Council Decision 2012/421/CFSPShow full title

Council Decision 2012/421/CFSP of 23 July 2012 in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), in the framework of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

1.GENERAL FRAMEWORKU.K.

Building on the successful implementation of Joint Action 2008/858/CFSP, this Decision serves as an operational policy tool for carrying forward the objectives of Decision 2011/429/CFSP and focuses in particular on those aspects on which consensus was reached at the Seventh Review Conference, as reflected in its Final Document.

This Decision is guided by the following principles:

(a)

making best use of the experience gained through Joint Action 2008/858/CFSP;

(b)

reflecting on specific needs expressed by the States Parties as well as States non-Parties to the BTWC with respect to better implementation and universalisation of the BTWC;

(c)

encouraging local and regional ownership of the projects in order to ensure their long-term sustainability and to build a partnership between the Union and third parties in the framework of the BTWC;

(d)

focusing on those activities that bring concrete results and/or contribute to an early framing of common understanding relevant for the 2016 BTWC review process;

(e)

supporting the Chair of the States Parties’ meetings and making best use of the mandate of the ISU as agreed at the Sixth Review Conference and renewed and expanded at the Seventh Review Conference.