EN Official Journal of the European Union L 329/55

COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2017/2303

of 12 December 2017

in support of the continued implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2118 (2013) and OPCW Executive Council decision EC-M-33/DEC.1 on the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons, in the framework of the implementation of the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

(1) On 27 September 2013, during its EC-M-33 session, the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) adopted a decision on the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons (‘EC-M-33/DEC.1’).

(2) On 27 September 2013 the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution (‘UNSCR’) 2118 (2013), endorsing EC-M-33/DEC.1.

(3) On 12 December 2003 the European Council adopted the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (the ‘Strategy’), which underlines the crucial role of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction and of the OPCW in creating a world free of chemical weapons.

(4) The Union is actively implementing the Strategy and is giving effect to the measures listed in Chapter III thereof, in particular by releasing financial resources to support specific projects conducted by multilateral institutions such as the OPCW.

(5) On 9 December 2013 the Council adopted Decision 2013/726/CFSP (1), supporting the provision of situation-awareness products related to the security of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission on the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons through the delivery to the OPCW of satellite imagery and related information products of the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen). Decision 2013/726/CFSP expired on 30 September 2015.

(6) On 30 November 2015 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/2215 (2), in support of the OPCW and the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism established pursuant to UNSCR 2235 (2015).

(7) On 10 July 2017 the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW requested the re-establishment of the provision by the Union of satellite imagery products to the benefit of their operations in Syria. According to the OPCW, this service has proven extremely useful for the deployment in Syria of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (the ‘FFM’) and other teams, such as the Declarations Assessment Team, with regard to staff safety and the sound carrying out of the missions.

(8) The Union has been a strong and consistent supporter of the OPCW in the implementation of its mandate. The Union Declaration of 7 April 2017 states that the Union will continue to support the efforts and work of the OPCW, in particular in Syria, including the FFM and the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism, with regard to the investigation of the use of chemical weapons.

(9) The technical implementation of this Decision should be entrusted to the OPCW. The projects supported by the Union can only be financed through voluntary contributions to the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW. Such contributions to be provided by the Union will be instrumental in enabling the OPCW to continue fulfilling the tasks indicated in the relevant OPCW Executive Council decisions and in UNSCR 2118 (2013).

(10) The supervision of the proper implementation of the Union's financial contribution should be entrusted to the Commission,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. The Union shall support the activities of the OPCW by contributing to costs associated with the inspection and verification of the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons, as well as costs associated with activities complementary to the core mandated tasks in support of UNSCR 2118 (2013) and EC-M-33/DEC.1 and subsequent related resolutions and decisions.

2. The project supported through this Decision is the provision of situation-awareness products related to the security of the FFM, including the status of the road network through the delivery to OPCW of SatCen satellite imagery products.

A detailed description of the project is set out in the Annex.

Article 2

1. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘HR’) shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision.

2. The technical implementation of the project referred to in Article 1(2) shall be entrusted to the OPCW. It shall perform this task under the responsibility of the HR. For this purpose, the HR shall enter into the necessary arrangements with the OPCW.

Article 3

1. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the project referred to in Article 1(2) shall be EUR 1 003 717,00.

2. The expenditure financed by the amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the Union budget.

3. The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure referred to in paragraph 1. For this purpose, it shall conclude a financing agreement with the OPCW. The financing agreement shall stipulate that the OPCW is to ensure visibility of the Union's contribution, appropriate to its size.

4. The Commission shall endeavour to conclude the financing agreement referred to in paragraph 3 as soon as possible after the entry into force of this Decision. It shall inform the Council of any difficulties in that process and of the date of conclusion of the financing agreement.

Article 4

1. The HR shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular reports prepared by the OPCW. Those reports shall form the basis for the evaluation by the Council.

2. The Commission shall provide the Council with information on the financial aspects of the implementation of the project referred to in Article 1(2).

Article 5

1. This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

2. This Decision shall expire 12 months after the date of the conclusion of the financing agreement between the Commission and the OPCW referred to in Article 3(3), or it shall expire six months after its entry into force if that financing agreement has not been concluded by that time.

Done at Brussels, 12 December 2017. For the Council The President S. MIKSER

(1) Council Decision 2013/726/CFSP of 9 December 2013 in support of the UNSCR 2118 (2013) and OPCW Executive Council EC-M-33/Dec.1 in the framework of the implementation of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (OJ L 329, 10.12.2013, p. 41).

(2) Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/2215 of 30 November 2015 in support of UNSCR 2235 (2015), establishing an OPCW-UN joint investigative mechanism to identify the perpetrators of chemical attacks in the Syrian Arab Republic (OJ L 314, 1.12.2015, p. 51).