EU tackles the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, April 2003

Foreign ministers from across the EU discussed the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction at a meeting of the External Relations Council in Luxembourg on 14 April 2003 in what could mark the start of a security doctrine for Europe.

North Korea's resumption of its nuclear programme in October 2002 and the recent Iraq crisis have prompted the issue to be moved up the agenda. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands in particular have pushed for a debate on the problem but Germany and some other countries had expressed reservation. However the damage inflicted on the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) by the failure of the Member States to forge a common position on Iraq appear to have stimulated an emerging consensus among European governments that the EU needs a long-term strategy on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

One EU diplomat told the Financial Times that 'Iraq is not the end of the story. We will have to deal with other countries, such as North Korea. We need a policy. We cannot allow ourselves to be torn apart again, which the Iraq crisis did to us'.

Ministers discussed a confidential six page document prepared in advance by the EU's High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, which is believe to argue that supporting treaty regimes is no longer sufficient. At the Council meeting, ministers called on Mr Solana, the European Commission and the Political and Security Committee to work together to set out new methods for dealing with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In particular, a long term strategy should be established and the concrete proposals should be developed based on the options presented in the confidential document. These are likely to include:

• The production of a list of countries that have WMD programmes and how these programmes are verified
• The strengthening of export restrictions
• The enforcement of the rules of multilateral treaties governing this areas
• The introduction of sanctions for those who fail to comply

The Council also called for an assessment from the EU's Situation Centre (Sitcen) on the global threat posed by weapons of mass destruction. Foreign ministers also emphasised that the EU is keen to foster a multilateral approach to the issue; they agreed that the International Atomic Energy Agency had a key role to play and despite transatlantic tensions Mr Solana said the EU would also work closely with the United States over WMD. The issue is likely to feature prominently on the agenda of the next EU-US Summit. Foreign ministers will discuss progress on the proposals in May with the aim of presenting concrete proposals to the European Council in June 2003.

Links:
Council of the European Union:
	14.04.03:	Press Release: External Relations Council, Luxembourg, 14 April 2003 [PRES/03/105]
European Sources Online: Financial Times:
	15.04.03:	Europe seeks to overcome divisions on Iraq
	14.04.03:	EU ministers seek consensus on weapons

International Atomic Energy Agency:
	Homepage
	Mission Statement
United Nations Disarmament Commission:
	Homepage
	Weapons of Mass Destruction
European Sources Online: Topic Guides
	The European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy
	Defence in Europe

Helen Bower

Compiled: Wednesday, 16 April 2003

Foreign ministers from across the EU discussed the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction at a meeting of the External Relations Council in Luxembourg on 14 April 2003.