Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

On 12 December 2003 the European Council adopted the EU Strategy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Chapter II of which contains a list of measures to combat such proliferation which need to be taken both within the Union and in third countries.

The Union is actively implementing that Strategy and giving effect to the measures listed in Chapter III thereof, in particular by releasing financial resources to support specific projects conducted by multilateral institutions, providing States with technical assistance and expertise with regard to a wide range of non-proliferation measures, and fostering the role of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

On 28 April 2004 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1540 (2004) (‘UNSCR 1540 (2004)’), which was the first international instrument to deal in an integrated and comprehensive manner with weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials. UNSCR 1540 (2004) established binding obligations for all States which aimed to prevent and deter non-State actors from obtaining access to such weapons and weapon-related materials. By means of UNSCR 1540 (2004), the UN Security Council also decided that all States are to take and enforce effective measures to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery, including by establishing appropriate controls over related materials.

Universal adherence to and the full implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and UNSCR 1540 (2004) are among the main priorities of Ukraine in the area of the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, especially in the framework of its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the 2016-2017 term.

The Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part^f1 (‘the Association Agreement’) was signed on 21 March and 27 June 2014. The Association Agreement provides, inter alia, for the expedited harmonisation of Ukrainian legislation with relevant Union legislation, including on the elimination of any obstacles to the comprehensive implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004). The Association Agreement has been provisionally applied, in part, since November 2014 and January 2016.

In accordance with the Government of Ukraine's 2014-2017 plan for the implementation of the Association Agreement, Ukraine committed to develop regulations on the control of major accidents involving hazardous substances. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine also decided to improve chemical safety and security by developing legislative and regulatory measures on compliance with requirements on the safe handling of hazardous chemical substances and the prevention of the illicit marketing of hazardous chemical products.

On 11 and 12 December 2014 the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the support of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the Ukrainian Chemists Union (UCU) and the International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS), organised a national round-table in Kyiv on capabilities in the domain of chemical safety and security in Ukraine and the development of an integrated chemical safety and security programme (‘ICSSP’) in Ukraine, including the promotion of the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004). The round-table brought together a multi-stakeholder audience from Ukraine and international partners, and its outcome was endorsed through the approval of a set of recommendations.

From 24 to 26 February 2015 a meeting of the leading stakeholders and international partners on the development of an ICSSP in Ukraine, including the promotion of the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004), was held in Vienna. The participants from Ukraine agreed on a roadmap for the ICSSP in Ukraine.

In that framework, project proposals were prepared by the OSCE Secretariat in close cooperation with the competent authorities in Ukraine and submitted to the Union for funding through the CFSP budget.

The OSCE Secretariat should be entrusted with the technical implementation of the projects to be carried out under this Decision,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: