Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-11-16-Speech-3-306"
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"en.20051116.21.3-306"2
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".
Mr President, it is unfortunate that it is at this late hour that we are debating a number of topics that are actually very important and certainly very urgent, namely the problems relating to the non-proliferation target and the non-proliferation treaty. That is why I also regret the presidency’s absence this evening, especially since the country currently holding the presidency of the European Union is also a recognised nuclear power. Maybe the message could be passed on that the presidency’s presence is very much wanted during debates of this kind.
There is once again a pressing need for campaigns aimed at stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction. If anything, the number of states that have nuclear weapons appears to be growing, and that is setting a bad example to other countries and at the same time, as the Commissioner already said, there is a real and evident risk of terrorists getting hold of weapons of mass destruction or nuclear material. The international framework must be reinforced as a matter of urgency in order to be able to face up to those risks. Just now, though, we can perceive a trend towards settling disarmament matters outside of international frameworks. This year, the international community, including Europe, has failed to adjust, revamp and strengthen the non-proliferation treaty, while the United States increasingly wants to pursue its own disarmament policy, particularly where the fight against the spread of nuclear weapons is concerned.
Both are highly detrimental to the credibility and effectiveness of the global non-proliferation regime that is still an essential pillar of our policy. That is why it is of the utmost importance for us to counter this trend and get a better grip on the spread of not only weapons of mass destruction, but also of nuclear technology and nuclear chemical and biological material; the same applies, in fact, to the exports of conventional weapons.
The European Union will need to lead the way in terms of where the non-proliferation treaty is heading, but is also doing good work in many other areas, such as the recent proposal, or lobby, for an international arms export treaty. At the same time, there are more contradictions in the international regime, which also involves European countries. The recognised nuclear powers in the world have a particularly significant responsibility. They exert most pressure on countries that want to break free from the international system, and at the same time, they consider modernising the nuclear arsenal, and one of them even refuses point blank to subscribe to the ban on nuclear tests.
Europe is one of the driving forces – that is another contradiction – behind the international non-proliferation regime. One of the absolute priorities in the European Security Strategy is, under European guidance, to try to find a peaceful solution to the Iran issue; at the same time, we invest far less in the clearing of nuclear arsenals than the Americans. The Kristovskis report is therefore right to call for increased financial backing for this political priority.
Finally, the Socialist Group in the European Parliament sets great store by the rule of international law. In the Committee, we discussed at great length the paragraphs in the Kristovskis report on the use of violence to prevent non-proliferation, the spread of nuclear weapons. We still think that the clause in the report does not do enough justice to our opinion about international rule of law and the role of the United Nations in this. If those paragraphs remain unchanged and if Parliament decides tomorrow to back this clause, then I do not rule out an abstention from our group when we come to cast our final votes on this report."@en1
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