JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
13 June 2001
- –John Wallis Cushnahan and Bernd Posselt on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
- –Jan Marinus Wiersma and Margrietus J. van den Berg, on behalf of the PSE Group
- –William Francis Newton Dunn, on behalf of the ELDR Group
- –Patricia McKenna, Caroline Lucas, Joost Lagendijk, Nelly Maes, Neil McCormick, Elisabeth Schroedter, Matti Wuori and Marie Anne Isler Béguin, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
- –Pedro Marset Campos, Luisa Morgantini, Andre Brie, Herman Schmid and Esko Olavi Seppänen on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
- –Verts/ALE (B5‑0434/2001),
- –GUE/NGL (B5‑0436/2001),
- –ELDR (B5‑0446/2001),
- –PPE-DE (B5‑0454/2001),
- –PSE (B5‑0462/2001),
European Parliament resolution on the Compliance Protocol for the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament,
A. concerned by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction technology, the threat posed by the misuse of biotechnology for hostile purposes, and the relative ease with which biological and toxin weapons could be made,
B. regretting that currently no mechanism exists to verify compliance with the BTWC,
C. convinced that a compliance protocol would greatly increase confidence in the international prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of biological weapons,
D. noting the EU Common Position of 17 May 1999 relating to progress towards a legally binding Protocol to strengthen compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC),
E. welcoming the possibility of a Compliance Protocol to be agreed before the Fifth Review Conference of the BTWC in November 2001,
F. noting the recent composite text submitted by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group of BTWC States Parties as negotiations enter their final stages, for completion before the end of the last working session on 17 August 2001,
G. noting with concern reports that the US policy review on the Compliance Protocol has recommended that the US government reject the current draft compromise proposal,
H. welcoming the statement made on behalf of the European Union on 23 April 2001 by Swedish Ambassador Henrik Salander to the Ad Hoc Group: ‘A successful conclusion of these negotiations will not only strengthen the Convention, but will also be a demonstration that multilateral negotiations are capable of achieving progress towards disarmament and non-proliferation’,
I. noting the short timeframe for resolving outstanding issues before the session ends in August,
1. Calls upon all BTWC States Parties to show maximum flexibility and readiness to compromise so that the short deadline may be met and a Protocol may be adopted before the Fifth BTWC Review Conference in November-December 2001;
2. Urges all BTWC States Parties to support a compromise agreement based on the Chairman’s composite text;
3. Urges States to create the strongest possible verification regime, in order to curb the hostile misuse of biological technologies, which means maintaining as a minimum the measures currently outlined in the Chairman’s composite text;
4. Recommends that the final version of the Compliance Protocol establish a modern and open verification regime, capable of adjusting to changing political climate and technical capabilities;
5. Invites the Council to raise these matters concerning the compliance protocol for the BTWC with the President of the United States at the Göteborg Summit,
6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Chairman of the BTWC Ad Hoc Group Ambassador Tibor Tóth, the Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, the President of the United States, and the Heads of State or Government of the EU Member States and of the Applicant States.