NATO Headquarters

As NATO's structure continued to develop and more space was needed, a site was chosen in centrally located Paris, and on 16 April 1952, a temporary Headquarters was established at Palais de Chaillot. In 1960, NATO moved to a more permanent Headquarters in Porte Dauphine in Paris. Shortly thereafter, in 1966, France decided to withdraw from NATO's military structure. This decision called for another move, this time to buildings on the northeast perimeter of Brussels. The new Headquarters was established in 1967.

With the recent enlargements of the Alliance, and in view of NATO's transformation, these facilities are no longer adequate. Thus, in 1999, NATO Heads of State and Government agreed to construct a new headquarters to meet the requirements of the Alliance in the 21st century. In November 2002, at a signing ceremony held during the Prague Summit, the Belgian Government transferred to NATO concessionary rights for the construction of the new buildings, opposite the present site. Work on the construction of the new headquarters is expected to begin in the near future.