Council Decision 2008/974/CFSP of 18 December 2008 in support of the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation in the framework of the implementation of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (c. 974)

ANNEX U.K. EU support to the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation in the framework of the implementation of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

1. Objectives U.K.

The European Union has strongly supported the Code from its inception. The European Union considers the Code as an important multilateral instrument which aims at curbing the proliferation of ballistic missiles systems and related technologies through transparency and confidence building measures. All the European Union Member States have subscribed to the Code and are implementing the Code in good faith.

In the past, the European Union tried to overcome remaining loopholes in the implementation of the Code and its universality by organising a workshop of subscribing and non-subscribing States to the Code in the margins of the 2007 Annual Meeting. Encouraged by the outcome of the workshop, the European Union wishes to pursue this initiative and support three aspects of the Code as follows:

• Universality of the Code,

• Implementation of the Code,

• Enhancement and improved functioning of the Code.