2000/297/CFSP: Council Common Position of 13 April 2000 relating to the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Date: 2000-04-13
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: arms limitation, export monitoring, joint action, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear weapon

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 97/1

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

COUNCIL COMMON POSITION

of 13 April 2000

relating to the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons

(2000/297/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(7)

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

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

The European Union attaches great importance to the
Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
(NPT) as the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation
regime and the essential foundation for the pursuit of
nuclear disarmament.

The Council adopted on 25 July 1994 Decision 94/509/
CFSP concerning the Joint Action regarding preparation
for the 1995 Conference of the States Parties to the
Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1).

The Council on 23 April 1998 defined Common Posi-
tion 98/289/CFSP relating to preparation for the second
Preparatory Committee for the 2000 Review Conference
of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons (2).

The 1995 Review and Extension Conference of
the
Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons adopted decisions on the indefinite extension
the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear
of
Weapons, on principles and objectives for Nuclear Non-
proliferation and Disarmament, on the strengthening of
the review process for that Treaty, and on a resolution
on the Middle East.

The Preparatory Committee for the 2000 NPT Review
Conference held three sessions, on 7 to 18 April 1997
in New York, 27 April to 8 May 1998 in Geneva and 10
to 21 May 1999 in New York.

The Council on 29 April 1997 adopted Joint Action
97/288/CFSP on the European Union's contribution to
the promotion of transparency in nuclear-related export
controls (3).

(1) OJ L 205, 8.8.1994, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 129, 30.4.1998, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 120, 12.5.1997, p. 1.

On the basis of negotiating directives adopted by the
Council on 1 December 1997, the Additional Protocol
to the Verification Agreement between the Non-nuclear
the European Atomic Energy
Weapon States of
Community (Euratom), Euratom and the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Additional Protocol
to the Safeguards Agreement between France, Euratom
and the IAEA, and the Additional Protocol to the Safe-
guards Agreement between the United Kingdom,
Euratom and the IAEA have been signed.

(8)

(9)

The European Union signatory parties to the abovemen-
tioned Additional Protocols have stated their aim that
the process of ratification should be completed as soon
as possible.

In the light of the outcome of the 1995 Review and
Extension Conference and of the outcome and recom-
mendations of the Preparatory Committee for the NPT
2000 Review Conference, it is appropriate to update and
develop further the objectives set out in Common Posi-
tion 98/289/CFSP, and the initiatives carried out under
its terms.

(10)

Common Position 98/289/CFSP should therefore be
repealed and replaced by this Common Position,

HAS ADOPTED THIS COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

The objective of the European Union shall be to strengthen the
international nuclear non-proliferation regime by promoting
the successful outcome of the 2000 Non-proliferation Treaty
(NPT) Review Conference.

Article 2

For the purposes of the objective laid down in Article 1,

1.
the European Union shall:

(a) pursue efforts to convince States which are not yet parties
to the NPT, in particular those States which operate unsafe-
guarded facilities, to accede to it as soon as possible;

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(b) encourage participation in the NPT 2000 Review Confer-

ence;

(h) increased transparency as a voluntary confidence building
measure to support further progress in disarmament;

(c) contribute to a structured and balanced review of

the
operation of the NPT at the 2000 Review Conference,
including the implementation of undertakings of the States
Parties under the Treaty, as well as the identification of
areas in which, and of means through which,
further
progress should be sought in future;

(d) help build consensus on substantive issues in the 2000
NPT Review Conference and its three main committees,
taking into account the substantive preparations in the
three sessions of the Preparatory Committee and bearing in
mind the fundamental
importance of the decisions and
resolution adopted by the 1995 Review and Extension
Conference, namely on principles and objectives for nuclear
non-proliferation and disarmament.

2.
On the basis of the framework established by the Treaty
and the Principles and Objectives laid down by the 1995
Review and Extension Conference, the European Union believes
that further consideration of substantive issues may include,
among others:

(a) early entry into force of

the Comprehensive Nuclear
Test-ban Treaty through ratification without delay and
without conditions, especially by those 44 States whose
ratification is required for the Treaty to enter into force;

(b) immediate commencement and early conclusion of nego-
tiations in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on a
non-discriminatory, multilateral, internationally and effec-
tively verifiable Treaty banning the production of fissile
material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive
the
devices. Pending the conclusion of such a Treaty,
European Union calls on all States, which have not yet
done so, to stop the production of fissile material for
nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices;

(c) establishment of an ad hoc working group within the
Conference on Disarmament under Agenda item 1 ‘cessa-
tion of nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament’ subject
to a consensus agreement on a mandate for such a group;

(d) development of nuclear weapons-free zones and establish-
ment of zones free of weapons of mass destruction on the
basis of arrangements freely arrived at between the States
in the region concerned;

(e) pursuit of the consideration of the issue of security assur-
ances to the Non-nuclear Weapon States Parties to the
NPT;

(f) signature and ratification by the nuclear weapon States of
the relevant protocols of nuclear weapon-free zones,
recognising that Treaty-based security assurances are avail-
able to such zones;

(g) underlining the importance of concerned States taking
steps to bring into effect the assurances provided by such
Treaties and their Protocols;

(i) calling on nuclear weapon States, as agreed at the Moscow
G7/P8 Summit on Nuclear Safety on 19 and 20 April
1996 to place fissile material designated as no longer
required for defence purposes under appropriate inter-
national safeguards and physical protection;

(j) application of the principle of irreversibility to guide all
measures in the field of nuclear disarmament and arms
control, as a contribution to the maintenance and rein-
forcement of international peace, security and stability,
taking these conditions into account;

(k) calling for the prompt entry into force and timely imple-
mentation of START II and its Protocol, and the early
commencement of negotiations on START III with a view
to further reductions in strategic nuclear weapons and the
verified dismantlement of warheads destined for disarma-
ment under that Treaty;

(l) reaffirmation of the importance of the Anti-ballistic Missile

Treaty as a cornerstone of strategic stability;

(m) underlining the

importance of non-strategic nuclear
weapons in the framework of nuclear arms reduction
efforts;

(n) calling on all non-nuclear weapon States to conclude
agreements with the IAEA as soon as possible to meet the
requirements of Article III of the NPT;

(o) reaffirming the provisions of the Principles and Objectives
Decision of the Final Document (Part 1) of the 1995
Review and Extension Conference regarding safeguards;

(p) further calling on all States with safeguards agreements
already in place to conclude and bring into force the
Additional Protocols with the IAEA as soon as possible
with a view to the early implementation of a strengthened
safeguards system and its subsequent
integration with
existing safeguards measures;

(q) calling on nuclear suppliers to continue efforts of the
Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Zangger Committee to
enhance transparency and foster dialogue and cooperation
among all

interested parties;

(r) calling on all States with nuclear materials on their terri-
tory to maintain and improve, as appropriate, their own
arrangements for nuclear materials accountancy, safety
and physical protection, applying the appropriate interna-
tionally agreed standards;

(s) calling on all States to take measures to ensure that
exports of sensitive materials, equipment and technologies
are subject to an appropriate system of surveillance and
control, facilitating cooperative technological development
by providing confidence of suppliers that goods, tech-
nology and materials will only be used for peaceful
purposes;

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(t) calling upon States, that have not yet done so, to accede to
the Physical Protection Convention, adopt relevant phys-
ical protection and basic safety standards and introduce
and enforce appropriate measures and legislation to
combat illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive
material;

(u) underlining the importance of continuing international
cooperation in order to strengthen nuclear safety, safe
waste management and radiological protection and calling
upon States, that have not yet done so, to accede to all
relevant conventions as soon as possible and to implement
fully their ensuing commitments.

(d) the pursuit of agreement by Member States on draft
proposals on substantive issues for submission on behalf of
the European Union for consideration by States Parties to
the NPT which may form the basis for decisions of the NPT
2000 Review Conference;

(e) Statements by the European Union delivered by the Presi-
dency in the General Debate and in the debates in the three
Main Committees.

Common Position 98/289/CFSP is hereby repealed.

Article 4

Article 3

Article 5

Action taken by the European Union for the purposes of
Article 2 shall comprise:

(a) where appropriate, demarches by the Presidency, under the
conditions laid down in Article 18 of the Treaty on Euro-
pean Union, with a view to promoting the universality of
the NPT;

(b) demarches by the Presidency, under the conditions laid
down in Article 18 of the Treaty on European Union, with
a view to encouraging participation in the NPT 2000
Review Conference;

(c) demarches by the Presidency, under the conditions laid
down in Article 18 of the Treaty on European Union, with
regard to States Parties to the NPT, in order to urge their
support for the objectives set out in Article 2;

This Common Position shall take effect on the date of its
adoption.

Article 6

This Common Position shall be published in the Official
Journal.

Done at Luxembourg, 13 April 2000.

For the Council

The President

A. VARA