European Parliament resolution on the consequences of using depleted uranium munitions
Date: 2001-01-17
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, NATO, UN Environment Programme, armed forces, civilian victim, ex-serviceman, firearms and munitions, health risk, medical research, radioactive pollution, uranium

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 262/167

Wednesday 17 January 2001

Calls on the Commission to propose, as part of the common fisheries policy, an effective regulatory

24.
system for the Mediterranean;

Calls on the Commission to propose, as soon as possible, a special action programme which will

25.
enable a set of measures to be put in place, taking into account the specific features of the region;

Supports the call from the aquaculture and seafood sector, which is asking for adequate support

26.
from the Community and for greater integration into the common fisheries policy;

27.
Calls on the Commission to define the issue of regionalisation of the common fisheries policy and
lay down the limits thereof, although this must neither affect the decision-making process nor lead to a
break-up of the CFP;

28.
Urges the Commission to give prompt consideration to social and socio-economic measures
designed to improve fishermen’s living and working conditions, to devise measures to ensure workers’
safety in the light of the high accident rate in the sector, and to enhance training programmes and the
development of fisheries-dependent regions; points out that suitable action should be taken in order to
acknowledge and take due account of the essential role played by women in the fisheries sector;

29.
Calls for legislative consolidation of the common fisheries policy, since the fact that it is spread over
a number of legal acts and the fact that the CFP regulations are constantly being amended generate con-
fusion and lead to non-compliance through lack of clarity;

30.
Calls on the Commission to ensure that there are adequate structural measures to ensure the survi-
val of fisheries-dependent communities and, where appropriate, to allow for the diversification of such
communities;

31.
Calls upon the Commission to undertake a revision of the fisheries research commissioned by the
European Community in three areas: the dissemination of scientific studies and research should be greater
and more transparent; multidisciplinary, not purely biological, research should be encouraged, with special
emphasis on reaching an understanding with the organisations representing the fisheries sector on fishing
methods designed to prevent the landing of undersized fish; and research should be carried out into new
species of fish capable of surviving in difficult sea environments;

32.
Calls on the Commission to ensure in the review of fisheries management that fishermen and other
interested parties are involved in the decision-making process; believes that fishermen’s support for fish-
eries regulations will improve if fishermen’s organisations are involved in the decision-making process and
that the involvement of fishermen in introducing and enforcing the regulations will make those regulations
more acceptable; recognises there must be confidence in the validity of the scientific basis underlying the
system;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council and to the govern-

33.
ments, parliaments and fisheries organisations of the Member States.

14. Use of depleted uranium in Bosnia and Kosovo (Balkan syndrome)

B5-0047, 0049, 0050, 0051 and 0054/2001

European Parliament resolution on the consequences of using depleted uranium munitions

The European Parliament,

A. whereas in several European countries there is growing concern about the consequences of exposure
to radiation and inhalation of toxic dust resulting from the use of depleted uranium weapons, which
may have affected a number of soldiers who took part in the military operations in the former Yugo-
slavia, particularly in Bosnia in 1995 and Kosovo in 1999,

C 262/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

Wednesday 17 January 2001

B. whereas there is as yet no clearly established medical or statistical proof of a link between the use of
depleted uranium in ammunition and the occurrence of leukaemia and other forms of cancer, as well
as other diseases amongst soldiers and policemen; whereas if a causal link were to be established
between the use of such weapons and the health problems brought to light, there would be serious
concern about the health of the civilians in the areas affected,

C. whereas most of the governments of the States concerned sent fact-finding teams to the area and
called for an urgent meeting of the relevant NATO bodies with a view to obtaining further informa-
tion on the use of depleted uranium munitions and the target zones; whereas, furthermore, at the
request of the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, the United Nations Environment Pro-
gramme (UNEP) has started an investigation into the matter in Kosovo,

D. whereas the information contained in the various reports produced ? including those by the United
Nations ? remains incomplete, and whereas a fuller exchange of information should be held within
NATO, with an active contribution being made by the US authorities; whereas, however, the UNEP
has already recommended in its preliminary report that the relevant sites in Kosovo be sealed off and
that medical checks be carried out on the people living in the vicinity of those sites,

E. whereas the International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed alarm and considers it essential for a
study to be conducted of the areas in which depleted uranium munitions were used and on all those
who came into contact with such weapons; whereas the agency has endorsed the precautionary mea-
sures called for by the UNEP,

F. whereas a thorough investigation must be conducted into all the effects of the military operations
conducted during the conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo on military personnel, the civilian population
and the environment,

G. whereas so far in Italy, Belgium, Portugal and Spain cases are under investigation in which soldiers
have died, are dying or are seriously ill allegedly as the result of being exposed to the effects of
depleted uranium,

H.

taking into account the recent statement by President Prodi that the Commission is particularly con-
cerned about the impact of years of conflict on health and the environment in the Balkan region and
that the Commission’s services have been asked to collect and analyse all relevant information on the
situation in the region,

I. whereas its Environment Committee has asked STOA to conduct an independent study on environ-

mental and health effects of the use of depleted uranium,

1.
Calls on the Council and the Member States to foster a clear and transparent debate on this matter as
part of action taken in connection with the establishment of the new EU security and defence policy, to
look into the matter without delay, and to give due consideration to all measures that might be necessary
in order to protect public health and the environment;

2.
Calls on the Council and the Member States to set up an independent European medical working
party responsible for looking into the issues arising in connection with the possible relationship between
the use of depleted uranium munitions and the death or illness of some of the soldiers who took part in
the military operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, using all appropriate measures;

3.
Calls for an assessment also to be made of the possible long-term effects on the sites which were
bombed and, therefore, on the civilian population, whether due to direct exposure (inhalation or irradia-
tion) or indirect exposure (contamination of the food chain and water);

4.
Calls on the Council and the Commission to ensure proper coordination of the findings of the enqui-
ries conducted by the Member States and by the various international specialised agencies (UNEP, WHO,
etc.), with a view to analysing all the effects of the military operations in Bosnia and Kosovo;

5.
Urges that measures to provide assistance to civilian victims and to protect the environment follow-
ing the military operations will be given priority in aid programmes for the Balkans and the reconstruction
of the countries of the former Yugoslavia;

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 262/169

Wednesday 17 January 2001

6.
Calls on the Member States that are also NATO members to propose that a moratorium be placed on
the use of depleted uranium weapons in accordance with the precautionary principle as defined in the
Council resolution adopted at the European Council meeting in Nice and the European Parliament’s resolu-
tion on the subject;

Asks NATO to consider other types of munitions until the results of the investigations on depleted

7.
uranium are known;

Calls on the Council Presidency and the High Representative for the CFSP to provide it with regular

8.
reports on deliberations within the Council and its bodies relating to the issue of the ‘Balkan syndrome’;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of

9.
the Member States, the Secretary-General of NATO and the United States Congress.

15. North Korea

B5-0037/2001

European Parliament resolution on relations between the European Union and the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea

The European Parliament,

? having regard to its earlier resolutions on the food shortage in North Korea and in particular those of

15 May 1997 (1), 23 October 1997 (2) and 12 March 1998 (3),

? having regard to its resolution of 23 March 1999 on relations between the European Union and the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (4) following on from the visit of its ad hoc delegation to the
DPRK in December 1999,

? having regard to its resolution of 23 March 1999 on the Agreement on terms and conditions of the
accession of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) to the Korean Peninsula Energy
Development Organisation (KEDO) (5),

? having regard to the report of its second ad hoc delegation which visited the Democratic People’s

Republic of Korea in October-November 2000,

A. whereas the historic June 2000 summit meeting between the ROK and the DPRK appeared to repre-
sent a significant turning point in the development of relations between north and south, whereas the
process of reconciliation will have to be sustained and enhanced, and whereas efforts are being made
to normalise relations between the DPRK and the US and Japan,

B. whereas the DPRK historically has encouraged terrorism,

C.

regretting that the Union has to date not been able to establish a common policy towards North
Korea,

D. deploring in particular the fact that some EU Member States have decided to grant North Korea dip-

lomatic recognition without consulting the other States,

E.

stressing that support for the KEDO programme cannot by any means be a substitute for a policy
established by the European Union and its Member States towards North Korea,

(1) OJ C 167, 2.6.1997, p. 157.
(2) OJ C 339, 10.11.1997, p. 153.
(3) OJ C 104, 6.4.1998, p. 236.
(4) OJ C 177, 22.6.1999, p. 51.
(5) OJ C 177, 22.6.1999, p. 47.