The rotational membership of the NPG ended in 1979 in recognition of the increasing importance to all members of NATO’s nuclear policy and posture.

Since then, even though the NDAC was never formally abolished, its work has been taken over by the NPG, which then became the only formal NATO body dealing with nuclear affairs. Until 1973, the NDAC met once per year at ministerial level to review and provide formal approval for the proposals of the NPG. Public disclosure of this information would cause substantial harm to the competitive position of NAC or the nuclear fuel vendors. These results indicated that the root system is more developed for mir164b mutant plants than for WT plants and that Fe acquisition might be more efficient in mir164b mutant plants than in the WT plants under Fe-deficient conditions. NAC and the nuclear fuel vendors have invested a considerable amount of time, engineering labor, and money in the development of the information. The United States, United Kingdom, Italy and West Germany were permanent members, while appointments to the other three NPG seats lasted for one year, and rotated among the eligible nations. Interestingly, the ferric reductase activity was 2.3 times greater for mir164b mutant plants than for WT plants under Fe-deficient conditions. Initially, in order to facilitate the NPG’s work, only seven nations sat on the Group at any one time. Ministers implemented the recommendation by creating two ministerial bodies: the Nuclear Defence Affairs Committee (NDAC), which was open to all NATO members and the NPG, which was restricted to nations participating in NATO’s integrated military structure and was mandated to carry out detailed work on nuclear issues. The NPG was founded in December 1966, when the Defence Planning Committee in Ministerial Session accepted the recommendation of the Special Committee of Defence Ministers, chaired by Robert McNamara of the United States, to establish a consultative process on nuclear issues within NATO. Decisions within the NPG are taken by consensus, as is the case for all NATO committees. Visit NucNet for global breaking nuclear energy industry news on reactors, fusion, nuclear technology and climate change. The policies that are agreed upon therefore represent the common position of all the participating countries. It provides a forum in which NATO member countries can participate in the development of the Alliance's nuclear policy and in decisions on NATO's nuclear posture, irrespective of whether or not they themselves maintain nuclear weapons. The NPG also adjusts planning and consultation procedures accordingly. The role of the NPG is to review the Alliance's nuclear policy in light of the ever-changing security challenges of the international environment and to adapt it if necessary. Its discussions cover a broad range of nuclear policy matters, including the overall effectiveness of NATO’s nuclear deterrent, the safety, security and survivability of nuclear weapons, and communications and information systems.

While the North Atlantic Council (NAC) is the ultimate authority within NATO, the NPG acts as the senior body on nuclear matters. NATO Allies retain political control of all aspects of nuclear decision-making.

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