NATO COMMITTEE ON THE CHALLENGES OF MODERN SOCIETY (CCMS)

In the wake of the launching of the Partnership
for Peace by NATO Heads of State and Government two weeks
ago, the NATO Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society
(CCMS) is expanding the cooperation between NATO member
countries and the countries of the North Atlantic
Cooperation Council (NACC) in defence-related environmental
initiatives.

One of the first CCMS pilot studies to be set up
on a defence-related topic was that on "Defence
Environmental Expectations", co-chaired by the United
States (*) and the United Kingdom and launched in 1990.
Among the study's achievements have been guidelines on
environmental training and environmental principles, which
subsequently were accepted by the NATO Council.

A pilot study on "Cross-Border Environmental
Problems Emanating from Defence-Related Installations and
Activities" was established in 1993 at the initiative of
Norway and Germany. The study focuses on radioactive and
chemical pollution in the following geographical areas:
Barents and Kara Seas, Baltic Region, Black Sea
including the Danube catchment area. The information
gathered is extensive and of value both to the study and to
other international cooperation efforts in this area. In
addition several possibilities for practical cooperation on
a bilateral or multilateral basis have been discussed
between the participants.

A new pilot study on "Environmental Aspects of
Reusing Former Military Lands" has been launched this week
to assist NACC countries in converting former Soviet bases
to civilian use. The pilot countries will be the United
States (*) and Germany. The study will seek to assist
nations contending with contaminated military
installations to design programmes to limit the damage or
to develop methods for clean-up of those sites. Just such
initiatives were called for in the 1994 NACC Workplan for
Dialogue, Partnership and Cooperation and it is expected
that several NACC partners will decide to participate.

Earlier this week, environmental experts from
defence ministries and associations around the world
gathered at the "2nd NATO/CCMS International Conference on
the Role of the Military in Protecting the Ozone Layer"
(*). Among the conclusions and recommendations were
pledges to meet the deadlines set by the Montreal Protocol
on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Examples of how
military organizations can achieve this objective include
the F-16 fighter aircraft which is now manufactured and
operated virtually without the use of ozone-depleting
solvents and the F-14 and A-6 military aircraft which can
now be maintained with little dependence on ozone depleting
substances. These achievements were reported for the first
time during this conference.

Finally, a seminar at NATO Headquarters later
this week on "Defence, Environment and Economics"
represents the Alliance's effort to define the costs of
operating armed forces in an environmentally
sound manner. This seminar is expected to mark the
beginning of an important dialogue on the costs and the
efficiency of environmental operations in the armed forces.

An on-the-record press briefing was held by the
Assistant Secretary General for Scientific and
Environmental Affairs, Dr. Jean- Marie Cadiou, by the
co-chairs of the pilot study on "Environmental Aspects of
Reusing Former Military Lands, Mr. Gary Vest (US) and Dr.
Fritz Holzwarth (GE), by the director of the pilot study on
"Cross-Border Environmental Problems Emanating from
Defence-Related Installations and Activities", Ambassador
Svein Aass (NO), and by the chairman of the International
Conference on the Role of the Military in
Protecting the Ozone Layer, Stephen Andersen (US)

Enquiries: Dr. Deniz Yksel-Beten, NATO/CCMS Programme
Director, 1110 Brussels,
tel (32-2) 728.48.46.

(*) For further requests concerning these studies you can
also contact:

Ms. Rachel Fleishman,
U.S. Department of Defence,
Washington,
Phone: (Int'l-1-703) 695 29 02 after
January 30, 1994.