Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 2

Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 892

Resolution Concerning a Study of Proposals Relative to Production and Standardization of Armaments¹

confidential

Paris, October 21, 1954.

The Governments of [Signatories of Protocol No. 1],²

Anxious to increase the effectiveness of their common defence forces to the maximum,

Desirous of ensuring the best possible use of their available armament budgets by means of a rational organization of production,

Noting the importance in this connection of standardising weapons and weapon components,

Desirous of facilitating any agreements to this end between all or certain of the Seven Powers:

(1) Recall the decision taken at the London Conference to set up a working Party to study the draft directives submitted by the French Government on 1st October, 1954 and such other documents as might subsequently be submitted on the problem of the production and standardisation of armaments.

(2) Agree to convene a Working Group in Paris on 17th January, 1955 of the Representatives of Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom to study the draft directives and other documents referred to in the foregoing paragraph, with a view to submitting proposals to the Council of Western European Union when it comes into being.

1. This resolution, which was circulated as document C–M (54)89 (Revised) along with a covering note by Secretary-General Ismay, was discussed by the North Atlantic Council during its meeting on Oct. 22; for a record of that meeting, see p. 1422.
2. The signatories of Protocol I (modifying and completing the Brussels Treaty) are Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United Kingdom. Brackets in the source text.