EU Presidency Declaration on 10th Anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention

29 April 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The Chemical Weapons Convention is a cornerstone of the multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation treaty regime. It is unique, since it bans completely and without exception an entire category of weapons of mass destruction and requires the destruction of all chemical weapons under international verification.

With the entry into force of the Convention, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was set up in The Hague and tasked with the implementation of the Convention. The EU congratulates the OPCW on its remarkable success in the faithful and effective discharge of the functions entrusted to it under the terms of the Convention. In this respect, the EU considers the OPCW to be an inspiring example for effective multilateralism in the field of non-proliferation and verifiable arms control.

Within 10 years membership in the CWC has grown from 88 to 182 States Parties; only 6 states have signed, but not yet ratified; and only 7 have not signed at all. The Chemical Weapons Convention is thus approaching universality. The EU calls upon all States not Party to ratify or accede to the Convention without delay. The EU also takes this opportunity to call for universal adherence to all international disarmament and non-proliferation treaties, agreements and instruments. The EU pledges to continue its diplomatic efforts to promote the universality of the CWC.

The EU recognises the progress achieved by States Parties possessing chemical weapons in the destruction of these weapons. The EU recalls the importance of complete and irreversible destruction of all declared chemical weapons within the deadline set under the Convention, i.e. not later than 29 April 2012, and urges all possessor states to undertake every effort to meet their deadline.

The EU underlines that full national implementation of all Convention obligations by all States Parties makes a significant contribution towards enhancing global security and stability, including in the fight against terrorism. The EU will continue to offer assistance to States Parties in this field.

The EU is committed to further strengthening the CWC, in particular by enhancing confidence in compliance through a strengthening of the Treaty's verification regime.

The EU highly values the ongoing contribution made by its chemical industry to the success of the Convention. In particular, industry's unequivocal support for effective implementation of the Convention's industry verification regime is instrumental in further enhancing confidence in the non-proliferation of chemical weapons.

The EU stresses the importance of the Convention's provisions on assistance and protection against the use, or threat of use, of chemical weapons. The EU believes that fostering international cooperation for peaceful purposes in the field of chemical activities contributes to the promotion of the Convention as a whole.

Through its successive Joint Actions in support of the OPCW, the EU has supported the objectives of the Convention, in particular in assisting in and promoting chemical weapons destruction, universality, national implementation and international cooperation. The EU pledges to continue this support.

The EU will continue to work for the achievement of all the Convention's objectives in the coming years, and looks forward to a successful outcome to the Second Review Conference in 2008.

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The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.


* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

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• EU Presidency Statement - United Nations 1st Committee: Other Weapons of Mass Destruction (19/10/2007)
• EU Presidency Statement - United Nations: High-level meeting on 10th Anniversary of Chemical Weapons Convention (27/9/2007)
• EU Presidency Statement - Draft Resolution on "Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction" (23/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - First Committee Panel Discussion: Weapons of Mass Destruction Committee (12/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Other Weapons of Mass Destruction (11/10/2006)