NATO Nuclear Planning Group
The Nuclear Planning Group was established in December 1966 to allow better communication, consultation and involvement among NATO member nations to deal with matters related to nuclear policy issues. During the period of the Cold War, NATO members recognized the need for incorporation of nuclear weapons as part of their defense strategy. Because of the lack of information sharing caused by restrictive US nuclear information sharing policy, many attempts were made to increase US–NATO communication and information sharing in relation to nuclear weapons such as the amendment of the Atomic Energy Act, the US–NATO Information Agreement, and the proposal of the Multilateral Force. Eventually, the Nuclear Planning Group was established as a finalized effort to deal with nuclear information sharing issues. There are three main levels to the Nuclear Planning Group. These are the ministerial level of the Nuclear Planning Group, the Permanent Representatives Group, and the Staff Group. In addition, the High-Level Group is a closely related organization that works in an advisory manner with the Nuclear Planning Group. Deliberations upon agenda topics will begin from the Staff Group level and eventually ascend to the ministerial level. The Nuclear Planning Group consists of all NATO members with the exception of France. Overall, the Nuclear Planning Group has created policy guidelines for nuclear-related topics while seeking to minimize the threat of nuclear conflict.
Background
The Nuclear Planning Group was established in December 1966 in response to the growing tensions among NATO members on issues of nuclear information sharing which began in the early 1950s. In combination with the United States' mistrust in its NATO allies' abilities to contain nuclear information and the US Atomic Energy Act of 1946 which classified nuclear information as restricted data, there were many barriers to other NATO members' abilities to attain information. Consequently, the lack of transparency from the US caused other members to become concerned as to whether the US would support their NATO allies in the event of a general war, particularly in terms of US willingness to use nuclear weapons. Due to the lack of information on US nuclear capabilities, European members doubted their ability to defend themselves against the Soviet Union. Consequently, some felt they could be better suited in developing their own nuclear weapons rather than relying on the US.Development
As US officials began to see the inefficiencies in secrecy over nuclear information sharing in the early 1950s, they began initiatives for law, policy and system changes that broadened nuclear sharing capacity. The National Security Council developed NSC 151/2 which included policy to share information on nuclear weapons with particular NATO members. Towards the end of 1953, President Eisenhower called for an increase in sharing of nuclear technology for civilian purposes during his speech "Atoms for Peace" addressing the United Nations. The speech directly led to changes to the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 This act was later known as the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and eased restrictions on nuclear information sharing. The development of the US-NATO Information Agreement also allowed for greater sharing of information.File:Preisdent Eisenhower delivers Atoms for Peace proposal.jpg|thumb|President Eisenhower delivering "Atoms for Peace" speech.
In addition to these policy changes, even more initiatives were taken to advance nuclear sharing. After the end of the Eisenhower administration in 1961, the idea of the Multilateral Force was proposed by US officials which called for the sharing of nuclear weapons that would be assigned to NATO and controlled by NATO nations. The hope of this proposal was to combat the fear of shortfalls in medium-range ballistic missiles in Europe. During this period, West Germany was interested in the alliance's nuclear affairs and wanted to gain greater influence, but other NATO members feared that West Germany's complete control of nuclear weapons would antagonize European nations and the Soviet Union. The MLF would have provided nuclear weapons jointly controlled by all NATO members, and addressing this issue. Much of John F. Kennedy's administration advocated for the MLF and by December 1962, the groundwork for the system was established. Despite the Kennedy administration's advocacy for the MLF, this system was also met with much skepticism. The French president, Charles de Gaulle, rejected the proposal of the idea in January 1963 as he felt that France would not benefit from depending on the United States to supply them with nuclear weapons nor relying on the United States to control nuclear weapons. Britain also felt that it would not be beneficial to incur the extra cost of the new system for such insignificant benefits. Finally, West Germany's chancellor, Konrad Adenauer also doubted the effectiveness of the MLF. With such opposition, the MLF was never adopted.
The demise of the MLF proposal gave rise to the Nuclear Planning Group. US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara saw the need for a different approach to nuclear sharing and supported a committee made up of NATO members. This would help with improving communication, consultation, and involvement among NATO members with the sharing of nuclear information instead of nuclear weapons as the MLF had proposed. McNamara helped to create a "select committee" of alliance members that would be set up at the ministerial level with the goal of facilitating more consultation and increasing member involvement on matters related to nuclear policy. This committee eventually grew into the "Special Committee on Nuclear Consultation" containing 10 Allied members. This committee was made up of a committee on crisis management, communication, and nuclear planning with the nuclear planning committee being the only committee organized at the ministerial level. The Nuclear Planning Committee consisted of the United States, United Kingdom, West Germany, Italy, and one representative from the other members. The first meeting of this committee in Washington, D.C., in February 1966 saw success in informing members of US nuclear plans, deterrence policies, and understanding of Soviet nuclear capabilities. Later that year, the Nuclear Planning Committee was further split into two sections. One section was the Nuclear Defense Affairs Committee and the other section was the Nuclear Planning Group.
Structure
There are 3 main levels to the Nuclear Planning Group. At the top is the ministerial level. This level consists of defense ministers of the Nuclear Planning Group's members and is chaired by Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO. At meetings they discuss issues involving nuclear planning, review and discuss work done by the lower levels of the Nuclear Planning Group, and consider future plans for the group. With regards to the military side of NATO, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee often engages with the ministerial meetings. Additionally, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe is welcomed at the ministerial meetings alongside the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic .Below them is the Permanent Representatives level which evidently involves the Permanent Representatives of NATO members. Their primary task is to deliberate over reports and findings that are to be later discussed at the ministerial level and to help prepare for the ministerial meetings. The Military Committee's Chairman can also be a participant at the Permanent Representatives meetings alongside 2-Star Officers of the International Military Staff.
Underneath the Permanent Representatives level is the Staff Group. This level involves members of the national delegations of member countries. Proposals and other items on the agenda for the Nuclear Planning Group discussions are deliberated upon here first. As such, this level is responsible for a majority of the documentational work at the Nuclear Planning Group. When a consensus is reached upon an agenda item, a report will be created for which the Permanent Representatives and ministerial levels can later discuss. The Staff Group is chaired by the Nuclear Planning Directorate. This directorate is composed of members of NATO's International Staff who are often experienced in regard to nuclear planning. The director has consistently been an American. From the military side, a member of the International Military Staff such as a naval captain or colonel will be involved in Staff Group sessions.
Although not directly part of the Nuclear Planning Group, the High Level Group is heavily associated with it. Established in 1977 and led by the United States, this group involves meetings of high-ranking officials from the capitals of NATO members. The High Level Group was created due to several American concerns. This included handling the issue of the Soviet Union's new nuclear systems at the time. The United States was also concerned of the capacity of the North Atlantic Council to handle important nuclear decisions during the Cold War period. Another reason why the United States wanted to create the High Level Group was in order to have the senior officials of the NATO members’ capitals be more involved in nuclear discussion. The High Level Group remains an advisory organization to the Nuclear Planning Group regarding nuclear planning and policymaking, and is also engaged in discussions involving nuclear weapons security and safety. Reports of discussions are created and given to the defense ministers, who are involved in the ministerial level of the Nuclear Planning Group.
Membership
Currently, all the members of NATO are also members of the Nuclear Planning Group apart from France. These countries are Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. In the 2008 French White Paper on Defense and National Security, France argued that its nuclear forces are completely independent and will not participate in the group. For that reason, France is not an official member of the Nuclear Planning Group.Historically, meetings of the Nuclear Planning Group would involve four permanent members and a rotating group of non-permanent members. However, this rotational structure was terminated in November 1979.