Situation resulting form the set-back to the Treaty of Paris, with a view to possible alternative solutions

Report | Doc. 285 | 14 September 1954

Committee

Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy

Rapporteur :

Mr Georges BOHY, Belgium, SOC

Origin

Soo 5th Session, 1954 : Doc. 132 (Request for inclusion in the Agenda), Doc. 181 (Communication of committee), Docs. 193 and 208 (Motions for Resolutions), Doc. 210 (Report of committee) and Resolution 44. See 6th Session, 1954 : 24th Sitting, 21st September, 1954 (Referred back to committee). 1954 - 6th Session - Second part

Thesaurus

A Explanatory Memorandum

1

The Committee on General Affairs met on 10th September to consider the Report on the situation resulting from the setback to the Treaty of Paris, with regard to possible alternative policies, submitted by Mr. Maclay, and also the Report on this subject submitted by M. Bohy, as part of the general report on the policy of the Council of Europe in the light of recent developments in the international situation. After the general discussion, a Working Party of nine members was set up. This Working- Party met on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th September and submitted a draft Resolution to the Committee on 14th September.

The Committee adopted the preamble and paragraphs 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 of the draft Resolution unanimously. Paragraph 3 was adopted by 18 votes to 2 with 3 abstentions, Paragraph 5 was adopted by 12 votes to 4 with 2 abstentions.

The draft Resolution as a whole was adopted by 13 votes to nil with 6 abstentions.

The Committee further decided that M. Bohy, as Rapporteur, should present the draft Resolution to the Assembly on behalf of the Committee, to be followed by M. Maccas, as Chairman of the Working P a r t y and Mr. Maclay.

B Draft Resolution

The Assembly,

Noting the setback to the Treaty of Paris, which it had considered as the best instrument for organising the defence of Europe and as an important step towards European unity ;

Emphasising however that the six Governments signatory to the Treaty of Paris found at the Brussels Conference that the principal aims of their European policy remained unchanged, namely

to strengthen European co-operation in order to protect Western Europe against the forces which menace i t;

to avoid the neutralisation of Germany in any form ;

to contribute to the unification of Germany, and to its participation in the common defence ;

to foreshadow a form of Western political and economic integration,

Considers that those new facts are such as to suggest the following principles as a basis for the policy of Europe, both from the military aspect and from the standpoint of its efforts towards unification :

a The affirmation that the renunciation of the Treaty of Paris must imply neither the slightest weakening of the organisation of European defence nor any slackening of the effort to achieve European unity.

b The maintenance and strengthening of the Atlantic Alliance.

c The disco ver y of new formulae for the administrative and technical integration of European armed forces based on the continent of Europe, in which the United Kingdom and the German Federal Republic, as well as other Member States of the Council of Europe not signatories to the Treaty of Paris, would participate, within the framework of N.A.T.O.

d The political and administrative strengthening of N.A.T.O., in particular by the conclusion of long-term agreements concerning the proportions aud mutual control of the armed forces based on the continent of Europe.

e The establishment of European political direction and parliamentary control, involving full equality of rights and responsibilities of all participating States.

f The incorporation of all these principles in an Act, which would be added to the North Atlantic Treaty in the form of a Protocol.

g The acceptance, and indeed the promotion, of every opportunity for negotiation with the Soviet Union, on the basis of the complete solidarity of the Atlantic allies, in particular with a view to the re-unification of Germany and the achievement of progressive, general and controlled disarmament, provided always that such negotiations are not allowed to retard the strengthening of European security.