 377

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 208

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding

United States policy toward the North AtlanticTreaty Organization and the European Union, inlight of the Alliance’s April 1999 WashingtonSummit and the European Union’s June 1999Cologne Summit.

NOVEMBER 3, 1999

Reported without amendment