EUR-Lex Access to European Union law
This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 02018D0299-20210416
Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/299 of 26 February 2018 promoting the European network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks in support of the implementation of the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
Consolidated text: Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/299 of 26 February 2018 promoting the European network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks in support of the implementation of the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/299 of 26 February 2018 promoting the European network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks in support of the implementation of the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
02018D0299 — EN — 16.04.2021 — 001.001
This text is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. The Union's institutions do not assume any liability for its contents. The authentic versions of the relevant acts, including their preambles, are those published in the Official Journal of the European Union and available in EUR-Lex. Those official texts are directly accessible through the links embedded in this document
|
COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2018/299 of 26 February 2018 (OJ L 056 28.2.2018, p. 46) |
Amended by:
|
|
|
Official Journal |
||
|
No |
page |
date |
||
|
L 133 |
57 |
20.4.2021 |
||
COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2018/299
of 26 February 2018
promoting the European network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks in support of the implementation of the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
Article 1
For the purposes of contributing to the enhanced implementation of the EU WMD Non-proliferation Strategy, which is based on the principles of effective multilateralism, prevention and cooperation with third countries, the continued promotion and support of the activities of the European network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks is hereby extended for 42 months in order to further the following objectives:
to encourage political and security-related dialogue and long-term discussion of measures to combat the proliferation of WMD and their delivery systems within civil societies and, in particular, among experts, researchers and academics;
to provide those participating in the relevant preparatory bodies of the Council with the opportunity to consult the network on issues related to non-proliferation and disarmament and to enable the representatives of Member States to participate in the network's meetings;
to constitute a useful stepping stone for non-proliferation and disarmament action by the Union and the international community, in particular by providing reports and/or recommendations to the representatives of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘HR’);
to contribute to enhancing third countries' awareness of proliferation and disarmament challenges and of the need to work in cooperation with the Union and in the context of multilateral fora, in particular the United Nations, to prevent, deter, halt and, where possible, eliminate proliferation programmes of worldwide concern;
to contribute to the development of expertise and institutional capacity in non-proliferation and disarmament matters in think tanks and governments in the Union and third countries.
The projects to be supported by the Union shall cover the following specific activities:
providing means for the holding of major annual conferences with third countries and civil society on non-proliferation and disarmament to discuss and identify further measures to combat the proliferation of WMD and their delivery systems and interrelated disarmament objectives, as well as to address challenges related to conventional weapons, including countering the illicit trade and excessive accumulation of SALW and their ammunition. The conferences will also promote internationally the EU WMD Non-proliferation Strategy and the EU SALW Strategy, and the role, in this field, of Union institutions and think tanks in the Union, with a view to raising the visibility of Union policies in this area and submitting reports and/or recommendations to the representatives of the HR;
providing means for the organisation of annual consultative meetings between representatives of Union institutions, representatives of Member States and academic experts to exchange views on major issues and critical developments in the fields of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms export control with a view to submitting reports and/or recommendations to the representatives of the HR;
providing means for the organisation of up to nine ad-hoc seminars for experts and practitioners on the full range of non-proliferation and disarmament issues, covering both unconventional and conventional arms, with a view to submitting reports and/or recommendations to the representatives of the HR;
providing means for the preparation and publication of up to 20 policy papers covering topics under the mandate of the Consortium and putting forward political and/or operational policy options;
providing means for the continued management and further development of a help-desk facility within the Consortium to provide ad-hoc expertise on questions related to the full range of non-proliferation and disarmament issues, covering both unconventional and conventional arms, for responses within a 2- to 3-week timeframe, including the preparation of up to 18 expert papers;
providing means for continued awareness-raising, education and development of expertise and institutional capacity in the area of non-proliferation and disarmament in think tanks and governments in the Union and third countries through:
providing means for further maintaining, managing and developing an internet platform and related social networks to facilitate contacts, provide a unique forum for European disarmament and non-proliferation research, promote the European network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks, reach out to the global non-proliferation and disarmament community and promote the educational offers of the Consortium both with respect to on-site training courses and e-learning.
A detailed description of the projects is set out in the Annex.
Article 2
Article 3
Article 4
Article 5
ANNEX
THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF INDEPENDENT NON-PROLIFERATION AND DISARMAMENT THINK TANKS IN SUPPORT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU STRATEGY AGAINST PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (EU WMD NON-PROLIFERATION STRATEGY)
1. Objectives
The objective of this Decision is to further implement the new lines for action by the European Union in combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems (the ‘New Lines for Action’), laid down in the Council Conclusions of 8 December 2008, as an elaboration of the 2003 EU WMD Non-proliferation Strategy. According to the New Lines for Action, the Union could benefit from the support provided by a network of non-governmental non-proliferation think tanks in its fight against the proliferation of WMD. The network should bring together foreign policy institutions and research centres specialising in the Union's strategic areas. Such a network could be extended to institutions in third countries with which the Union is conducting specific dialogues in connection with disarmament and non-proliferation.
This network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks (the ‘Network’) would continue to encourage political and security-related dialogue and the long-term discussion of measures to combat the proliferation of WMD and their delivery systems and the interrelated issues of disarmament within civil societies, and more particularly among experts, researchers and academics.
The work of the Network is extended to issues related to conventional weapons, including SALW, with a special emphasis on measures to ensure the continuous implementation of the EU SALW Strategy. The Network will help to provide fresh ideas on the Union's actions related to conventional weapons, including the illicit trade and excessive accumulation of SALW and their ammunition. This includes not only the reactive dimension of security issues, but also its preventive dimension. Preventing the illegal and unregulated trade of conventional weapons, including SALW, has been recognised as a priority of the Union within the framework of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
The Network shall also address all aspects of export control linked to WMD or conventional weapons, including dual use goods, as well as space security issues.
The Network aims at enhancing the awareness of third countries of challenges related to WMD and conventional weapons proliferation, including the illicit trade and excessive accumulation of SALW and their ammunition, through publications, meetings, conferences, and dedicated education and outreach projects. It aims furthermore at raising awareness of the need to work in cooperation with the Union and in the context of multilateral fora, in particular the United Nations, in order to prevent, deter, halt and where possible, eliminate proliferation programmes of concern worldwide and the illicit trade and excessive accumulation of SALW and their ammunition.
The Union wishes to support this Network as follows:
2. Organisation of the network
The Network is open to all relevant think tanks and research institutes from the Union and associated states and is fully respectful of the diversity of opinion within the Union. It will be involved in all activities of the Consortium to the highest possible extent, in order to grant its members ownership and visibility.
The Network will continue to promote contacts within the European non-proliferation and disarmament research community, and especially reach out to natural scientists working in the field of CBRN security. It will continue to facilitate contacts between non-governmental experts, Member States' representatives and the institutions of the Union. The Network will stand ready to engage with non-governmental actors from third countries in line with the EU WMD Non-proliferation and SALW Strategies.
The Network's mandate covers non-proliferation of WMD, their delivery systems, disarmament, and issues related to conventional weapons, including SALW, as well as arms export control and space security.
The participants in relevant preparatory bodies of the Council (such as CONOP/CODUN and COARM) will be able to consult the Network on issues related to disarmament and non-proliferation of non-conventional and conventional weapons, including SALW, and its representatives may attend the Network's meetings. The Network's meetings may be organised back to back with the working group meetings, if feasible.
The Network will continue to be led by the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium, which has been formed by the FRS, HSFK/PRIF, the IISS, SIPRI, the IAI and the VCDNP, and which will be entrusted with the management of the projects, in close cooperation with the representatives of the HR.
The Consortium, in consultation with the representatives of the HR and Member States, will invite participants who have expertise in non-proliferation and disarmament policies of WMD and conventional weapons to expert seminars and annual major conferences and to share their publications and activities on the dedicated website. The Consortium will also contribute to the competence development on non-proliferation and disarmament affairs of both officials and scholars within the Union and beyond.
3. Description of the projects
3.1. Project 1: Organisation of an annual major conference with a report and/or recommendations
3.1.1.
The annual major non-proliferation and disarmament conferences, with the participation of governmental experts and independent think tanks and other specialists from academia from the Union and associated states as well as third countries, will discuss and identify further measures to combat the proliferation of WMD and their delivery systems and interrelated disarmament objectives, as well as address challenges related to conventional weapons, including countering the illicit trade and excessive accumulation of SALW and their ammunition. As the flagship event of the project, the annual conference will continue to enhance awareness of the EU WMD Non-proliferation and SALW Strategies and the New Lines for Action and associated implementation efforts by the institutions.
The annual conferences will also serve to foster the role and cohesion of European think tanks specialising in fields related to non-proliferation and disarmament and will help to enhance capacity in these and other institutions, including in areas of the world without great depth of expertise in disarmament and non-proliferation.
The annual conferences and any preparatory meetings will address issues related to disarmament and non-proliferation that are of topical relevance to the work of the European External Action Service (EEAS). Based on these discussions and other work overseen by the Consortium, policy-oriented reports will be produced together with a set of action-oriented recommendations to the representatives of the HR. The report will be disseminated to the relevant institutions of the Union and the Member States and made available online.
3.1.2.
3.1.3.
The project provides for the organisation of three annual major conferences, with preparatory meetings as necessary, and the preparation of associated reports and/or recommendations:
3.2. Project 2: Organisation of annual Union consultative meetings
3.2.1.
The project provides for the organisation of three annual consultative meetings with the preparation of associated reports and/or recommendations. The seminars should address both short- and mid-term challenges for the Union in the fields of non-proliferation and disarmament, in particular WMD and their delivery vehicles, conventional weapons including SALW, new types of weapons and delivery systems. They should also provide an opportunity for Union decision-makers to focus on longer-range challenges and trends in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament as well as of other relevant issues which go beyond their ordinary day-to-day business.
The consultative meetings will also serve to strengthen the cohesion of European think tanks specialising in fields related to non-proliferation and disarmament and will help to enhance capacity in these fields, especially in those regions of the Union where disarmament and non-proliferation expertise is improvable.
3.2.2.
3.2.3.
The project provides for the organisation of three annual consultative meetings with the preparation of associated reports and/or recommendations. The agenda of these events shall be prepared in close cooperation with the Council's CFSP working groups in the fields of non-proliferation and disarmament (CODUN/CONOP) and arms export control (COARM). The meetings should address both short- and mid-term challenges for the Union in the fields of non-proliferation and disarmament in the following weapon categories: WMD and their delivery vehicles, conventional weapons, including SALW, new types of weapons and delivery systems.
The annual consultative meetings shall last 1,5 days and allow for the participation of up to 100 individuals from Union think tanks, Member States and Union institutions, specialised in non-proliferation and conventional weapons issues, including SALW. These seminars should serve mainly a consultative purpose between the Union non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks, the Union and its Member States. The annual consultative meetings should be held in Brussels.
3.3. Project 3: Organisation of ad-hoc seminars
3.3.1.
The project provides for the organisation of up to nine ad hoc expert seminars with the preparation of associated reports and/or recommendations. These seminars should, in particular, serve a consultative purpose between the Union non-proliferation think tanks, the Union and its Member States, on an ad hoc basis, in order to address salient events and Union policy options, as well as provide an opportunity for the Union think tanks, Member States and Union institutions to reach out to target audiences inside and outside the Union.
3.3.2.
3.3.3.
The project provides for the organisation of up to nine ad hoc expert seminars with the preparation of associated reports and/or recommendations. The ad hoc seminars shall last up to 2 days and allow for the participation of up to 45 individuals, to be determined on a case-by-case basis.
3.4. Project 4: Publications
3.4.1.
3.4.2.
3.4.3.
The project provides for the preparation and publication of up to 20 policy papers. The policy papers will be prepared or commissioned by the Consortium and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union's institutions or the Member States. The policy papers will cover the topics under the mandate of the Consortium. Every paper will frame political and/or operational policy options. All policy papers will be published on the website of the Consortium.
3.5. Project 5: Managing and further developing the help-desk facility
3.5.1.
The continued management and further development of the help-desk facility within the Consortium, to provide ad-hoc expertise in relation to questions related to the full range of non-proliferation and disarmament issues, covering both unconventional and conventional arms, will inform and facilitate the shaping of Union policy action in relation to specific and urgent topics.
3.5.2.
3.5.3.
The project will provide the EEAS and the relevant Council working groups with up to 18 5-to-10-page expert papers on current non-proliferation and disarmament issues within 2 to 3 weeks of being requested by the EEAS. The papers will be based on a review of existing academic literature and primary documents (not original research). Potential topics in light of the international agenda, forthcoming Union events and Union policy documents will be identified through discussions with the EEAS. The EEAS can request this function (a) through a paper; and/or (b) through a briefing to CONOP or COARM; and/or (c) in form of remote expert input when urgent advice is required.
3.6. Project 6: E-learning
3.6.1.
3.6.2.
3.6.3.
The project will focus on the worldwide dissemination and use of the e-learning tool, which was developed under Decision 2014/129/CFSP.
For this purpose the user-friendliness of the e-learning site and the associated Certificate Section will be enhanced continuously, based on participant feedback and on the evaluation of user behaviour through various statistical tools. Special attention will be devoted to the upgrade of the e-learning offer for users with visual or hearing impairments, in order to facilitate the barrier-free usage of the course and allow for a maximum of potential participants. Also, the intelligibility of the whole course will be enhanced through a comprehensive language review provided by specialised English native speakers.
All 15 Learning Units will be updated in order to provide students with the most actual facts and figures. Outreach and support to educational institutions will allow easy integration of the e-learning into university master's programmes and other educational offers, and encourage worldwide usage of the e-learning course.
Up to five additional Learning Units will be developed and launched between 2018 and 2020. The additional e-learning content will be developed in close consultation with the EEAS and the Member States and can fall in one of the following categories:
Advanced Learning Unit, elaborating on existing course content and providing more in-depth knowledge;
Practical Learning Unit, focusing on practical implementation issues of non-proliferation or export control regimes;
Academic Learning Unit, providing theoretical reflections on non-proliferation and disarmament;
Supportive Learning Unit, providing critical knowledge to better understand the broad problematique of non-proliferation and disarmament (e.g. legal, financial or ethical aspects);
Customised Learning Unit, supporting specific classroom training courses and used in combination with those courses (‘blended learning’).
3.7. Project 7: Internships
3.7.1.
3.7.2.
3.7.3.
The project provides for European non-proliferation and disarmament internships for up to 36 graduate students or young diplomats, each for a period up to 3 months. The internships will be set up, supervised and documented by the Consortium, and combine lectures, discussion sessions, structured reading, and project integration.
All institutes belonging to the Network are eligible as host institutes. 30 out of 36 internships shall be reserved for European candidates, whereas the remaining six internships are reserved for non-European candidates, ideally from South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
All interns will be invited — to the extent possible — to the conferences and seminars organised by the Consortium taking place during their internship.
3.8. Project 8: Union study visit for the participants in the UN Programme of Fellowships on Disarmament
3.8.1.
3.8.2.
3.8.3.
The project will include an annual 2- to 3-day Brussels study visit for the UN Programme of Fellowships on Disarmament, including a seminar with speakers from the Union institutions and experts from the Consortium network, and a field trip to relevant locations. The visit will be scheduled to fit into the European component of the fellowship programme, typically in advance of the UN General Assembly.
3.9. Project 9: Proliferation awareness training
3.9.1.
3.9.2.
3.9.3.
This project will develop a pilot course to raise awareness of proliferation risks for graduate and post-graduate students of the natural sciences and other relevant fields. This will include the development of a dedicated curriculum for two distinct audiences (such as biomedical, engineering or nuclear) and delivery of one pilot course for each of these target groups.
3.10. Project 10: Management of an internet platform
3.10.1.
The maintenance and the development of an internet website will facilitate inter-sessional contacts between meetings of the Network and foster research dialogue among the non-proliferation think tanks. The institutions of the Union and Member States could also benefit from a dedicated website where Network participants are free to exchange information, share their ideas and to publish their studies on non-proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery and conventional weapons issues, including SALW. The project will provide an online follow-up to the events and a window for European research. It will contribute to efficient dissemination of research results among the think tank community and to governmental circles. This will lead to better anticipation and knowledge of threats linked to the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery, and conventional weapons, including the illicit trade and excessive accumulation of SALW and their ammunition.
3.10.2.
3.10.3.
4. Duration
The total estimated duration of the implementation of the projects is 48 months. The projects will end on 17 May 2022.
5. Beneficiaries
5.1. Direct beneficiaries
The suggested projects serve the purposes of the CFSP and contribute to meeting the strategic objectives laid down in the EU WMD Non-proliferation and SALW Strategies.
5.2. Indirect beneficiaries
The indirect beneficiaries of the projects are:
independent think tanks and academics specialised in non-proliferation, disarmament and conventional weapons issues, including SALW, from the Union and third countries;
institutions of the Union, including educational institutions, students and all other recipients of the e-learning course;
Member States;
third countries.
6. Third-party participants
The projects will be financed in their entirety by this Decision. Experts from the Network may be considered third-party participants. They will work in accordance with their standard rules.
7. Steering Committee
The Steering Committee for this project will be composed of representatives of the HR and of the implementing entity referred to in paragraph 8 of this Annex. The Steering Committee will review the implementation of this Decision regularly, at least once a year, including by the use of electronic means of communication.
8. Implementing entity
Technical implementation of this Decision will be entrusted to the Consortium, which will perform its task under the control of the HR. In carrying out its activities, the Consortium will cooperate with the HR, the Member States, other State Parties, and international organisations, as appropriate.