Division 1 Objectives

In the Barcelona Declaration adopted at the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of 27-28 November 1995, the EU and its Mediterranean Partners agreed to pursue an effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems. In 2008, the Joint Declaration of the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean confirmed the EU’s readiness to consider and work out practical steps to prepare the proper ground for full implementation of the NPT Review Conference’s 1995 Resolution on the Middle East (the 1995 Resolution) and the creation of such a zone. Such practical steps were examined during the EU Seminar on ‘Middle East Security, WMD Non-Proliferation and Disarmament’ held in Paris in June 2008.

In the EU’s view, practical steps should, inter alia, promote universal adherence to and compliance with all multilateral agreements and instruments in the field of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation as well as the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and the Additional Protocol. The start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty would be another crucial step in this context. Such steps could constitute an important regional confidence-building measure with a view to the establishment of a verifiable zone free of WMD and their delivery systems.

The EU wishes to continue and intensify political and security dialogue among the relevant partners of the Union for the Mediterranean and all other countries in the Middle East on issues related to the establishment of a WMD free zone. The EU believes that elaboration and implementation of concrete confidence-building measures could facilitate progress towards a WMD free zone. These confidence-building measures could, inter alia, consist of small scale projects in the scientific and civil society field where progress is possible as well as training seminars for diplomats and military and confidence-building ‘visits’ in countries of the region.

Against the background of increasing interest in the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the region, efforts should also be carried out in order to ensure that the development of peaceful uses take place in accordance with the best safety, security and non-proliferation standards. The question of how to enhance peaceful nuclear cooperation should be explored in general terms as well as more specifically such as through the development of regional multinational nuclear facilities.

The EU believes that these objectives could amongst other things be furthered through a follow-up seminar on ‘Middle East Security, WMD Non-Proliferation and Disarmament’ with all parties concerned. That follow-up seminar would enable focused and structured discussion on the requirements that might in future lead to the establishment of an effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other WMD and their delivery systems. Preparations of the seminar would need to be taken in close coordination with all relevant parties.

The EU continues to support the decisions and the resolution on the Middle East adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference as well as the Final Documents of the 2000 NPT Review Conference and of the 2010 NPT Review Conference. The 2010 NPT Review Conference endorsed several practical steps, which include the consideration of all offers aimed at supporting the implementation of the 1995 Resolution, including the offer of the EU to host a follow-up seminar related to the one organised in June 2008. The Conference further recognised the important role played by civil society in contributing to the implementation of 1995 Resolution.

The EU wishes to support the above-mentioned objectives, as follows:

• through organising a follow-up event related to the 2008 EU seminar on ‘Middle East Security, WMD Non-Proliferation and Disarmament’,

• through providing means for the preparation of background papers on topics dealt with by the follow-up seminar.