Council Joint Action of 12 July 2002 on the European Union's contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons and repealing Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP
Date: 2002-07-12
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European arms policy, arms control, arms limitation, financial aid, firearms and munitions, stockpiling of weapons, technical cooperation

19.7.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 191/1

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

COUNCIL JOINT ACTION

of 12 July 2002

on the European Union’s contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of
small arms and light weapons and repealing Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP

(2002/589/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

TITLE I

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in parti-
cular Article 14 thereof,

Principles on preventive and reactive aspects

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

On 17 December 1998 the Council adopted Joint Action
1999/34/CFSP on the European Union’s contribution to
combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of
small arms and light weapons (1).

The report of the Panel of Governmental Experts on
Small Arms recognises ammunition as a cause for
concern in conflicts affected by small arms and light
weapons.

A new Joint Action should be adopted in order to
include, where appropriate, ammunition of small arms
and light weapons and Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP
should therefore be repealed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

1.

The objectives of this Joint Action are:

— to combat, and contribute to ending, the destabilising accu-

mulation and spread of small arms,

— to contribute to the reduction of existing accumulations of
these weapons and their ammunition to levels consistent
with countries’ legitimate security needs, and

— to help solve the problems caused by such accumulations.

2.

This Joint Action shall entail the following elements:

— building consensus on the principles and measures referred

to in Title I,

— making a multifaceted contribution as referred to in Title II.

This Joint Action shall apply to weapons listed in the

3.
Annex.

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

Article 2

The Union shall enhance efforts to build consensus in the rele-
vant regional and international forums (for example, the UN
and OSCE) and among affected States on the principles and
measures set out in Article 3 and on those set out in Articles 4
and 5 as the basis for regional and incremental approaches to
the problem and, where appropriate, global international instru-
ments on small arms.

Article 3

In pursuing the objectives set out in Article 1, the Union shall
aim at building consensus in the relevant international forums,
and in a regional context as appropriate, for the realisation of
the following principles and measures to prevent the further
destabilising accumulation of small arms:

(a) a commitment by all countries to import and hold small
arms only for their legitimate security needs, to a level
and
commensurate with their
security requirements, including their ability to participate
in UN peacekeeping operations;

self-defence

legitimate

(either directly or

(b) a commitment by exporting countries to supply small arms
only to governments
through duly
licensed entities authorised to procure weapons on their
behalf)
in accordance with appropriate international and
regional restrictive arms export criteria, as provided in
particular in the EU code of conduct, including officially
authorised end-use certificates or, when appropriate, other
relevant information on end-use;

(c) a commitment by all countries to produce small arms only
for holdings as outlined in (a) or exports as outlined in (b);

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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(d) in order to ensure control, the establishment and mainte-
nance of national
legally-held weapons
inventories of
owned by the country’s authorities and the establishment of
restrictive national weapons legislation for small arms
including penal
sanctions and effective administrative
control;

(e) the

of

establishment

confidence-building measures,
including measures to promote increased transparency and
openness, through regional registers on small arms and
regular exchanges of available information, on exports,
imports, production and holdings of small arms, and on
national weapons legislation, and through consultations
between the relevant parties on the information exchanged;

(f) the commitment to combat illicit trafficking of small arms
through the implementation of effective national controls,
such as efficient border and customs mechanisms, regional
and international cooperation and enhanced information
exchange;

(g) the commitment

to challenge and reverse ‘cultures of
violence’, by enhancing public involvement through public
education and awareness programmes.

Article 4

In pursuing the objectives set out in Article 1, the efforts of the
Union shall aim at building consensus in the relevant interna-
tional forums, and in a regional context as appropriate, for the
realisation of the following principles and measures to reduce
existing accumulations of small arms and their ammunition:

(a) the assistance as appropriate

requesting
support for controlling or eliminating surplus small arms
and their ammunition on their territory, in particular where
this may help to prevent armed conflict or in post-conflict
situations;

to countries

(b) the promotion of confidence-building measures and incen-
tives to encourage the voluntary surrender of surplus or
illegally-held small arms and their ammunition, the demobi-
lisation of combatants and their subsequent rehabilitation
and reintegration, such measures to include compliance
with peace and arms control agreements under combined
or third party supervision, respect of human rights and
humanitarian law, the protection of the rule of law, in parti-
cular as regards the personal safety of former combatants
and small arms amnesties, as well as community-based
development projects and other economic and social
incentives;

(c) the effective removal of surplus small arms encompassing
safe storage as well as quick and effective destruction of
these weapons and their ammunition, preferably under
international supervision;

(d) the rendering of assistance through appropriate interna-
tional organisations, programmes and agencies as well as
regional arrangements.

Article 5

Member States shall promote, where appropriate, in the context
of resolving armed conflicts:

(a) the inclusion of provisions with regard to demobilisation,
elimination of surplus weapons and their ammunition and
integration of
agreements
between the parties to the conflict, into mandates of peace-
support operations or other relevant missions in support of
the peaceful settlement;

ex-combatants

into peace

(b) the consideration of the possibility of making necessary
provision for measures ensuring the removal of small arms
and their ammunition in the context of demobilisation by
the UN Security Council
in case the country or parties
concerned are not in a position to comply with the relevant
obligations.

TITLE II

Contribution by the Union to specific actions

Article 6

The Union shall provide financial and technical assistance
1.
to programmes and projects which make a direct and identifi-
able contribution to the principles and measures referred to in
Title I, including relevant programmes or projects conducted by
the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, other
international organisations and regional arrangements and
NGOs. Such projects might include, inter alia, weapons collec-
tion, security sector reform and demobilisation and reintegra-
tion programmes
victim assistance
as
programmes.

as well

specific

2.
In providing such assistance, the Union shall take into
account in particular the recipients’ commitments to comply
with the principles mentioned in Article 3; their respect of
human rights; their compliance with international humanitarian
law and the protection of the rule of law; and their compliance
with their international commitments, in particular with regard
to existing peace treaties and international arms control
agreements.

Article 7

1.

The Council shall decide on:

— the allocation of

the financial and technical assistance

referred to in Article 6,

— the priorities for the use of those funds,

— the conditions for implementing specific actions of

Union, including the possibility of designating,
instances, a person responsible for its implementation.

the
in certain

2.
The Council shall decide on the principle, arrangements
and financing of such projects on the basis of concrete and
properly-costed project proposals and on a case-by-case basis,
without prejudice to Member States’ bilateral contributions and
operation of the Community.

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The Presidency shall under the conditions set out

3.
Article 18(2) of the Treaty:

in

as possible, actions taken pursuant to Article 6 shall be coordi-
nated with those of Member States and of the Community.

— ensure liaison with the United Nations and any other rele-

vant organisation involved,

— establish, with regional arrangements and third countries,
the Union’s specific

the contacts needed to implement
actions.

It shall keep the Council informed.

Article 8

The Council notes that the Commission intends to direct its
action towards achieving the objectives and the priorities of this
Joint Action, where appropriate by pertinent Community
measures.

Article 10

Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP is hereby repealed.

Article 11

The Council shall review annually the actions taken in the
framework of this Joint Action.

Article 12

This Joint Action shall enter into force on the date of its
adoption.

Article 9

Article 13

The Council and the Commission shall be responsible for
1.
ensuring the consistency of the Union’s activities in the field of
small arms, in particular with regard to its development poli-
cies. For this purpose, Member States and the Commission shall
submit any relevant information to the relevant Council bodies.
The Council and the Commission shall ensure implementation
of their respective action, each in accordance with its powers.

2. Member States shall equally seek to increase the effective-
ness of their national actions in the field of small arms. As far

This Joint Action shall be published in the Official Journal.

Done at Brussels, 12 July 2002.

For the Council

The President

T. PEDERSEN

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The Joint Action shall apply to the following categories of weapons, while not prejudging any future internationally
agreed definition of small arms and light weapons. These categories may be subject to further clarification, and may be
reviewed in the light of any such future internationally agreed definition.

ANNEX

(a) Small arms and accessories specially designed for military use:

— machine-guns (including heavy machine-guns),
— sub-machine guns, including machine pistols,
— fully automatic rifles,
— semi-automatic rifles, if developed and/or introduced as a model for an armed force,
— moderators (silencers).

(b) Man or crew-portable light weapons:

— cannon (including automatic cannon), howitzers and mortars of less than 100 mm calibre,
— grenade launchers,
— anti-tank weapons, recoilless guns (shoulder-fired rockets),
— anti-tank missiles and launchers,
— anti-aircraft missiles/man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS).