WRITTEN QUESTION P-3995/98

by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Council

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Ethnic bomb

In the light of recent reports from South Africa and Israel concerning the possible development of biological weapons capable of targeting victims by ethnic or racial origin, would the Council please advise whether it will urgently initiate international action to view and strengthen the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention in response to the threat that such weapons may now be derived from genetic engineering?

Reply

(29 March 1999)

The Council has not to date been appraised of the reports mentioned by the Honourable Member in her question, and has not therefore discussed the issue.

Nevertheless, the Honourable Member will be aware that, since the establishment of an Ad Hoc Group tasked to conduct negotiations aimed at reinforcing the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) with a legally binding and effective verification regime by the Special Conference of the States Parties to the BTWC in September 1994, the European Union has been a driving force behind the Geneva negotiations.

Following the common position of 25 June 1996 relating to preparation for the Fourth Review Conference of the BTWC, the Council defined a common position on 4 March 1998 relating to progress towards a legally binding protocol to strengthen compliance with the BTWC and intensification of work in the Ad Hoc Group to that end. In particular, the objective of the latter was to promote the early and successful conclusions of the negotiations by the Ad Hoc Group of the above-mentioned protocol. Furthermore the Council identified the measures, including verification measures, which were deemed both central and essential to an effective instrument to strengthen compliance with the BTWC.

The elements identified by the Council have met with considerable support in the Ad Hoc Group and have set the basis for the comprehensive structure of the draft protocol.

At all stages of the negotiations, the European Union has repeatedly conducted wide ranging demarches to promote the objectives set out in the common positions and to signify the priority it attached to early and successful conclusion of the negotiations. These demarches were usually endorsed by the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the associated country Cyprus and the EFTA countries members of the European Economic Area.

At the same time, in the framework of its political dialogue with third countries, the European Union has never failed to underline the urgent need to achieve a comprehensive and legally binding verification system of the BTWC.

On the eve of the current round of negotiations in Geneva, a declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union released on 22 December 1998 reiterated both the imperative need to complete all stages necessary to ensure that a protocol be opened for signature prior to the Fifth Review Conference, which is to be held no later that 2001, and the high priority that the international community should give to the negotiations of the Ad Hoc Group in 1999. To that end, the declaration restated the European Union's firm commitment to actively promote the work of the Ad Hoc Group.