EN Official Journal of the European Union C 37/3

Six-monthly Progress Report on the implementation of the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (2012/II)

2013/C 37/04

Introduction

In line with the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction adopted by the European Council in December 2003 (doc. 15708/03), progress reports on the implementation of the Strategy are foreseen every six months.

This Progress Report covers activities carried out in the second half of 2012 in the context of the implementation of the Strategy, in the light of the ‘Updated list of priorities’ (doc. 10747/08) adopted by the Council in June 2008, and of the ‘New lines for action’ (doc. 17172/08) adopted by the Council in December 2008.

The guiding principle and overall aim of the EU in the field has continued to be the promotion of the universality of international treaties, conventions and other instruments and their national implementation, in accordance with the objectives of the EU WMD Strategy and the European Security Strategy. Accordingly, it pursued these objectives in all the key events during the second semester, notably the Conference on Disarmament, the Annual IAEA General Conference, the CTBT Informal Ministerial Meeting, the Ministerial Meeting on the Chemical Weapons Convention, the UNGA First Committee Meeting, the MTCR Plenary Meeting, the OPCW Conference of State Parties and Executive Council meetings, the BTWC Meeting of States Parties and the Intersessional Process meeting, as well as in a number of other international fora.

The following resolutions were promoted by EU MS at the First Committee of the UNGA, sometimes in cooperation with third countries that enjoyed the support of all EU MS:

— The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (ROK + all EU MS),

— Preventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive materials and sources (DE, FR + all other EU MS),

— Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (HU),

— Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (PL),

— Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (SI),

— The Arms Trade Treaty (FI, UK),

— Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (SE),

— Assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in SALW and collecting them (Mali + all EU MS),

— Transparency in armaments (NL),

— Information on confidence-building measures in the field of conventional arms (ARG + all EU MS),

— Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures (DE),

— Strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (ALG + all EU MS), and

— Report of the Conference on Disarmament (DE).

The EU has continued to work for the effective and complementary use of all available instruments and financial resources (CFSP budget, Instrument for Stability, other instruments) in order to maximise the impact of its activities in supporting international organisations and third countries.

The EU has continued close cooperation with partners and other third countries striving towards a global convergence of views on the need to strengthen the international non-proliferation regime. Efforts have continued to address non-proliferation issues in the EU's bilateral relations with all relevant countries, in particular through political dialogue meetings and more informal contacts.

1. NUCLEAR ISSUES

The Non-Proliferation Working Group (CONOP) actively prepared for the Annual IAEA General Conference and Board of Governors meetings in September and November 2012, the CTBT Informal Ministerial Meeting and the MTCR Plenary in October, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Zangger Committee, and the Australia Group expert-level meetings. It started discussing the process towards the 2014 Hague Nuclear Security Summit, and the EU positions and contributions for the Second NPT Preparatory Committee Meeting in 2013, as well as other relevant meetings in the nuclear field. It pursued the implementation of the New Lines of Action by the EU in combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems through discussion of various actions envisaged in this field, i.a. on consular and scientific vigilance (a CONOP meeting reinforced with visa experts was organised on 28 November 2012).

1.1. Follow up to the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference

Based on Council Decision 2010/212/CFSP, the EU started work on the preparations for the Second NPT Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) Meeting to be organised in Geneva from 22 April to 3 May 2013, building on its contribution to the First NPT PrepCom held earlier in 2012. Ambassador Cornel Feruta, Political Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, was nominated as the Chair of the Second NPT PrepCom. Together with the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium, the EU organised a second Seminar to Promote Confidence Building and in Support of a Process Aimed at Establishing a Zone Free of WMD and Means of Delivery in the Middle East (Brussels, 5 and 6 November 2012), implementing Council Decision 2012/422/CFSP of 23 July 2012, and further contributing to the implementation of Council Decision 2010/799/CFSP adopted on 13 December 2010.

1.2. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The EU has enhanced its support to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. The EU remains a key donor to the Nuclear Security Fund, with more than EUR 31 million committed since 2004.

Further on nuclear security, the EU has contributed with its technical expertise to training activities and workshops organised by IAEA and targeting third countries to enhance capabilities in combating illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials. The EU and the IAEA have coordinated their support to third countries in this field, i.a. through the Border Monitoring Working Group. It has reached an agreement with the IAEA on organising annual Senior Official Meetings (SOM) to enhance cooperation in other areas of IAEA activity, increase visibility of EU contributions and to further coordinate action in particular in the field of nuclear security, in order to ensure complementarity and avoid overlap between activities undertaken by the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence and the IAEA, and take benefit from such complementarity (to this effect, EU and IAEA agreed on Practical Arrangements to guide their cooperation). The first EU-IAEA SOM is planned to be held in the beginning of 2013, involving the EEAS, the European Commission/Euratom and IAEA representatives at senior level.

The EU has committed since 2008 by Council conclusions to contribute up to EUR 25 million to the IAEA LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) Bank through the CFSP budget and the Instrument for Stability (IfS). The EU contributed EUR 20 million from the Instrument for Stability to support the Bank (EUR 10 million were paid to the IAEA on 8 December 2011, and the other EUR 10 million on 26 April 2012). Another contribution is to be provided from the CFSP budget, based on a Council decision planned to be approved by the Council in early 2013, also depending on progress made between the IAEA and the host country for the Bank, Kazakhstan.

Furthermore, the EU has also committed EUR 5 million to support an international project aiming at expanding and modernising the Seibersdorf laboratory in Austria (an amount of EUR 4,75 million, through the Instrument for Stability, was paid to the IAEA on 2 December 2011). An additional contribution of EUR 5 million was committed (of which an amount of EUR 4,75 million has been already paid in December 2012).

The EU has continued to provide important technical support to the IAEA in the field of nuclear safeguards through the European Commission cooperative support programme.

The EU has used its various instruments to enable safe and secure implementation of peaceful uses of nuclear technology in third countries, including through the IAEA, and is working on further projects together with the IAEA.

At expert level, the European Commission in cooperation with the IAEA has launched a process to assess the IAEA's Illicit Trafficking Database (ITDB) with regard to its response to user needs. The results of the Commission-funded project will be available in 2013.

1.3. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)

The EU has actively promoted the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), based on the relevant Council decisions in support of CTBTO and by conducting outreach efforts towards all countries that have not yet signed or ratified the CTBT, including the remaining Annex 2 States whose ratification is required for the entry into force of the Treaty. An EU statement was delivered at the Informal CTBT Ministerial Meeting held in New York on 27 September 2012. Based on its updated internal guidelines supporting the entry into force of the CTBT, the EU will continue to raise awareness of the CTBT in various contexts, including in political dialogue meetings, in order to create further momentum for the ratification of the Treaty.

The EU has made significant efforts towards the implementation of Council Decision 2010/461/CFSP of 26 July 2010. The EU adopted a new Council Decision (2012/699/CFSP of 13 November 2012), complementary to Council Decision 2010/461/CFSP, based on which it will provide additional support (almost EUR 5,2 million) for the work of the CTBTO Provisional Technical Secretariat. The exchange of the relevant financial documents agreed upon with the CTBTO with regard to the new Council Decision was organised in an official framework on 10 December 2012 in Vienna. A first instalment of EUR 4 million has already been paid to the CTBTO in December 2012.

1.4. Regional issues (Iran, DPRK)

The EU has remained fully committed to the ongoing efforts aimed at achieving a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiations, based on the NPT and the full implementation of all relevant UNSC and IAEA Board resolutions. The EU has urged Iran to take concrete and practical steps aimed at building confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme, and to comply with all its international obligations in order to address the serious concerns of the international community.

Iran has to fully cooperate with the IAEA in order to resolve outstanding issues, including those concerning possible military dimensions. During several meetings held in 2012, the EU High Representative, together with the E3 + 3, has continued her efforts to engage Iran into discussions on the substance of proposals for initial confidence building steps to address the priority concern of 20 % enrichment activities (under the UNSC and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, Iran is prevented to carry out enrichment-related and reprocessing activities). Iran has so far failed to give any signal that it is ready to seriously address the most urgent concerns regarding its nuclear programme. Moreover, serious concern persists that due to lack of sufficient Iranian cooperation no progress was made in the IAEA efforts to resolve outstanding issues, including those pointing to possible military dimensions of the Iranian nuclear programme, and no agreement was reached on a ‘structured approach’ which should outline how to proceed with the clarification of those issues. Iran thereby continues to defy the requirements contained in the IAEA Board of Governors resolution adopted on 13 September 2012 with overwhelming majority.

Regarding the DPRK, the EU has continued to urge the DPRK to abide by its obligations, assumed under the UN Security Council Resolutions 1695, 1718 and 1874, and abandon all its existing nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. It strongly condemned the launch conducted by the DPRK on 12 December 2012, seen as another step in a long-running attempt by Pyongyang to perfect and advance its ballistic missile technology and thus as a clear violation of the DPRK's international obligations, in particular under the UN Security Council resolutions. The EU has continued to call on the DPRK to return to full compliance with the NPT and IAEA safeguards obligations, and provide the IAEA with the requested access to individuals, documentation, equipment and facilities. The EU has constantly been supportive of the resumption of the six-party talks process, including the call for DPRK to return to discussions in that format. Implementation by the EU of UNSC Resolutions 1718 and 1874 has been further strengthened. The EU has continued to enhance the implementation of its autonomous restrictive measures. It renewed its appeal to the DPRK urging it to ratify the CTBT and to refrain from any further provocative acts, in particular in the form of new nuclear tests.

2. CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT (CD)/FISSILE MATERIAL CUT-OFF TREATY (FMCT)

The EU has persistently pressed for the immediate start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT). In addition, in all its interventions (including in the framework of the UNGA First Committee) the EU declared its readiness to engage on all other issues on the CD agenda, in particular on nuclear disarmament, the prevention of an arms race in outer space and negative security assurances. Furthermore, the EU has stepped up its constructive work towards the expansion of the CD. The EU will continue to use every opportunity in 2013 to advance the international discussion on and prepare internally for an early start of FMCT negotiations, and will participate in or contribute to relevant events (including those organised by the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative — NPDI), and fora (such as the Group of Governmental Experts established by UNGA Resolution A/RES/67/53). All EU Member States supported the UNGA Resolution A/RES/67/53 (draft submitted by Canada) on a Treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

3. CHEMICAL WEAPONS

A new Council Decision in support of OPCW activities was adopted by the Council on 23 March 2012 (2012/166/CFSP). The implementation of this new Council Decision has begun with a seminar in Tarnow (Poland) on chemical safety and security, held on 8 and 9 November 2012. Delegations in The Hague worked on an EU position on the future role of the Organisation, taking into account the final extended deadline for the destruction of all remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons (29 April 2012). Four priorities have been identified: (i) completing the destruction of existing stockpiles; (ii) promoting universality of the CWC (eight States not yet parties); (iii) shifting to non-proliferation efforts; (iv) promoting capacity building with regard to safety and security in the chemical industry in developing countries, in accordance with Article XI, and responding to the use of chemical weapons, under Article X. Most importantly, an EU common position towards the Third CWC Review Conference to be held in April 2013 was adopted by the Council on 19 November 2012 (Council Decision 2012/712/CFSP).

The EU also closely followed the situation in Libya where the OPCW was to ensure the integrity of the chemical weapon stockpiles of the former Libyan chemical weapons programme and started reflecting on activities in relation to Syria once possible.

4. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

Following the Seventh BTWC Review Conference (Geneva, December 2011), the EU has engaged constructively in the intersessional process contributing with statements and specific working papers on: 1. international cooperation and assistance; 2. strengthening of national implementation; 3. capacity building in bio-safety and bio-security.

A new Council Decision in support of the BTWC was adopted by the Council on 23 July 2012 (2012/421/CFSP) and its implementation is about to begin. In cooperation with the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the BTWC, the EU organised a successful side-event regarding this Council Decision in the margins of the Meeting of the States Parties held in Geneva from 10 to 14 December 2012. Also a draft Council decision in support of the World Health Organisation's activities in the area of laboratory bio-safety and bio-security was endorsed at the working group level with the view to its adoption by the Council early in 2013.

5. MISSILES

The EU has strongly supported the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC) since its inception and considers the Code as an important multilateral instrument aimed at curbing the proliferation of ballistic missiles systems and related technologies through transparency and confidence building measures. All EU Member States have subscribed to the Code. The EU has continued to pursue and support the three aspects of the Code: universality, implementation, and enhanced and improved functioning.

In view of the continued proliferation of ballistic missiles capable of delivering WMD which constitutes a cause of growing concern for the international community, in particular ongoing missiles programmes in the Middle East, North-East Asia and South Asia, including Iran and the DPRK, the Council agreed on the new Decision 2012/423/CFSP of 23 July 2012 in support not only to HCoC, but to missile non-proliferation in general. Based on the mentioned Decision, the EU organised an outreach event for signatory and non-signatory States in New York in the margins of the UNGA First Committee on 17 October 2012, and intends to organise in early 2013 a commemorative conference in Vienna to mark the 10th anniversary of the signing of the HCoC. A number of Foreign Ministers of EU Member States supported the signing of a joint statement by the previous and current chairs of the HCoC, which was submitted to the UN Secretary-General in October 2012 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Code.

On the diplomatic front, EU Member States carried out a joint outreach campaign in support of the resolution ‘The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation’ tabled by Republic of Korea at the 2012 UN General Assembly First Committee and co-sponsored by all EU Member States, which was adopted with 151 votes in favour, 2 against and 21 abstentions. Over 80 delegations co-sponsored the resolution.

Germany hosted the Plenary Meeting of the Missile Technology Control Regime held in Berlin from 24 to 26 October 2012, which marked the 25th anniversary of the MTCR.

6. CBRN RISK MITIGATION

The EU has strengthened the implementation of the EU CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) Action Plan adopted in 2009, based on relevant assistance programmes under EU financial instruments (notably the Instrument for Stability and the ISEC programme on prevention of and fight against crime) and in light of the European Parliament Resolution of 14 December 2010 (A7-0349/2010/P7_TA(2010)0467). In this context, the EU started working on setting-up a Nuclear Security Training Centre at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, with an initial investment of EUR 2,4 million.

Furthermore, the Commission is engaged in assessing and enhancing detection technology for radioactive materials through the project ITRAP+10, is working on the analysis of existing radioactive dispersal modelling tools, and is considering the development of a virtual reality-based training tool for first responders in the area of radiological security. The Commission is also planning to extend its support to Member States in the laboratory analysis of radioactive materials. In addition, studies are ongoing taking stock of the implementation by EU Member States of the IAEA Code of Conduct on the safety and security of radioactive materials and the state-of-play of radioactive sources outside regulatory control in the EU Member States.

In order to coordinate the implementation of the EU CBRN Action Plan, the Commission is working with Member States through an Advisory Group on CBRN and explosives security, as well as through expert groups such as the C, B and RN sub-groups.

The ‘EU CBRN Centres of Excellence’ (CoE) initiative was launched by the EU in May 2010. EU CBRN Centres of Excellence are being created in response to the recognition of insufficient institutional capacity of several countries to mitigate the CBRN risk: criminal activities (CBRN proliferation or terrorism), natural (swine flu) and accidental disasters (Bhopal or Fukushima). Their objective is to develop an all-hazard CBRN policy at national and regional level to anticipate and respond to these risks. In short, these are structural measures to reduce the vulnerability of countries to the CBRN events in the reciprocal interest of regions and the EU security.

The way to achieve this objective is to support the creation of regional networks of expertise in the legal, regulatory, technical, control and enforcement matters regarding the CBRN risk mitigation.

Six regional centres are being established in: 1. North Africa (Algiers); 2. Atlantique Façade (Rabat); 3. Middle East (Amman); 4. South-East Europe – Southern Caucasus – Republic of Moldova – Ukraine (Tbilisi); 5. South-East Asia (Manila); and 6. Sub-Saharan Africa (Nairobi), and have started their work. Next step will see the opening of regional secretariats in Central Asia (Tashkent — tbc) and Gulf countries (Abu Dhabi). In addition to 33 projects adding up to EUR 26 million previously contracted, new projects amounting to around EUR 10 million are being contracted with different consortia, including from the Member States.

The CoE contribute together with other EU funds, provided through the CFSP budget (see paragraph 7), to the objectives of the UNSC Resolution 1540 on the fight against illicit trafficking or criminal use of CBRN materials. The CoE build on the mandatory character of the implementation of the UNSC Resolution 1540 and go one step beyond offering a comprehensive package to fight against risks regardless of origin.

7. THINK TANKS

Based on the Council Decision 2010/430/CFSP of 26 July 2010, the EU's work under the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction has been actively supported by the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium that started its activity in January 2011. Following the First Consultative Meeting (‘kick-off meeting’) of the European network of independent non-proliferation think tanks (23 and 24 May 2011) and two EU Non-Proliferation Consortium seminars in support of a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East (6 and 7 July 2011 and 5 and 6 November 2012), a first annual meeting entitled ‘EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Conference’ with nearly 200 participants from the EU and third countries successfully took place on 3 and 4 February 2012, to be followed by another conference in 2013. In the meantime, the Consortium stepped up its research activities, in cooperation with other European think tanks in the field, and published working papers relevant to the implementation of the WMD Strategy, available on the Consortium's website http://www.nonproliferation.eu/. Further contributions to the broader non-proliferation and disarmament discussion will be published.

8. UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1540 AND EXPORT CONTROLS

(a) UNSCR 1540

The EU had expressed, by signing a joint declaration with the US on the margins of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (New York, 19 October 2011), its longstanding commitment towards pursuing the implementation of Resolutions 1540 and 1977.

The EU therefore boosted its support to third countries with a view to assisting them with meeting their obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and to enhance the skills of State officials involved in the export control process, by organising together with UNODA and the 1540 Committee a number of regional workshops, and by carrying out bilateral visits. A new Council Decision in support of UNSCR 1540 that focuses on national implementation efforts was endorsed at working group level in February and continues to be under financial negotiations between the European Commission and the UNODA. The latter should continue to engage with the EU in order to find swift and non-duplicative ways to support the work of the 1540 Committee, the mandate of which had been extended for 10 years through Resolution 1977 adopted in April 2011.

(b) Export controls

Various activities supporting export controls have continued. At policy level, the European Commission prepared a ‘Staff Working Document’ presenting the conclusions of the wide public consultation launched under the 2011 Green Paper on Export controls: ensuring security and competitiveness in a changing world and paving the way to a review of the EU export control regime in 2013. On the regulatory side, discussions continued on the proposed amendment to the EU dual-use Regulation (EC) No 428/2009 with a view to expediting the updates of the EU dual-use control lists, and the European Parliament concluded its first reading of the proposal. Export controls implementation was supported by two meetings of the Article 23 Coordination Group, as well as a ‘peer visit’ in Nicosia that brought together experts from Member States to address specific implementation issues.

Furthermore, cooperation with third countries continued and expert meetings were held with Chinese and Japanese counterparts, while an EU-US dialogue was initiated in October 2012 to enable both sides to exchange first-hand information on their respective dual-use exports systems and the relevant regulatory reforms and challenges.

EU coordination took place to promote the agreed EU positions in the relevant meetings of the export control regimes held in the second semester (Wassenaar Arrangement: General Working Group in October 2012 and plenary meeting in December 2012; MTCR: plenary meeting in October 2012; NSG: Consultative Group in November 2012).

9. SPACE

Since 2007, the EU has been promoting the development of an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. This international and voluntary set of guidelines would strengthen safety, security and predictability of all space activities. Such guidelines should, among other things, limit or minimise harmful interference, collisions or accidents in outer space, as well as the creation of debris.

On 5 June 2012, the EU had introduced to the international community in Vienna a new draft, now also supported by a large number of countries outside Europe, which foresees that the international code would be applicable to all outer space activities conducted by States or non-governmental entities. As the draft code would be voluntary and open to all States, it would lay down the basic rules to be observed by space faring nations in both civil and military space activities.

Following the meeting on 5 June 2012 in Vienna, the EU has decided to continue the process of multilateral consultations to refine the draft code. All UN Member States will be invited to participate in a meeting during the first half of 2013. This meeting should offer the opportunity to each participant to present and exchange views on the text, to ask for clarifications and present possible new ideas.

The EU aim remains to find agreement on a text that is acceptable to all interested States and that thus brings effective security benefits in a relatively short term. At the end of this process, a final version of the international code of conduct will be presented and would be open to participation by all States on a voluntary basis at an ad hoc diplomatic conference. The code could, thereafter, be ‘delivered’ to the UN, in the form of e.g. a UN GA resolution, as in the case of the Hague Code of Conduct.

10. WMD CLAUSES

The EU continued, in accordance with its WMD Strategy, to mainstream non-proliferation of WMD into its contractual relations with third countries.

Further progress was achieved in the negotiation of WMD clauses in relevant agreements between the EU and third countries, and in particular with Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.

11. OTHER MULTILATERAL FORA

— G8

The EU played an active role in several meetings of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Directors in the run-up to the Camp David G8 Summit and in preparing the G8 Summit Statement on non-proliferation and assisted in carrying out several demarches on the IAEA Additional Protocol and UNSCR 1540 national implementation, in association with the US presidency. Work will continue in this format in early 2013 under the incoming UK G8 Presidency.

The Global Partnership (GP), 9 years after its creation in 2002, has expanded beyond the G8 to become a platform of coordination and cooperation, counting now 15 additional partners. At the Deauville Summit in May 2011, leaders have agreed to further strengthen biological security, UNSCR 1540 implementation and nuclear security. The US, acting as G8 chair in 2012, took this agenda forward, in particular by creating a GP Bio-security Sub-Working Group under the GP Working Group.

Bringing in (other) regional organisations as well as reinforcing regional ownership were important subjects of discussion. The EU Centres of Excellence gained momentum within the G8 and the G8GP, in particular as a tool to facilitate exchange of information regionally and, possibly, avoid duplication among donors.

— Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT)

The EU (through the Institute for Transuranium Elements of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre) coorganised and hosted the meetings of the GICNT Working Groups on Nuclear Forensics and, respectively, Response and Mitigation that were held in Arona and Ispra (Italy) from 3 to 5 October 2012.

12. POLITICAL DIALOGUE MEETINGS

Political dialogue meetings on non-proliferation and disarmament at working group level were organised with the Republic of Korea (Vienna, 18 September 2012) and Ukraine (Brussels, 6 November 2012). Informal consultations on non-proliferation and disarmament were held i.a. with India (Brussels, 2 August 2012), Japan, South Africa and other countries on a regular basis. A new round of the EU-27-US dialogue covering all topics of the non-proliferation, disarmament and arms control agenda took place in Brussels on 17 December 2012.