EU-erklæring om MTCR-møte i Paris

European Union Statement

Missile Technology Control Regime

Reinforced Points of Contact Meeting

Paris, 12 – 13 April 2017

  

Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the European Union and its Member States participating in the MTCR.

2. [alignment clause]

3. The EU wishes to congratulate you, Ambassador Sang Wook HAM and your team for the excellent work done since you took up the Chair in Busan, in October 2016. We also express our gratitude to the Government of France for their warm hospitality in hosting this meeting here in Paris.

Mr. Chairman,

4. The European Union is pleased to see that this year the MTCR is celebrating its 30^th anniversary. The MTCR continues to play a crucial role in tackling the proliferation of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and UAV technologies. The EU strongly supports the MTCR and other multilateral instruments, such as UN Security Council Resolution 1540, the Hague Code of Conduct against the proliferation of ballistic missiles, the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). The EU is also in favour of examining further multilateral steps to prevent the threat of missile proliferation. 

Mr. Chairman,

5. The EU and its Member States are convinced that we need strong and coordinated national and international export controls. In this regard, we regret that nine EU Member States are still missing around this table. The last plenary meeting did not progress on this membership issue. The EU strongly appeals to all MTCR participants to contribute to finding a way forward.

6. The candidatures should be examined individually on their merits. In this sense, compliance with technical criteria and export control lists must be the measure used when evaluating the candidature. The EU and its Member States participating in the MTCR strongly support the applications of Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Each of them has ratified the main international non-proliferation and disarmament instruments, including the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), BTWC (Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention) and CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention), and has shown its commitment to non-proliferation. They all support UNSCR 1540 and have submitted national reports on implementation. All of these countries individually meet the criteria for membership.

7. As EU member states, their laws and policies need to be fully in line with EU legislation and policy in the field of non-proliferation, and they have signed up to the EU strategy on non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass destruction. The EU export control regime is unique in the sense that Council regulation 428/2009 on exports controls of dual use items legally binds all 28 members of the EU. Should any EU Member State remain outside the MTCR, the coherence of EU export control on proliferation of sensitive items would be weakened. Given the single market, each EU Member State is potentially a significant supplier of any item produced in the European Union. Full membership of all EU Member States would thus reinforce the efficiency of MTCR export controls, reducing the risk of diversion of means of delivery and related materials and goods. The time has come for them to join the MTCR.

Mr. Chairman,

8. The EU is seriously concerned about the acceleration of missile programmes in certain countries and the technological advances made by them. The cases of the DPRK, Iran and Syria are of particular importance.

9. The DPRK’s nuclear tests of January and September 2016, as well as the continuing ballistic missile tests, including intermediate range and submarine launched missiles, constitute a severe threat to regional and international peace and security. The DPRK's missile launches also endanger air and sea traffic in the region. The European Union has repeatedly condemned in the strongest terms this illegal and extremely dangerous behaviour. The DPPK must abide by its international obligations and refrain from further provocative actions. The DPRK must halt all launches using ballistic missile technology and abandon its ballistic missile, nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, as required by the UN Security Council. It should also re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community, in particular with the Six-Party Talks.

10. Iran's development and testing of ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles are a matter of serious concern for the EU, given the inherent risks for regional stability. The EU strongly supports the historic agreement of 14 July 2015 between the E3/EU+3 and Iran on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in full conformity with NPT principles. UNSC Resolution 2231 foresees that the ballistic missiles restrictions remain in place until eight years after the JCPOA Adoption Day or until the date on which the IAEA submits a report to the IAEA Board of Governors and in parallel to the Security Council confirming the Broader Conclusion, whichever is earlier. The EU maintains its prohibition on the export of missile-related goods to Iran.

11. The EU is concerned about the ballistic missile launches, which Iran conducted in March 2016 and in January this year. These ballistic missile tests are inconsistent with resolution 2231. The ballistic missiles which were tested fall under the MTCR Category I systems. The EU will continue to closely follow discussions held in the Security Council on this matter.

12. Since December 2012, the Syrian government has launched hundreds of ballistic missiles, ranging from liquid-propelled and Scud-based missiles but also more accurate and more operational solid-propelled SRBMs. The Syrian activities related to missile technology, possibly with technical and financial support of third countries, should be a source of concern for the international community.

Mr. Chairman,

13. The development, tests or use of ballistic missiles is clearly a destabilizing factor in various regions of the world. The MTCR and other export control regimes are important tools for curbing the proliferation of missile technology. They enable us to frustrate and delay missile programmes of concern. But challenges remain with much still to be done. The EU therefore seizes the occasion of the RPoC meeting, which marks the 30^th anniversary of the MTCR, to reiterate its strong commitment to this regime.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.