Council Decision of 14 December 2000 implementing Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP with a view to a European Union contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons in South Ossetia
Date: 2000-12-14
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: CIS countries, EU programme, peacekeeping, personal weapon, police cooperation, public safety

22.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 326/1

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

COUNCIL DECISION

of 14 December 2000

implementing Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP with a view to a European Union contribution to
combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons in South
Ossetia

(2000/803/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union and in partic-
ular Article 23(2) thereof,

Article 1

Having regard to Council Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP of 17
December 1998 on the European Union's contribution to
combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small
arms and light weapons (1), and in particular Article 6 thereof,

The European Union shall contribute to promoting the
1.
control, collection and destruction of small arms and light
weapons in South Ossetia.

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The uncontrolled accumulation and spread of small
arms and light weapons pose a threat to peace and
security and reduce the prospects for sustainable devel-
opment, particularly in South Ossetia.

This Decision is intended to implement Joint Action
1999/34/CFSP and to make a financial contribution to
local police forces, as part of a programme designed to
make equipment available to them for the purpose of
the collection and destruction of small arms and light
weapons.

The financial contribution will serve to influence public
opinion in favour of civilian disarmament, consolidate
and develop civil society involvement in the process of
weapons collection and disposal and create an atmos-
phere of security, collective responsibility, reconciliation
and trust between the population groups concerned.

The financial contribution would reinforce the role of
the European Union and that of the OSCE in the settle-
ment of a conflict, particularly at a time when the OSCE
Member States are preparing a contribution on small
arms for the United Nations Conference on the Illicit
Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all
its
Aspects, which should be held in 2001.

(5)

The Commission has agreed to take on certain duties
necessary for the implementation of this Decision,

(1) OJ L 9, 15.1.1999, p. 1.

2.

For this purpose, the European Union shall

initially:

(a) assist the Joint Coordination Centre of the Joint Peace-
keeping Forces in South Ossetia in coordinating the activi-
ties of the Ossetian and Georgian law-enforcement agencies
and in using its database on crime in South Ossetia;

(b) assist the Joint Investigation Group in South Ossetia in
carrying out inquiries at the request of the Ossetians and
Georgians;

(c) assist the units responsible for collecting light weapons in
collecting weapons and transporting them to storage sites
for destruction.

3.
In this context, the European Union shall provide aid in
the form of equipment which shall be transported to the bodies
mentioned in paragraph 2.

4.
The Council shall determine, on the recommendation of a
Member State and/or the Commission, which other projects
should be financed from this contribution in future in respect
of light weapons and small arms.

Article 2

The Council shall entrust

1.
the Commission with the
implementation of this Decision with a view to meeting the
objective specified in Article 1.

The Commission shall acquire the equipment referred to
2.
in Article 1(3).
It shall monitor and evaluate the effective
delivery of the equipment and its use. It shall also monitor the
implementation of this Decision.

L 326/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22.12.2000

The Commission shall report to the Council under the
3.
authority of the Presidency assisted by the Secretary-General of
the Council, High Representative for the CFSP.

Article 4

This Decision shall take effect from the date of its adop-

1.
tion. It shall expire on 14 December 2001.

In carrying out its activities, the Commission shall coop-
4.
erate, as appropriate, with local missions of Member States.

This Decision shall be reviewed six months after the date

2.
of its adoption.

Article 3

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal.

Article 5

The financial reference amount for the purposes referred

1.
to in Article 1 shall be EUR 90 000.

Done at Brussels, 14 December 2000.

The management of

the expenditure financed by the
2.
amount specified in paragraph 1 shall be subject to the proced-
ures and rules of the Community applying to budget matters.

For the Council

The President

D. GILLOT