EN Official Journal of the European Union L 65/51

COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2006/184/CFSP

of 27 February 2006

in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, in the framework of the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) On 12 December 2003, the European Council adopted the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Chapter III of which contains a list of measures to combat such proliferation.

(2) The European Union is actively implementing the EU Strategy and is giving effect to the measures listed in Chapter III thereof, in particular those related to reinforcing the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), including supporting national implementation of the BTWC, and continuing the reflection on the verification mechanism.

(3) The submission of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) constitutes an important element to increase transparency in the implementation of the BTWC and an EU Action Plan has been agreed upon to improve the number of CBMs submitted by Member States and to encourage all Member States to submit lists of appropriate experts and laboratories to the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG), the results of which could serve to define the contents of further Joint Actions in this field.

(4) The Review Conference of the BTWC in 2006 will be a good opportunity to agree on specific, practical and realistic measures to strengthen both the BTWC and compliance with it. In this regard, the European Union remains committed to developing measures to verify compliance with the BTWC. In the absence of negotiations on such a verification mechanism however, much useful work remains to be done within the perimeters of the intersessional BTWC work programme.

(5) The Commission is entrusted with the supervision of the proper implementation of the EU financial contribution,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

1. For the purpose of giving immediate and practical application to some elements of the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the European Union shall support the BTWC, with the following objectives:

— promotion of the universality of the BTWC,

— support for implementation of the BTWC by the States Parties.

2. The projects corresponding to measures of the EU Strategy are those that aim at:

— promotion of the universality of the BTWC by carrying out activities, including regional and sub-regional workshops and seminars, aimed at increasing the membership of the BTWC,

— assistance to States Parties for the national implementation of the BTWC, in order to ensure that States Parties transpose the international obligations of the BTWC into their national legislation and administrative measures.

A detailed description of the abovementioned projects is set out in the Annex.

Article 2

1. The Presidency shall be responsible for the implementation of the Joint Action in full association with the Commission. The Commission shall supervise the proper implementation of the financial contribution referred to in Article 3.

2. In order to carry out the objectives specified in Article 1(1), the Presidency shall be assisted by the Secretary-General/High Representative for CFSP (SG/HR), who will be responsible for the political coordination of the implementation of the projects referred to in Article 1(2).

3. The technical implementation of the projects referred to in Article 1(2) shall be entrusted to the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, which shall perform its tasks under the responsibility of the Presidency and under the control of the SG/HR.

Article 3

1. The financial reference amount for the two projects listed in Article 1(2) shall be EUR 867 000.

2. The expenditure financed by the amount stipulated in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the Community procedures and rules applicable to the general budget of the European Union with the exception that any pre-financing shall not remain the property of the Community.

3. For the purpose of implementing the projects referred to in Article 1(2), the Commission shall conclude a financing arrangement with the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, referred to in Article 2(3).

Article 4

The Presidency, assisted by the SG/HR, shall report to Council on the implementation of this Joint Action on the basis of regular reports prepared by the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva. The Commission shall be fully associated and shall provide information on the financial implementation of the projects referred to in Article 1(2).

Article 5

This Joint Action shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.

It shall expire 18 months after its adoption.

Article 6

This Joint Action shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 27 February 2006. For the Council The President U. PLASSNIK