32000E0584

Council Common Position

of 29 September 2000

extending and amending Common Position 1999/206/CFSP concerning Ethiopia and Eritrea as regards the embargo on arms for Ethiopia and Eritrea

(2000/584/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Council Common Position 1999/206/CFSP of 15 March 1999 concerning Ethiopia and Eritrea(1) expires on 30 September 2000.

(2) Resolution 1298 (2000) of 17 May 2000 adopted by the United Nations Security Council stipulates that all Member States shall prevent the sale or supply to Ethiopia and Eritrea of arms, related matériel and any related technical assistance.

(3) Exceptions to this prohibition were introduced by Resolutions 1298(2000), 1312(2000) and 1320(2000).

(4) In a Declaration published on 20 June 2000, the European Council welcomed the signing of an agreement on the cessation of hostilities.

(5) It is appropriate to continue encouraging the two countries to bring to a successful conclusion the negotiations undertaken with a view to resolving the dispute opposing them.

(6) By virtue of the considerations of Article 3 of Common Position 1999/206/CFSP, that Common Position should be extended and amended in the light of Resolutions 1298(2000), 1312(2000) and 1320(2000),

HAS ADOPTED THIS COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

Common Position 1999/206/CFSP shall be extended until 31 March 2001.

It shall be kept under constant review.

Article 2

The following Article shall be inserted in Common Position 1999/206/CFSP:

"Article 1a

The embargo referred to in Article 1 shall not apply to:

(a) supplies of non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian use, as approved by the Committee established by paragraph 8 of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1298(2000);

(b) the sale and supply of arms and related matériel for the sole use in Ethiopia or Eritrea of the United Nations, and

(c) the sale and supply of equipment and related matériel, including technical assistance and training, for use solely for demining within Ethiopia or Eritrea under the auspices of the United Nations Mine Action Service."

Article 3

This Common Position shall take effect on the date of its adoption.

Article 4

This Common Position shall be published in the Official Journal.

Done at Brussels, 29 September 2000.

For the Council

The President

L. Fabius

(1) OJ L 72, 18.3.1999, p. 1. Common Position as last extended by Common Position 2000/230/CFSP (OJ L 73, 22.3.2000, p. 1).