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Updated: 16-Feb-2001 NATO the first five years 1949-1954


Part 1
Chapter 5
Annex B


by Lord Ismay

Secretary General
of NATO

(1952-1957)

  

Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on guarantees given by the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty to the members of the European Defence Community

Paris, 27th May, 1952

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

Being satisfied that the creation of the European Defence Community set up under the Treaty signed at Paris on 27th May, 1952 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, and
Considering that the Parties to the Treaty setting up the European Defence Community have signed a Protocol, which will enter into force at the same time as the present Protocol, giving to the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty guarantees equivalent to the guarantees contained in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty;

Agree as follows:

Article I

An armed attack

  1. on the territory of any of the members of the European Defence Community in Europe or in the area described in Article 6(i) of the North Atlantic Treaty, or
  2. 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 any of the following States which is a member of the Community, namely, Belgium, France, the 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 America of its acceptance and the Council of the 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

The present Protocol shall remain in force for so long as the North Atlantic Treaty and the Treaty setting up the European Defence Community remain in force and the Parties to the latter Treaty continue to give, in respect of themselves and the European Defence forces, guarantees to the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty equivalent to the guarantees contained in the present Protocol.

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 setting up the European Defence Community. 

 
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