EU Parliament - MEPs deeply worried by WMD arms race

Alarmed at the prospect of a "new and dangerous" arms race involving weapons of mass destruction, MEPs issued an urgent call on Tuesday for effective measures to combat the spread of WMD and to prevent sensitive materials falling into the wrong hands. Referring specifically to a possible arms race in the Middle East and parts of Asia, MEPs said that the EU, acting together with its international partners, should seek to tighten up controls and sanctions.

In a report drawn up by Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis (UEN, LV), the Foreign Affairs Committee said there should be targeted sanctions against those who violate their non-proliferation obligations. While acknowledging that a credible threat of force can facilitate disarmament efforts, they stressed that all diplomatic and political channels should be used before resorting to legitimate military force in accordance with the UN Charter.

The EU should play a more active role in non-proliferation and disarmament policies and also strive for stronger cooperation with the United States against the spread of WMD. The Middle East should become a WMD-free zone. For its part, the EU should make its export controls more effective and help other countries that wish to improve their controls. The EU should also give full support to the IAEA in its efforts to strengthen the non-proliferation regime. The Foreign Affairs Committee stressed that the security of civilian nuclear, biological and chemical materials, plants and laboratories should be improved in view of terrorist threats and that export and transit controls should be strengthened to prevent sensitive materials, equipment and technologies from falling into the wrong hands.

Israel, India and Pakistan were called on to accede to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. All nuclear weapons states under the Non-Proliferation Treaty were urged to take significant steps towards the elimination of their nuclear arsenals. Russia was urged to contribute more to the programmes for the destruction of its chemical weapons and for the disposal of its plutonium.

The Foreign Affairs Committee rejected the development of new generations of nuclear weapons and called for immediate action to prevent the further proliferation of ballistic missiles. Everything possible should be done to convince the US administration to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. MEPs also repeated their call for a moratorium and eventual ban on the use of depleted uranium ammunition. Referring to the 1967 treaty whereby states commit themselves not to place nuclear or WMD weapons in space, MEPs called for a study of the possibility of negotiating additional outer space agreements.

Welcoming the inclusion of non-proliferation clauses in the latest EU agreements with third countries, the Foreign Affairs Committee said that these should be strictly implemented by all the EU's partners without exception. Existing agreements which lack such a clause should be revised quickly. Nuclear states which have a cooperation agreement with the EU were called on to refrain from giving help or encouragement to states or non-state actors which may seek to acquire nuclear weapons.

Pointing out that Parliament has authority over the EU budget, MEPs asked to be fully associated with the implementation of the EU strategy on WMDs and said that at least 25% of the foreign and security policy funds should be allocated to the implementation of this strategy. Moreover, in the EU budget one single budget line should be introduced for activities on WMD issues, transferring the present funds for the common foreign and security policy - managed by the Council - to the Community budget.

The full Parliament will vote on this report during the November plenary session in Strasbourg. A separate resolution on the Iranian nuclear programme will be drawn up by the Foreign Affairs Committee and be put to the vote on 13 October during Parliament's plenary session in Brussels.

| Arriba |

• EU Parliament - More money and stronger action required from EU for disarmament (9/12/2005)
• EU Council Conclusions on an International Treaty on the Arms Trade (3/10/2005)