# Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/938 of 6 June 2019 in support of a process of confidence-building leading to the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, Introduction: Introductory text

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/938
of 6 June 2019
in support of a process of confidence-building leading to the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East
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:
(1)
The 2016 European Union Global Strategy for the Union's Foreign and Security Policy as well as the 2003 European Union Strategy against the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) are founded on the conviction that a multilateral approach to security, including disarmament and non-proliferation, provides the best way to maintain international order.
(2)
The Union's policy therefore is to uphold, implement and strengthen the implementation and universalisation of existing disarmament and non-proliferation treaties, agreements and norms and to cooperate with and assist third countries in the fulfilment of their obligations under multilateral conventions and regimes.
(3)
The Joint Declaration of the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean of 13 July 2008, establishing the Union for the Mediterranean, reaffirmed the common aspiration to achieve peace as well as regional security as set out in the Barcelona Declaration adopted at the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of 27-28 November 1995, which, inter alia, promotes regional security through, inter alia, nuclear, chemical and biological non-proliferation, adherence to and compliance with international and regional non-proliferation regimes and arms control and disarmament agreements 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/or regional arrangements such as zones free of nuclear weapons, including their verification regimes, as well as by fulfilling in good faith the commitments of the signatories to the Barcelona Declaration under arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation conventions.
(4)
The parties to the Union for the Mediterranean will pursue a mutually and effectively a verifiable Middle East zone free of WMD — nuclear, chemical and biological — and their delivery systems. Furthermore, the parties will consider practical steps, inter alia, to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons as well as the excessive accumulation of conventional arms.
(5)
In 2008, the Union organised a seminar in Paris on ‘Middle East Security, WMD Non-Proliferation and Disarmament’, which brought together representatives of States of the region and Union Member States, as well as academics and national nuclear energy agencies.
(6)
The 2010 NPT Review Conference emphasised the importance of a process leading to full implementation of its 1995 Resolution on the Middle East (the ‘1995 Resolution’). To that end, the Conference endorsed practical steps, inter alia, consideration of all offers aimed at supporting the implementation of the 1995 Resolution, including the offer of the Union to host a follow-up seminar related to the one organised in June 2008.
(7)
The 2010 NPT Review Conference further recognised the important role played by civil society in contributing to the implementation of the 1995 Resolution and encouraged all efforts in that regard.
(8)
In 2011, the Union organised a seminar in Brussels to promote confidence building and in support of a process aimed at establishing a zone free of WMD and means of delivery in the Middle East, which brought together senior representatives of States of the region, the three NPT depository States, the Union Member States, other interested States, as well as academics and official representatives of the major regional and international organisations.
(9)
In 2012, the Union decided to further support a process of confidence-building leading to the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other WMD in the Middle East, amongst others by supporting the work of the UN-appointed Facilitator for the 2012 Conference on the establishment of such a zone and by organising a capacity-building workshop and a follow-up event to the 2008 and 2011 Union seminars.
(10)
The Union has continuously expressed its readiness to continue to assist in the process leading to the establishment of a WMD-free zone (WMDFZ) in the Middle East and wishes to continue to support confidence building processes similar to those provided by the Union seminars and workshops held in in 2008, 2011 and 2012.
(11)
In his Agenda for Disarmament ‘Securing our Common Future’ presented on 24 May 2018, the United Nations Secretary-General pledge to work with UN Member States to strengthen and consolidate nuclear-weapon-free zones, including by supporting the further establishment of such zones, including in the Middle East,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2019/938/introduction (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2019-938/introduction
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.