Article 1

1.

For the purpose of ensuring the continuous and practical implementation of certain elements of the Strategy, the Union shall support the activities of the Preparatory Commission of the CTBTO in order to further the following objectives:

(a)

to strengthen the capabilities of the CTBT monitoring and verification system, including in the field of radionuclide detection;

(b)

to strengthen the capabilities of the States Signatories of the CTBT to fulfil their verification responsibilities under the CTBT and to enable them to benefit fully from participation in the CTBT regime.

2.

The projects to be supported by the Union shall have the following specific objectives:

(a)

to provide technical assistance to countries in Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, South-East Asia, the Pacific and the Far East, to enable them to fully participate in and contribute to the CTBT monitoring and verification system;

(b)

to support the International Monitoring System in order to improve the detection of possible nuclear explosions, specifically by supporting selected auxiliary seismic stations and radioxenon background measurement and mitigation;

(c)

to strengthen the verification capabilities of the Preparatory Commission of the CTBTO in the areas of ón-site inspections, specifically by supporting the preparation and conduct of the next Integrated Field Exercise;

(d)

to support the promotion of the CTBT and the long-term sustainability of its verification regime through the Capacity Development Initiative, that is focused on selected training and education programmes provided worldwide, including programmes hosted by the Preparatory Commission of the CTBTO.

Those projects shall be carried out for the benefit of all States Signatories of the CTBT.

A detailed description of the projects is set out in the Annex.