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EUOBSERVER / LUXEMBOURG – The European Union is advancing slowly with plans to form a policy against rogue nations that have weapons of mass distruction.
Prompted by the crises in Iraq and North Korea, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, have asked for concrete proposals to be drawn up on how to deal with states possessing so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).
The EU’s High Representative, Javier Solana, in a letter sent to Ministers before Monday’s meeting said that a long-term solution to the problem of WMDs was an "urgent political priority" before adding, "a lot of work will be needed quickly." Ministers have asked for the final proposals to be presented in June.
Apparently heedful of the damage done by not forging a common position on Iraq before events tie the hands of member states, ministers have called on the Commission, the high representative (Javier Solana) and the Political and Security committee – a council body responsible for crisis monitoring - to set out methods for dealing with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Proposals are expected to include strengthening export restrictions and the production of a list of countries, which have WMD programmes, and how these programmes are verified. On this, there is said to be general agreement, but the tricky part remains over the decision on how to deal with countries that flout the rules.
Multilateral
Foreign ministers agreed on Monday that the International Atomic Energy Agency - the body responsibly for verification that states are complying with international non-proliferation treaties - had a key role to play.
Diplomats say there are a number of benefits to this approach not least strengthening the IAEA, sending a clear message to non-compliant states such as North Korea and Iran but also drawing all parties, including the US, into a set, multilateral process.
The US has been consulted on this matter extensively at the highest level, according to a spokesperson for Mr Solana – who discussed the matter with US vice president Dick Cheney last week during a trip to Washington.
Foreign ministers also called for a report from the EU’s Situation Centre on the global threat posed by weapons of mass destruction.
http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=10927
Prompted by the crises in Iraq and North Korea, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, have asked for concrete proposals to be drawn up on how to deal with states possessing so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).
The EU’s High Representative, Javier Solana, in a letter sent to Ministers before Monday’s meeting said that a long-term solution to the problem of WMDs was an "urgent political priority" before adding, "a lot of work will be needed quickly." Ministers have asked for the final proposals to be presented in June.
Apparently heedful of the damage done by not forging a common position on Iraq before events tie the hands of member states, ministers have called on the Commission, the high representative (Javier Solana) and the Political and Security committee – a council body responsible for crisis monitoring - to set out methods for dealing with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Proposals are expected to include strengthening export restrictions and the production of a list of countries, which have WMD programmes, and how these programmes are verified. On this, there is said to be general agreement, but the tricky part remains over the decision on how to deal with countries that flout the rules.
Multilateral
Foreign ministers agreed on Monday that the International Atomic Energy Agency - the body responsibly for verification that states are complying with international non-proliferation treaties - had a key role to play.
Diplomats say there are a number of benefits to this approach not least strengthening the IAEA, sending a clear message to non-compliant states such as North Korea and Iran but also drawing all parties, including the US, into a set, multilateral process.
The US has been consulted on this matter extensively at the highest level, according to a spokesperson for Mr Solana – who discussed the matter with US vice president Dick Cheney last week during a trip to Washington.
Foreign ministers also called for a report from the EU’s Situation Centre on the global threat posed by weapons of mass destruction.
http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=10927
