Strengthening Threat Reduction: EU and Russia

EU Joint Action

In June 1999 the EU adopted a Common Strategy on Russia. In the framework of that strategy, the Council decided to launch a Joint Action on non-proliferation and disarmament in December 1999. EU experts subsequently carried out a study to determine what kinds of assistance could most usefully be provided to Russia to promote the objectives of the Joint Action.

Based on that study, the Council Decision of June 2001 that implemented the EU Joint Action initially foresaw the implementation of projects in two specific areas:

- Supporting chemical weapon disarmament in Russia by giving financial support to a project to construct a pilot chemical weapon destruction plant at Gorny, Russia and to a project to construct a plant to destroy nerve gases at Schuch'ye, Russia.

- Financing and supporting studies leading to the development of an Action Plan to dispose of weapons grade plutonium released through bilateral US-Russia nuclear arms reductions, including the development a regulatory process for the programme.

After the programme was continued in a new Joint Action in June 2003 additional financial support was provided for efforts to destroy chemical weapons in Russia. In a December 2003 Council Decision €4 million was provided to support the development of a chemical weapon destruction facility at Kambarka, Russia. This financial contribution was to be managed by Germany on behalf of the EU. Financial support was also provided to the Russian Munitions Agency, the authority in Russia charged with carrying out chemical weapon destruction. The support for plutonium disposition projects was also continued.

The Joint Action of June 2003 continued EU financial support for specific non-proliferation and disarmament programmes and projects in Russia until June 2004, when this instrument expired. As of 1 August 2004, the Joint Action had not been renewed.

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Any reproduction of text and data is authorized only by permission, SIPRI July 2004.