MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

8.2.2006

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Francis Wurtz
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
on Iran

B6‑0104/2006

European Parliament resolution on Iran

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Charter of the United Nations,

–  having regard to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the 'Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons' of 8 July 1996,

–  having regard to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,

–  having regard to the Statement by Germany, the United Kingdom, France and the EU High Representative on Iranian nuclear issues of 12 January 2006,

–  having regard to the resolution adopted by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency on 4 February 2006,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas Article IV of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) stipulates that nothing in that Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with Articles I and II of that Treaty,

B.  whereas after three years of verification the Director General of the IAEA is not yet in a position to make a judgement on the exclusively peaceful nature of the nuclear programme of the Islamic Republic of Iran (hereinafter referred to as Iran); whereas he has stated that Iran's full transparency is indispensable and overdue for the Agency to be able to clarify outstanding issues,

C.  whereas Iran resumed uranium conversion activities at its Isfahan facility on 8 August 2005 and took steps to resume enrichment activities on 10 January 2006,

D.  whereas the Director General of the IAEA stated on 2 February 2006 that the substance of the discussions on Iran's nuclear programme concern confidence building and that there is no imminent threat of Iran being in possession of nuclear weapons; whereas he insisted "that the only way to move forward is through diplomacy, through negotiation",

E.  whereas the Board of Governors of the IAEA has requested the Director General report to the Security Council of the United Nations,

F.  whereas, on 12 January 2006, the EU-3 stated that talks had reached a 'dead end' after two years of negotiations,

G.  shocked by the statement by the President of France, Jacques Chirac, on the possible use of nuclear weapons,

1.  Insists on a peaceful political settlement to the dispute over Iran's nuclear programmes; reaffirms its opposition to any military action or threat of use of force and warns that any military action would lead to a deeper crisis in the region;

2.  Makes reminder of the obligation under Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations to refrain in international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations; recalls the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 8 July 1996 to the effect that the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be considered contrary to the rules of international law, and in particular the principles and rules of humanitarian law;

3.  Expresses serious concern that the IAEA is not yet in a position to clarify some important issues relating to Iran's nuclear programme; deplores the fact that Iran did not meet the IAEA's requests for closer cooperation; calls on Iran to extend full and prompt cooperation to the IAEA, which its Director General deems indispensable and overdue, and in particular to help the IAEA clarify possible activities which could have a military nuclear dimension;

4.  Calls on Iran to respond positively to the position of the Board of Governors of the IAEA that outstanding questions can best be resolved and confidence built in the exclusive peaceful nature of Iran's programme by Iran responding positively to the calls for confidence-building measures which the Board has made on Iran, in particular by:

• ∙re-establishing full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and processing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the Agency;
• ∙reconsidering the construction of a heavy-water moderated research reactor;
• ∙ratifying promptly and implementing in full the Additional Protocol with Iran signed on 18 December 2003;
• ∙pending ratification, continuing to act in accordance with the provisions of that Additional Protocol;

5.  Takes the view that a comprehensive and equitable solution can only be found if Iran's right to peaceful nuclear activities is recognised and the international community is simultaneously provided with assurances as to the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme; takes note of the proposals brought forward by Russia and calls on Iran to take them into serious consideration;

6.  Reminds the Council and the Member States that nuclear disarmament and nuclear non‑proliferation are substantively interrelated and mutually reinforcing and calls for every effort to be made to implement all aspects of the NPT;

7.  Expresses its concern at the fact that Israel, India and Pakistan did not become States Parties to the NPT; calls on those countries to become States Parties of that Treaty;

8.  Takes the view that the negotiations on the establishment of a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East and the Mediterranean could be an important step towards meeting the security concerns of the countries of that region; calls on the EU-3 to introduce this idea into the negotiations with Iran;

9.  Calls on all nuclear weapons States, both acknowledged and unacknowledged, and in particular France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Israel, to grant negative security guarantees to Iran and all the other countries in that region;

Other issues

10.  Expresses its serious concern over the inflammatory reactions of Iranian officials on issues of serious concern to the international community;

11.  Reiterates its serious concern at the fact that the situation in Iran as regards the exercising of key civil rights and political freedoms has deteriorated since the parliamentary elections of February 2004; condemns the Iranian authorities for routinely using torture and ill-treatment in detention, including prolonged solitary confinement, to punish members of the opposition forces; condemns the fact that, according to the Iranian state‑run media, over 140 people have been sentenced to death since the start of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency in July 2005;

12.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to Commission, the Council, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the governments and parliaments of Iran, the United States, Russia, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and the Director of the IAEA and the UN Secretary-General.