THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Whereas:
(1)
On 27 September 2013, during its EC-M-33 session, the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) adopted a decision on the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons (‘EC-M-33/DEC.1’).
(2)
On 27 September 2013 the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution (‘UNSCR’) 2118 (2013), endorsing EC-M-33/DEC.1.
(3)
On 12 December 2003 the European Council adopted the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (the ‘Strategy’), which underlines the crucial role of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction and of the OPCW in creating a world free of chemical weapons.
(4)
The Union is actively implementing the Strategy and is giving effect to the measures listed in Chapter III thereof, in particular by releasing financial resources to support specific projects conducted by multilateral institutions such as the OPCW.
(5)
On 9 December 2013 the Council adopted Decision 2013/726/CFSP, supporting the provision of situation-awareness products related to the security of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission on the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons through the delivery to the OPCW of satellite imagery and related information products of the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen). Decision 2013/726/CFSP expired on 30 September 2015.
(6)
On 30 November 2015 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/2215, in support of the OPCW and the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism established pursuant to UNSCR 2235 (2015).
(7)
On 10 July 2017 the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW requested the re-establishment of the provision by the Union of satellite imagery products to the benefit of their operations in Syria. According to the OPCW, this service has proven extremely useful for the deployment in Syria of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (the ‘FFM’) and other teams, such as the Declarations Assessment Team, with regard to staff safety and the sound carrying out of the missions.
(8)
The Union has been a strong and consistent supporter of the OPCW in the implementation of its mandate. The Union Declaration of 7 April 2017 states that the Union will continue to support the efforts and work of the OPCW, in particular in Syria, including the FFM and the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism, with regard to the investigation of the use of chemical weapons.
(9)
The technical implementation of this Decision should be entrusted to the OPCW. The projects supported by the Union can only be financed through voluntary contributions to the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW. Such contributions to be provided by the Union will be instrumental in enabling the OPCW to continue fulfilling the tasks indicated in the relevant OPCW Executive Council decisions and in UNSCR 2118 (2013).
(10)
The supervision of the proper implementation of the Union's financial contribution should be entrusted to the Commission,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: