1999/533/CFSP: Council Common Position of 29 July 1999 relating to the European Union's contribution to the promotion of the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)
Date: 1999-07-29
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European Union, international agreement, nuclear test, the EU's international role

4. 8. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 204/1

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

COUNCIL COMMON POSITION

of 29 July 1999

relating to the European Union’s contribution to the promotion of the early entry into force of the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)

(1999/533/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

To this end the European Union shall support:

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in partic-
ular Article 15 thereof,

WHEREAS the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions
50/245 of 10 September 1996 called upon all States to sign
and thereafter to become parties to the CTBT at the earliest
opportunity;

RECALLING the provision in Article XIV.2 of the Treaty for a
Conference to be convened, at the request of a majority of the
States that have ratified, to examine the extent to which the
requirement set out in paragraph 1 of this Article has been met
and to consider and decide by consensus what measures
consistent with international law may be undertaken to accel-
erate the ratification process in order to facilitate the early
entry into force of this Treaty,

HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

The objective of this Common Position shall be to contribute
to the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear
Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) as an important step to promoting
nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament which contribute to
international confidence, stability and peace.

Article 2

(a) the convening of the Conference at political

level;

(b) the convening of subsequent conferences as stipulated in
Article XIV of the CTBT until the entry into force of the
CTBT;

(c) the broadest participation of States who have ratified or
signed the CTBT as well as States that have not yet signed;

(d) the presence of NGO’s at the Conference;

(e) measures consistent with international law which may be
undertaken to accelerate the ratification process in order to
facilitate the early entry into force of the CTBT;

(f) a final declaration of the Conference which would give the
necessary political support for efforts to accelerate the rati-
fication process and the early entry into force of the CTBT;

(g) the identification of possible ways to assist countries in
ratification and implementation process,
their national
including the exchange of information on the establish-
ment of national authorities and implementation legisla-
tion.

Article 3

The European Union shall continue to support the efforts of
the CTBT Organisation to
the Preparatory Commission of
establish the CTBT’s verification regime in a timely and effec-
tive manner and in accordance with the CTBT.

Article 4

The European Union shall encourage all States, which have not
yet done so, to sign and ratify the CTBT without delay,
in
particular those States on the list of 44, whose ratification is
necessary for the entry into force of the CTBT.

in particular contribute to a
The European Union shall
successful outcome of the first conference pursuant to Article
XIV of the CTBT, which is expected to take place in Vienna in
October 1999, aiming at accelerating the CTBT-ratification
process in order to facilitate the early entry into force of the
CTBT.

Article 5

The Council will review the implementation of this Common
Position with a view to considering the possibility of further
activities to be pursued in order to facilitate the early entry into
force of the CTBT.

L 204/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

4. 8. 1999

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

Article 6

This Common Position shall be published in the Official Journal.

Article 7

Done at Brussels, 29 July 1999.

For the Council

The President

S. HASSI