Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-11-14-Speech-3-200"
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"en.20011114.9.3-200"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to speak about the negotiations on the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
The attacks of 11 September have only strengthened our conviction that multilateral instruments for disarmament and non-proliferation are more crucial than ever. Everything possible must be done to prevent terrorist organisations and their members having access to more powerful means with which to carry out their criminal activities.
The fight against biological weapons must, in this context, be pursued at a more sustained pace, particularly given the threat of potential bioterrorist attacks. The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention is a crucial instrument in this process. The European Union and its Member States have committed themselves to ensuring that this convention is universally observed.
The European Union will be launching, with regard to the Fifth Review Conference on the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention that will take place in Geneva from 19 November to 7 December 2001, a new call to those States that have not yet signed up to the Convention banning biological and toxin weapons, to ratify this as soon as possible. Strengthening this Convention is, furthermore, one of the Union’s priorities in the field of disarmament. The Council, therefore, attaches the greatest importance to concluding the negotiations that have taken place in Geneva, within the ad hoc group, on a legally binding protocol establishing an effective system that will ensure compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
In its conclusions of 11 June 2001, the Council of the European Union once again confirmed its commitment to contribute to the drawing up of a protocol containing a raft of practical measures that it had defined in its common position of 17 May 1999, as essential to the implementation of an effective instrument. In this regard, the Union regrets the fact that the special group has not managed to fulfil its mandate, which is to conclude these negotiations on a legally binding protocol before the opening of the Fifth Review Conference. The Union has, in fact, expressed its disappointment at the United States’ refusal to accept the synthesis text presented by the chairman of the special group. The Council is, therefore, maintaining its position. The threat biological weapons pose requires an appropriate multilateral response. The Council will continue to emphasise the importance it attaches to the work that must lead to a legally binding instrument and, in particular, to maintaining the special group.
The Union has noted the statement by the United States, according to which that country supports all multilateral mechanisms currently in force for the control, non-proliferation and monitoring of arms exports and has also noted their alternative proposals, which the Union is still studying. We have already discussed them with the United States and will continue to do so in the context of preparations for the Review Conference. The Union reserves the right to also formulate its own proposals.
Lastly, the Union hopes that the gains made in the negotiations are preserved and that the Review Conference is able to take decisions that offer prospects for a rapid renewal of negotiations within the multilateral framework of the Convention, with the participation of all States involved."@en1
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