Spain Seeks NATO Protection for Ceuta and Melilla Ahead of Biden-Sanchez Meeting

At this meeting, the first between the US president and the Spanish head of government since Joe Biden took office, Pedro Sanchez will seek US aid to obtain NATO’s military protection for the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. According to Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty, military protection in response to an armed attack is only provided when it occurs "against the territory of any of the Parties in Europe or North America, against the Algerian departments (now obsolete), against the territory of Turkey or against the islands under the jurisdiction of any of the Parties in the North Atlantic area."

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If we stick to this provision, NATO should not provide the necessary military assistance to Ceuta and Melilla if needed, simply because the two cities are not on the European continent. However, the Alliance can make an exception to this principle, as it has done with the Canary Islands or Madeira. As part of Operation "Active Endeavour", which aims to monitor the eastern Mediterranean to prevent terrorist threats, NATO has expanded its scope to Ceuta and Melilla.

Spain has never formally requested to amend the North Atlantic Treaty to include Ceuta and Melilla, but Article 4 of the Treaty authorizes countries or any other partner like Spain to consult the Alliance if "the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened." However, Spain considers the massive influx of Moroccan migrants to Ceuta on May 17 and 18 as a threat to its territorial integrity.

US President Joe Biden has always maintained that Morocco is a major NATO ally, and in particular of the United States.