92000E1205

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1205/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(13 April 2000)

Subject: Use of German shell bodies in a chemical attack carried out by the Turkish army

In reply to Written Question E-2386/99(1), the Council says that the sources referred to by the Honourable Member have not been brought to the attention of the Council.

However, the information sources on:

- German help in building a chemical weapons laboratory in Turkey,

- the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish army against the Kurdish PKK movement, and

- the German provenance (Buck and Depyfag) of chemical shell bodies used by the Turkish army

were mentioned in the introduction to the question

The sources are:

- the German Ministry of Defence,

- The Kennzeichen D programme on the ZDF television channel, and

- research carried out by the University of Munich.

Furthermore, Points 3 and 5 of Written Question E-2386/99 literally stated that the Council had been made aware or had been informed of the facts (i.e. construction of a laboratory for chemical weapons and the use of chemical weapons).

1. Will the Council now seek information from the German Ministry of Defence on the ministry's help in constructing a new military chemicals laboratory in Turkey?

(a) If not, why does the Council refuse to seek information from the German Ministry of Defence on the ministry's help in constructing a new military chemicals laboratory in Turkey, given that it may be a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention?

(b) If so, does the German aid in constructing a new military chemicals laboratory in Turkey conform with the CWC which obliges the signatories, including Germany, never, under any circumstances, to develop, produce, acquire in any other way, stockpile, possess or transfer directly or indirectly chemical weapons?

2. Will the Council now register its opposition to German aid in constructing a new military chemicals laboratory in Turkey in the light of the answers to question 1?

(a) If not, what are the Council's reasons for not registering its opposition to German aid in constructing a new military chemicals laboratory in Turkey, given that this is a violation of the CWC?

(b) If so, in what way will the Council make its opposition known to the German government?

(1) OJ C 280 E, 3.10.2000, p. 38.

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1203/00, E-1204/00 and E-1205/00

(10 July 2000)

All EU Member States are States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their destruction (CWC).

Article VIII of the Convention established the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to ensure the implementation of its provisions, including those for international verification of compliance with it. All States Parties to the CWC are members of the OPCW. This is the organisation entrusted with the verification of compliance by States Parties with the provisions of the Convention.

The specific questions referred to by the Honourable Member have not been raised within the Council or the Council bodies.