{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2020-732/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2020-732/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2020/732",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/732 of 2 June 2020 in support of the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism for investigation of alleged use of chemical and biological or toxin weapons",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2020-732",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/732\nof 2 June 2020\nin support of the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism for investigation of alleged use of chemical and biological or toxin weapons\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nOn 12 December 2003, the European Council adopted the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (the ‘EU Strategy’), Chapter III of which contains a list of measures to combat such proliferation.\n(2)\nThe Union is actively implementing the EU Strategy and is giving effect to the measures listed in Chapter III thereof, in particular those measures related to reinforcement, implementation and universalisation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC).\n(3)\nThe United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Mechanism for investigation of alleged use of chemical and biological or toxin weapons (the ‘SGM’) refers to the authority given to the UN Secretary-General by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/42/37C. This authority to conduct an investigation in response to reports that may be brought to the attention of the UN Secretary-General by any UN Member State, in order to establish the facts related to an allegation of use of such weapons, was reaffirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 620 (1988).\n(4)\nOn 27 February 2006, the Council adopted Joint Action 2006/184/CFSP in support of the BTWC, in the framework of the EU Strategy.\n(5)\nOn 20 March 2006, the Council adopted the EU Action Plan on biological and toxin weapons, complementary to Joint Action 2006/184/CFSP in support of the BTWC. That Action Plan provides for an efficient use of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and the SGM.\n(6)\nOn 10 November 2008, the Council adopted Joint Action 2008/858/CFSP in support of the BTWC, in the framework of the EU Strategy.\n(7)\nOn 18 July 2011, the Council adopted Decision 2011/429/CFSP relating to the position of the Union for the Seventh Review Conference of the States Parties to the BTWC, including support to the SGM.\n(8)\nOn 23 July 2012, the Council adopted Decision 2012/421/CFSP in support of the BTWC, in the framework of the EU Strategy.\n(9)\nOn 18 January 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/51 in support of the BTWC, in the framework of the EU Strategy, including support to the SGM.\n(10)\nIn his Agenda for Disarmament ‘Securing our Common Future’, presented on 24 May 2018, the UN Secretary-General noted that the BTWC does not have a single standing body with responsibility to carry out investigations with the aim of determining whether or not biological weapons have been used in violation of the BTWC. Therefore, the Agenda for Disarmament establishes actions that aim to contribute to developing a framework that ensures a coordinated international response to the use of biological weapons and to establish a core standing coordinating capacity to conduct independent investigations of the alleged use of biological weapons.\n(11)\nOn 21 January 2019, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2019/97 in support of the BTWC in the framework of the EU Strategy.\n(12)\nThrough the Joint Actions and Decisions in support of the BTWC, the Union has contributed to the building-up of a multilateral capacity to investigate alleged use of biological weapons. This Decision provides support to the SGM,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Council Joint Action 2006/184/CFSP of 27 February 2006 in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, in the framework of the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (OJ L 65, 7.3.2006, p. 51)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "EU Action Plan on biological and toxin weapons, complementary to the EU Joint Action in support of the BTWC (OJ C 57, 9.3.2006, p. 1)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "Council Joint Action 2008/858/CFSP of 10 November 2008 in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), in the framework of the implementation of the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (OJ L 302, 13.11.2008, p. 29)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "Council Decision 2011/429/CFSP of 18 July 2011 relating to the position of the European Union for the Seventh Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons and on their destruction (BTWC) (OJ L 188, 19.7.2011, p. 42)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f5",
      "text": "Council Decision 2012/421/CFSP of 23 July 2012 in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), in the framework of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (OJ L 196, 24.7.2012, p. 61)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f6",
      "text": "Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/51 of 18 January 2016 in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) in the framework of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (OJ L 12, 19.1.2016, p. 50)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f7",
      "text": "Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/97 of 21 January 2019 in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention in the framework of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (OJ L 19, 22.1.2019, p. 11)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2020/732/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:12:15.205785+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}