The Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Bureau’s (AVC) Office of Euro-Atlantic Security Affairs (AVC/ESA) serves as the lead within the Department for all matters relating to existing and prospective European and Euro-Atlantic arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements and security arrangements concerning conventional and non-strategic nuclear weapons and forces.

Core Missions

Conventional Arms Control Policy: ESA leads the development of U.S. policy relating to European and Euro-Atlantic conventional arms control agreements and commitments; developing and then seeking the adoption of approaches for achieving that policy as well as chairing related interagency committees; and participating in U.S. delegations to international organizations responsible for European and Euro-Atlantic conventional arms control agreements and commitments.

Implementing Existing Treaties: The Office is responsible for implementing the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE); the Vienna Document 2011; Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs); the Treaty on Open Skies; and arms control elements of the Dayton Peace Accords. ESA provides support for efforts to promote CSBMs in regions of the world beyond Europe in connection with OSCE efforts at wider sharing of OSCE norms, principles, and commitments with Mediterranean and Asian states.

Assessing Compliance: ESA also serves as the lead within the Department for reviewing and assessing compliance by foreign countries with European and Euro-Atlantic arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements and commitments; chairing interagency committees that have principal responsibility in these areas; engaging in diplomatic consultations to address compliance concerns; and incorporating compliance analyses and assessments into the annual compliance report to Congress pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 2593(a)(4-6), as well as specialized compliance reports required under Senate Resolutions of Ratification and other reports, as appropriate.

Assessing Verifiability: The Office coordinates closely with AVC/VPO to ensure that current and projected intelligence collection and analytical requirements related to verification, compliance enforcement, and implementation in the above areas are clearly formulated, well understood, and given appropriate emphasis and attention. ESA prepares verifiability assessments in these areas of arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements as required under 22 U.S.C. § 2577, the U.S. Senate Resolution of Advice and Consent to Ratification of the CFE Flank Document, or by direction.

Supporting International and European Organizations: ESA directly supports the U.S. Missions to the OSCE, NATO, and the European Union. Office staff serve as delegation members under the Chief Arms Control Delegate in the U.S. Mission to the OSCE. ESA provides support and personnel to NATO committees on nuclear weapons forces and arms control, including the NATO High Level Task Force/Conventional Arms Control Task Force, the NATO Verification Coordinating Committee, the NATO High Level Group on nuclear policy, and the NATO-Russia Council Arms Control Experts. ESA also supports engagement with the European Union on issues such as the U.S.-EU Verification Dialogue, and represents the United States as appropriate on these issues at international meetings and conferences.