Council Decision 2012/422/CFSP
of 23 July 2012
in support of a process leading to the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 28 and Article 31(1) thereof;
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;
Whereas:
(1) The Union is actively implementing the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) of 12 December 2003, and giving effect to the measures listed in Chapter III thereof, such as rendering multilateralism more effective and promoting a stable international and regional environment.
(2) The Union is committed to the multilateral treaty system, which provides the legal and normative basis for all non-proliferation efforts. The Union's policy is to pursue the implementation and universalisation of the existing disarmament and non-proliferation norms. The Union assists third countries in the fulfilment of their obligations under multilateral conventions and regimes.
(3) The Joint Declaration of the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean of 13 July 2008, establishing the Union for the Mediterranean, reaffirmed the common aspiration to achieve peace as well as regional security as set out in the Barcelona Declaration adopted at the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of 27-28 November 1995, which, inter alia, promotes regional security by acting in favour of nuclear, chemical and biological non-proliferation through adherence to and compliance with a combination of international and regional non-proliferation regimes and arms control and disarmament agreements such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, and/or regional arrangements such as zones free of nuclear weapons, including their verification regimes, as well as by fulfilling in good faith their commitments under arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation conventions.
(4) The parties to the Union for the Mediterranean will pursue a mutually and effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of WMD — nuclear, chemical and biological — and their delivery systems. Furthermore the parties will consider practical steps, inter alia, to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons as well as the excessive accumulation of conventional arms.
(5) On 19-20 June 2008, the European Union organised a seminar in Paris on 'Middle East Security, WMD Non-Proliferation and Disarmament', which brought together representatives of States of the region and Union Member States as well as academics and national nuclear energy agencies. Participants encouraged the Union to promote the continuation of the debate in various fora, and to gradually move to a more formal format that would include discussions among government officials, building on the Barcelona Framework, but doing so in a geographically more inclusive format.
(6) The 2010 NPT Review Conference emphasised the importance of a process leading to full implementation of its 1995 Resolution on the Middle East (the 1995 Resolution). To that end, the Conference endorsed practical steps, inter alia, consideration of all offers aimed at supporting the implementation of the 1995 Resolution, including the offer of the Union to host a follow-up seminar related to the one organised in June 2008.
(7) The 2010 NPT Review Conference further recognised the important role played by civil society in contributing to the implementation of the 1995 Resolution and encouraged all efforts in this regard.
(8) On 6-7 July 2011, the Union organised a seminar in Brussels to 'promote confidence building and in support of a process aimed at establishing a zone free of WMD and means of delivery in the Middle East', which brought together senior representatives of States of the region, the three NPT depositary States, the Union Member States, other interested States, as well as academics and official representatives of the major regional and international organizations. Participants strongly encouraged the Union to continue to facilitate the process towards the establishment of a zone free of WMD in the Middle East, including through further similar initiatives prior to the 2012 Conference to be convened by the UNSG and the co-sponsors of the 1995 Resolution.
(9) On 14 October 2011, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Governments of the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, as co-sponsors of the 1995 NPT Resolution on the Middle East and depositary States of the Treaty, in consultation with the States of the region, appointed Under-Secretary of State Jaakko Laajava as Facilitator, and designated Finland as the host Government, for the 2012 Conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.
(10) Since November 2011, the Union has been in close consultation with the Facilitator and his team in order to provide further support to the process aimed at establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: