I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3564
To amend the NATO Participation Act of 1994 to expedite the transition
to full membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of emerg-
ing democracies in Central and Eastern Europe.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 4, 1996
Mr. GILMAN (for himself, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. HYDE, Mr.
LIPINSKI, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. COX of California, Ms.
KAPTUR, Mr. LEACH, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. ZIMMER, Mr. SMITH of New
Jersey, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr. BROWNBACK, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. HOKE,
Mr. PALLONE, Mr. QUINN, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. KIM, Mr. HOSTETTLER,
Mr. GALLEGLY, and Mr. KING) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to
the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the NATO Participation Act of 1994 to expedite
the transition to full membership in the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization of emerging democracies in Central
and Eastern Europe.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘NATO Enlargement
Facilitation Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Since 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Or-
ganization (NATO) has played an essential role in
guaranteeing the security, freedom, and prosperity
of the United States and its partners in the Alliance.
(2) The NATO Alliance is, and has been since
its inception, purely defensive in character, and it
poses no threat to any nation. The enlargement of
the NATO Alliance to include as full and equal
members emerging democracies in Central and East-
ern Europe does not threaten any nation. America’s
security, freedom, and prosperity remain linked to
the security of the countries of Europe.
(3) The sustained commitment of the member
countries of NATO to a mutual defense has made
possible the democratic transformation of Eastern
Europe. Members of the Alliance can and should
play a critical role in addressing the security chal-
lenges of the post-Cold War era and in creating the
stable environment needed for those emerging de-
mocracies in Central and Eastern Europe to success-
fully complete political and economic transformation.
(4) NATO has enlarged its membership on 3
different occasions since 1949.
(5) Congress has sought to facilitate the further
enlargement of NATO at an early date by enacting
the NATO Participation Act of 1994 (title II of
Public Law 103–447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note) and the
NATO Participation Act Amendments of 1995 (sec-
tion 585 of Public Law 104–107).
(6) As new members of NATO assume the re-
sponsibilities of Alliance membership, the costs of
maintaining stability in Europe will be shared more
widely. Facilitation of the enlargement process will
require current members of NATO, and the United
States in particular, to demonstrate the political will
needed to build on successful ongoing programs such
as the Warsaw Initiative and the Partnership for
Peace by making available the resources necessary to
supplement efforts prospective new members are
themselves undertaking.
(7) New members will be full members of the
Alliance, enjoying all rights and assuming all the ob-
ligations under the Washington Treaty.
(8) Cooperative regional peacekeeping initiatives
involving emerging democracies in Central and East-
ern Europe that have expressed interest in joining
NATO, such as the Baltic Peacekeeping Battalion,
the Polish-Lithuanian Joint Peacekeeping Force,
and the Polish-Ukrainian Peacekeeping Force, can
make an important contribution to European peace
and security and international peacekeeping efforts,
assist those countries preparing to assume the re-
sponsibilities of possible NATO membership, and ac-
cordingly should receive appropriate support from
the United States.
(9) The United States continues to regard the
political independence and territorial integrity of all
emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Eu-
rope as vital to European peace and security.
(10) NATO remains the only multilateral secu-
rity organization capable of conducting effective
military operations and preserving security and sta-
bility of the Euro-Atlantic region.
(11) NATO is an important diplomatic forum
and has played a positive role in defusing tensions
between members of the Alliance and, as a result, no
military action has occurred between two Alliance
member states since the inception of NATO in 1949.
(12) The admission to NATO of emerging de-
mocracies in Central and Eastern Europe that meet
specific criteria for NATO membership would con-
tribute to international peace and enhance the secu-
rity of the region.
(13) A number of Eastern European countries
have expressed interest in NATO membership, and
have taken concrete steps to demonstrate this com-
mitment; including their participation in Partnership
for Peace activities.
(14) In recognition that not all countries which
have requested membership in NATO will nec-
essarily qualify at the same pace, the accession date
for each new member will vary.
(15) The eventual membership of Austria, Fin-
land, and Sweden is fully expected and is not pre-
cluded by this Act.
(16) The provision of additional NATO transi-
tion assistance should include those emerging de-
mocracies most ready for closer ties with NATO and
should be designed to assist other countries meeting
specified criteria of eligibility to move forward to-
ward eventual NATO membership.
(17) The Congress of the United States finds
that Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have
made the most progress toward achieving the stated
criteria and should be eligible for the additional as-
sistance described in this bill.
(18) The evaluation of future membership in
NATO for emerging democracies in Central and
Eastern Europe should be based on the progress of
those nations in meeting criteria for NATO member-
ship, which require enhancement of NATO’s security
and the approval of all NATO members.
SEC. 3. UNITED STATES POLICY.
It should be the policy of the United States—
(1) to join with the NATO allies of the United
States to redefine the role of the NATO Alliance in
the post-Cold War world;
(2) to actively assist the emerging democracies
in Central and Eastern Europe in their transition so
that such countries may eventually qualify for
NATO membership; and
(3) to work to define a constructive and cooper-
ative political and security relationship between an
enlarged NATO and the Russian Federation.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that in order to pro-
mote economic stability and security in Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Alba-
nia, Moldova, and Ukraine—
(1) the United States should support the full
and active participation of these countries in activi-
ties appropriate for qualifying for NATO member-
ship;
(2) the United States Government should use
all diplomatic means available to press the European
Union to admit as soon as possible any country
which qualifies for membership; and
(3) the United States Government and the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization should support
military exercises and peacekeeping initiatives be-
tween and among these nations, nations of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Russia.
SEC. 5. DESIGNATION OF COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE FOR NATO
ENLARGEMENT ASSISTANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The following countries are des-
ignated as eligible to receive assistance under the program
established under section 203(a) of the NATO Participa-
tion Act of 1994: Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Repub-
lic.
(b) DESIGNATION
OF
OTHER
COUNTRIES.—The
President shall designate other emerging democracies in
Central and Eastern Europe as eligible to receive assist-
ance under the program established under section 203(a)
of such Act if such countries—
(1) have expressed a clear desire to join NATO;
(2) have begun an individualized dialogue with
NATO in preparation for accession;
(3) are strategically significant to an effective
NATO defense; and
(4) have met the other criteria outlined in sec-
tion 203(d) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994
(title II of Public Law 103–447; 22 U.S.C. 1928
note).
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Subsection (a) does
not preclude the designation by the President of Slovakia,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, or any
other emerging democracy in Central and Eastern Europe
pursuant to section 203(d) of the NATO Participation Act
of 1994 as eligible to receive assistance under the program
established under section 203(a) of such Act.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR NATO
ENLARGEMENT ASSISTANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated $60,000,000 for fiscal year 1997 for the program
established under section 203(a) of the NATO Participa-
tion Act of 1994.
(b) AVAILABILITY.—Of the funds authorized to be
appropriated by subsection (a)—
(1) $20,000,000 shall be available for the sub-
sidy cost, as defined in section 502(5) of the Credit
Reform Act of 1990, of direct loans pursuant to the
authority of section 203(c)(4) of the NATO Partici-
pation Act of 1994 and section 23 of the Arms Ex-
port Control Act (relating to the ‘‘Foreign Military
Financing Program’’);
(2) $30,000,000 shall be available for assist-
ance on a grant basis pursuant to the authority of
section 203(c)(4) of the NATO Participation Act of
1994 and section 23 of the Arms Export Control
Act (relating to the ‘‘Foreign Military Financing
Program’’); and
(3) $10,000,000 shall be available for assist-
ance pursuant to the authority of section 203(c)(3)
of the NATO Participation Act of 1994 and chapter
5 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(relating to international military education and
training).
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Amounts authorized
to be appropriated under this section are authorized to
be appropriated in addition to such amounts as otherwise
may be available for such purposes.
SEC. 7. EXCESS DEFENSE ARTICLES.
(a) PRIORITY
DELIVERY.—Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, the provision and delivery of excess
defense articles under the authority of section 203(c) (1)
and (2) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994 and sec-
tion 516 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 shall be
given priority to the maximum extent feasible over the pro-
vision and delivery of such excess defense articles to all
other countries except those countries referred to in sec-
tion 541 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing,
and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1995 (Public
Law 103–306; 108 Stat. 1640).
(b) COOPERATIVE REGIONAL PEACEKEEPING INITIA-
TIVES.—The Congress encourages the President to pro-
vide excess defense articles and other appropriate assist-
ance to cooperative regional peacekeeping initiatives in-
volving emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Eu-
rope that have expressed an interest in joining NATO in
order to enhance their ability to contribute to European
peace and security and international peacekeeping efforts.
SEC. 8. MODERNIZATION OF DEFENSE CAPABILITY.
The Congress endorses efforts by the United States
to modernize the defense capability of Poland, Hungary,
the Czech Republic, and any other countries designated
by the President pursuant to section 203(d) of the NATO
Participation Act of 1994, by exploring with such coun-
tries options for the sale or lease to such countries of
weapons systems compatible with those used by NATO
members, including air defense systems, advanced fighter
aircraft, and telecommunications infrastructure.
SEC. 9. TERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 203(f) of the NATO Par-
ticipation Act of 1994 (title II of Public Law 103–447;
22 U.S.C. 1928 note) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(f) TERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY.—(1) The eligi-
bility of a country designated under subsection (d) for the
program established in subsection (a) shall terminate 60
days after the President makes a certification under para-
graph (2) unless, within the 60-day period, the Congress
enacts a joint resolution disapproving the termination of
eligibility.
‘‘(2) Whenever the President determines that the gov-
ernment of a country designated under subsection (d)—
‘‘(A) no longer meets the criteria set forth in
subsection (d)(2)(A);
‘‘(B) is hostile to the NATO Alliance; or
‘‘(C) poses a national security threat to the
United States,
then the President shall so certify to the appropriate con-
gressional committees.
‘‘(3) Nothing in this Act affects the eligibility of
countries to participate under other provisions of law in
programs described in this Act.’’.
the matter after the resolving clause of which is as
follows: ‘That the Congress disapproves the certifi-
cation submitted by the President on 
pursuant to section 203(f) of the NATO Participa-
tion Act of 1994.’.’’.
SEC. 10. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT.
(a) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The NATO Par-
ticipation Act of 1994 (title II of Public Law 103–447;
22 U.S.C. 1928 note) is amended in sections 203(a),
203(d)(1), and 203(d)(2) by striking ‘‘countries emerging
from communist domination’’ each place it appears and
inserting ‘‘emerging democracies in Central and Eastern
Europe’’.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—The NATO Participation Act of
1994 (title II of Public Law 103–447; 22 U.S.C. 1928
note) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
‘‘SEC. 206. DEFINITIONS.
‘‘The term ‘emerging democracies in Central and
Eastern Europe’ includes, but is not limited to, Albania,
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
and Ukraine.’’.
SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act:
(1) EMERGING DEMOCRACIES IN CENTRAL AND
EASTERN
EUROPE.—The term ‘‘emerging democ-
racies in Central and Eastern Europe’’ includes, but
is not limited to, Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Re-
public, 
Estonia, 
Hungary, 
Latvia, 
Lithuania,
Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and
Ukraine.
(2) NATO.—The term ‘‘NATO’’ means the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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