SIPRI Policy Brief: South Ossetia and Abkhazia
The EU and non-proliferation of WMD
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The European Union and Non-proliferation of WMD
On 20 June 2003 the EU High Representative for the CFSP, Javier Solana,
presented a paper entitled ‘A secure Europe in a better world’(pdf) to the Council
of the European Union. In the paper Solana identified three new threats that the EU would have to address as a matter of highest priority: terrorism, the proliferation of WMD, and the link between failed states and organized crime. The Council accepted Solana’s analysis and provisionally endorsed his strategy.
In December 2003 a revised version of Solana's paper was adopted by EU leaders
as the EU security strategy (pdf). In this final document the proliferation of
WMD was described as 'potentially the greatest threat to EU securit'.
Another key document adopted in 2003 was the Basic Principles for an EU Strategy Against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (pdf), agreed on 10 June by the Political and Security Committee of the EU. The document includes an Action Plan for the Implementation of the Basic Principles for an EU Strategy Against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (pdf). The Action Plan grouped measures
to be undertaken by the EU into two categories: measures for immediate
action and measures to be implemented over a longer period. For each of the seven measures identified for immediate action a time frame, the specific actions to be taken and projected costs were included in the Action Plan.
On 12 December 2003, the EU Strategy Against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (pdf) was agreed on at the Council in Brussels. Largely building on the previous discussions, the strategy included operational
elements such as the establishment of a monitoring centre to collect
information and intelligence relevant to the strategy’s implementation and a
biannual review of implementation by the General Affairs Council.
In November 2003 the EU adopted a policy regarding the management of
non-proliferation in the context of its relationships with third countries (pdf). Language
for a ‘non-proliferation clause’ was agreed and was to be included in
future agreements with third countries. The agreed language included a commitment
to join, ratify, implement and comply with relevant international legal
instruments that seek to counter the proliferation of WMD as well as a commitment
to establish an effective system of national export controls that apply
to both the export and the transit of WMD-related goods.
In November 2003, the Council also adopted a Common Position on the universalisation and reinforcement of
multilateral agreements in the field of non-proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction and means of delivery (pdf).
Further documents of interest (all pdf-files)
- General Affairs and External Relations Council, 12-13 June 2006:
Implementation of the EU Strategy against proliferation of WMD - General Affairs and External Relations Council, 12 December 2005:
Implementation of the EU Strategy against proliferation of WMD: - General Affairs and External Relations Council, 13 June 2005:
Implementation of the WMD Strategy - General Affairs and External Relations Council, 10 December 2004:
Implementation of the WMD Strategy - Progress Report on the implementation of Chapter III of the Strategy (Adopted by the European Council in June 2004)
- Fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
- EU strategy against proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (Thessaloniki European Council, 19 and 20/06/2003)
Any reproduction of text and data is authorized only by permission, SIPRI March 2004.