By Tito Drago
MADRID, Sep 9 1996 (IPS)

The European Union will try to steer reform of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) towards granting them greater autonomy in this US led military alliance in meetings planned for later this year.

Spain’s Javier Solana, NATO secretary-general based in Brussels, analysed the reform with governors and members of parliament in Madrid, Monday.

Solana was received by King Juan Carlos, by the head of government, Jose Maria Aznar, Defence Minister Eduardo Serra and Foreign Minister Abel Matutes.

He also appeared before the Congress Defence Committee, led by the christian democrat Javier Ruperez, member of the governing Peoples Party.

Solana has already practically resolved the full integration of Spain and France in the NATO military structure.

France has been on the edge of the structure since 1966, refusing to submit its nuclear policy to the scrutiny of its NATO partners. While Spain – confirmed a NATO member by referendum in 1985 – has never been part of the military leadership of the organisation.

In theory, France and Spain benefit from guaranteed NATO defence, through without putting their military installations and troops under the control of the allied chiefs.

The greatest obstacle to Spanish entry into the NATO military structure is their claim that the joint command for security in the straights of Gibraltar should be in their territory.

Britain, which maintains the territory of Gibraltar under its control, objects to the Spanish claim, and Spain would also have to overcome objections from Portugal, a nation which always resented its neighbour’s military strength.

Meanwhile, France’s President Jacques Chirac, is not opposed to the reincorporation of the nation into the military structure, though he has asked for an in depth reform of NATO which will give the European Union a greater identity in defence issues.

Chirac is hoping the planned reform will allow the European Union to take decisions and act without the participation of the United States.

The European governments’ noses are still out of joint over their lack of autonomy in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, and the unilateral decisions taken by the United States in the Middle East.

A Europe with its own, coordinated military identity, though still within NATO, would have greater autonomy, especially to act on its southern front: the Mediterranean sea.

The Mediterranean is the backdrop for demographic and social pressures, for the violence of integrationist movements, and, generally for the convulsions provoked by underdevelopment. The European governments want to improve the situation in the zone.

Aznar announced Monday, that by October, at the latest he would formally ask the parliament for a declaration allowing Spanish integration in the NATO military structure – a move which already has the support of the great majority of deputies.

Only the United Left (IU) announced they would oppose the measure, considering it illegal.

The IU warned the winning proposal in the 1985 referendum had confirmed Spanish presence in NATO, though with the clear exclusion of the military structure and the refusal to establish allied bases within the nation.

According to the IU deputy, Felipe Alcaraz, Spain should not reinforce military structures like NATO, but should promote disarmament, abandonning the policy of the nuclear deterrant and practicing preventative diplomacy.

If everything occurs as the Spanish government has planned, and Solana hopes, when the Atlantic Council, the highest NATO body, meets on Dec. 11, the Spanish delegation accept full integration – and similar action is expected from France.

With this agreement secured, the alliance will be able to embark on the recruitment of new members, which will be dealt with in a Conference of NATO heads of state and government in April 1997.

It is hoped that by then Russia will have overcome its objections to the incorporation of eastern European nations into NATO.

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