98/606/CFSP: Common Position of 26 October 1998 defined by the Council on the basis of Article J.2 of the Treaty on European Union on the European Union's contribution to the promotion of non-proliferation and confidence-building in the South Asian region
Date: 1998-10-26
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU relations, India, Pakistan, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear test, peacekeeping

29. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 290/1

(Acts adopted pursuant to Title V of the Treaty on European Union)

COMMON POSITION

of 26 October 1998

defined by the Council on the basis of Article J.2 of the Treaty on European
Union on the European Union’s contribution to the promotion of non-
proliferation and confidence-building in the South Asian region

(98/606/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in
particular Article J.2 thereof,

Whereas the European Council in Cardiff on 15 and 16
June 1998 adopted conclusions on Indian and Pakistani
nuclear tests;

and effectively verifiable, treaty banning the production of
fissible material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear
explosive devices,

HAS DEFINED THE FOLLOWING COMMON POSITION:

Whereas the Council adopted declarations on Indian and
Pakistani nuclear tests on 25 May and 8-9 June 1998;

Article 1

Whereas these conclusions and declarations, in particular,
demanded that both India and Pakistan sign the CTBT as
it stands and move to ratify it, confirm publicly their
intention to exert stringent controls over the export of
material, equipment and technology controlled under the
Nuclear Suppliers Group Trigger and Dual Use Lists and
the Missile Technology Control Regime Annex, enter
into commitments neither to assemble nuclear devices
nor to deploy such devices on delivery vehicles, and to
cease the development and deployment of ballistic
missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads;

full

commitment

Whereas in these declarations the Union also reiterated
its
to the Treaty on the non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a cornerstone
of the global non-proliferation regime and an essential
foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, and
stated that its goal continues to be adherence by all coun-
tries,
including India and Pakistan, to the NPT as it
stands, without any modifications;

The objective of this Common Position shall be to contri-
bute to nuclear and ballistic missile non-proliferation in
South Asia and to confidence-building and avoidance of
conflict in the aftermath of the nuclear weapons tests
conducted by India and Pakistan in May 1998.

Article 2

The European Union shall, in particular, promote
1.
and support efforts of the international community to
further non-proliferation objectives regarding the exports
of material, equipment and technology controlled under
the Nuclear Suppliers Group Trigger and Dual Use Lists
and the Missile technology Regime Annex.

2.
To this end, the Union shall also support efforts of
the international community to achieve enhanced confid-
ence-building among India and Pakistan and in the
region in general.

the United Nations

Whereas
Security Council
condemned Indian and Pakistani Nuclear Tests in its
Resolution No 1172 of 6 June 1998;

Article 3

The support of the Union shall include:

Whereas the Conference on Disarmament agreed on 11
August 1998 to establish an ad hoc committee to nego-
tiate a non-discriminatory multilateral, and internationally

— an active Union contribution in the course of bilateral
encounters with India and Pakistan as well as in
various international fora in this regard,

L 290/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

29. 10. 98

— the promotion of, and financial and conceptual
contributions to, various seminars and other initiatives
focusing on enhancement of confidence-building and
nuclear
and missile technology non-proliferation
objectives regarding the South Asian region and the
wider Asian context,

— technical assistance to both countries regarding the
implementation and administration of export control
regulations,

— an active link with European think tanks, in order to
promote a better mutual understanding of views on
non-proliferation and a political approach to conflict
resolution.

ities of this Common Position, where appropriate, by
pertinent Community measures.

Article 6

The Council will review the implementation of
this
Common Position with a view to considering the poss-
ibility of further measures to be undertaken by the Union.

Article 7

This Common Position shall enter into force on the date
of its adoption.

Article 4

It shall be published in the Official Journal.

The Council shall decide on a case-by-case basis on the
priorities,
contributions
towards the initiatives referred to in Article 3.

and financial

arrangements

Done at Luxembourg, 26 October 1998.

Article 5

The Council notes that the Commission intends to direct
its actions towards achieving the objectives and the prior-

For the Council

The President

W. SCH(cid:154)SSEL