Series TCC - Temporary Council Committee

The TCC chronological series contains the records of the Temporary Council Committee. The Temporary Council Committee was established by a decision of the North Atlantic Council on 19 September 1951 (C/8-D/19) in order to examine issues related to the need to reconcile the requirements of external security on the one hand and the real possibilities of the member nations on the political and economic fronts on the other. The committee comprised representatives from the twelve member nations and was chaired by Mr. Averell Harriman (United States). An Executive Bureau (EB) responsible for carrying out the analytical work was set up(1). In October 1951, a Selection and Assessment Committee (SCC) was established (TCC-D(51)/2) to make recommendations on the cost-cutting measures capable of reducing the cost of establishing and maintaining military forces(2). In October 1951, the member nations received a questionnaire designed to objectively analyze the military situation. The questions asked dealt with the status of the land, sea and air components, as well as the arrangements for increasing the Armed Forces' manning levels. Before the Committee had completed its work, an interim report was submitted (TCC-D/18 and D/19, C/8-D/8) at the 8th Council session in Rome. The Committee's final report was submitted on 18 December 1951 (TCC Report). The Committee was then disbanded on 19 Febrary 1952 (see TCC-R/23).