Activities of Ana GOMES related to 2010/2114(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Strengthening Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Security in the European Union – an EU CBRN Action Plan (A7-0349/2010, Ana Gomes) (vote)
Reports (1)
REPORT Report on strengthening chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear security in the European Union - an EU CBRN Action Plan PDF (323 KB) DOC (225 KB)
Amendments (41)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
– having regard to the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-20151 as adopted by the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held from 18 to 22 January 2005 in Japan, 1 http://www.unisdr.org/eng/hfa/hfa.htm.
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 b (new)
Citation 7 b (new)
– having regard to the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development1, specially its funding of the CBRN Emap project2, 1 Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) (OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 1). 2 https://www.cbrnemap.org.
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to the Council Directive 2008/114/EC of 8 December 2008 on the identification and designation of European critical infrastructures and the assessment of the need to improve their protection1, specifically in case of actions having cross-border impact, in which, inter alia, guidelines are outlined for an integrate approach to the increase of the capabilities for critical infrastructure protection at EU level, including the need for a Critical Infrastructure Warning Information Network (CIWIN), and a role of proposition and coordination is ascribed to the Commission on the improvement of the protection of these critical infrastructures, 1 OJ L 345, 23.12.2008, p.75.
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11
Citation 11
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 30 November 2009 on smmunication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Strengthening cChemical, bBiological, rRadiological and nNuclear (CBRN) sSecurity in the European Union and approving- an EU CBRN Action Plan (COM(2009)0273),
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12
Citation 12
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Suncil conclusions of 30 November 2009 on strengthening Cchemical, Bbiological, Rradiological and Nnuclear S(CBRN) security in the European Union -and approving an EU CBRN Action Plan (COM(2009)0273),1, 1 15505/1/09 REV 1.
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
– having regard to its past resolutions on CBRN topics and disaster prevention and response, and in that regard to its recent resolution of 10 February 2010 on the recent earthquake in Haiti11 , which calls for the establishment of an EU Civil Protection Force, 1 Texts Adopted, P7_TA- PROV(2010)0015.
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
– having regard to its report of 21 September 2010 on the Commission communication: A Community approach on the prevention of natural and man- made disasters1, 1 Texts Adopted, P7_TA-PROV(2010)0326.
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Citation 16 b (new)
– having regard to the revised Council Presidency proposal of 25 October 2010 for draft Council conclusions on preparedness and response in the event of a CBRN attack, drawn up on the basis of the objectives set out in Action H.29 on improving emergency planning in the EU CBRN Action Plan1, as adopted by the Council on 8th November 2010, 1 15465/10.
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the greatest CBRN risks stem from proliferation of CBRN material by terrorist organisations, and whereas, therefore, the most important measures concern the strengthening of the non- proliferation regime and disarmament through the universal and full implementation of all relevant treaties and international agreements (namely the Nuclear Non- proliferation Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention) and achieving agreement on a treaty on banning the production of fissile material for weapons purposes (Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty),
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty a new balance of responsibilities between the various EU institutions, on one hand, and the EU and its Member States, including the Defence expertise, on the other, is being established; whereas the building of such a new framework is a continuous process demanding an understanding of shared values and a common goal,
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the changes made by the Council to the current EU CBRN Action Plan proposed by the Commission make the Action Plan weaker, making the commitment on the part of Member States non-binding and watering down the measures provided for, many of which are kept at national level instead of being given an EU-wide scope, as well as weakening the monitoring and scrutiny of their implementation by the Commission, sometimes even failing to include the Commission as an ‘involved actor’ along with the Member States,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Acknowledges that it is crucial to leverage the competent expertise and avoid duplication, fragmentation and inconsistency in the EU institutions and/or the Member States‘’ efforts in athe security and defence areas where the implications of carelessness and laxity know no borders;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that it is essential to strengthen the scope for normative and regulatory intervention by the Commission, which in the present version of the EU CBRN Action Plan is afforded a somewhat vague role in connection with many of the goals and actions provided for; consequently, urges that the Commission should be called on to establish EU ruissue legislative proposals, as far as possibles, in all areas covered by the Action Plan; and stresses that only if a robust regulatory role is entrusted to the Commission can gaps in the efforts developed by each Member State be filled;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges that the commitment of the Member States to CBRN control must go further than the simple sharing of best practices and information, and that technologies and infrastructures should also be pooled/shared, so as to avoid duplication and waste of resources, in order to create valuable and cost-effective synergies at EU level; calls on the Member States to agree on methods for the detection and prevention of CBRN disasters, the transferral of CBRN materials within the EU and response measures, including sharing of CBRN related information and cross-border assistance;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for EU quality and security standards, as well as an EU system and network of laboratories for the certification of CBRN security equipment and technologies, to be developed; calls for the sharing and use of best knowledge and expertise both from the civil and military fields; stresses that the necessary research and development funding should be provided to ensure that applied research and major demonstration programmes with an EU dimension are carried out, and, given the fragmentation of this market, that an EU industrial policy in the field of civil security is needed, stimulating cooperation between enterprises in the EU and with specific support for small and medium-sized enterprises/small and medium-sized industries (SMEs/SMIs), which create a significant share of innovation under the FP7/Security, should be increased and that efforts should be made to stimulate cooperation (particularly cross-border cooperation) between European enterprises; wishes to see the emergence of a comprehensive project management able to manage all aspects of CBRN security projects, covering the entire life cycle of the CBRN threat (prevention, detection and response); calls on the Commission to propose a strategy for developing the biodefence industry in Europe;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Welcomes addressing CBRN protection as a topic under the established European Framework Cooperation (EFC) for Security and Defence Research between the Commission, ESA and EDA; stresses that complementarity coordination and synergy between defence R&T investment and research investment for civilian security by the Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme would require effective improvement of relevant legal conditions establishing the exchange of information within the EFC and with activities at national and EU level, as provided for by the Council Decision 2006/971/EC; calls for the development of applied research with a European dimension concerning the safety of installations, in order to protect local communities and the environment and for the launching of major demonstration programmes; encourages the creation of expert centres specialising in CBRN threats and mobility for researchers;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that an EU CBRN Action Plan offers an opportunity to enable the EU and its Member States to implementfind the legislative means to effectively implement the Solidarity Clause included in Article 222 TFEU, and that Member States must be awareinformed of each others‘’ plans to deal with and counter CBRN disasters, whether caused accidentally or intentionally, so that they can come to each others’ assistance in a coordinated and effective manner;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Insists on the implementation of suitable safeguards and security when dealing with pooled databases of Member States and sensitive research data, as such a focus on security of data will encourage greater cooperation and sharing of information amongst Member States authorities and bodies;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the urgent establishment of a European crisis-response mechanism which should coordinate civilian and military means so as to ensure that the EU has a rapid-response capability to deal with a CBRN disaster; and reiterates its call for the establishment of a EU Civil Protection Force based on the existing EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which will enable the Union to bring together the resources necessary for providing emergency assistance, including humanitarian aid, within 24 hours of a CBRN disaster inside or outside EU territory; stresses that suitable bridges and partnerships should also be built between bodies such as Europol, Interpol and law-enforcement authorities in the Member States with a view to creating an appropriate and effective network for proactive anticipation/real-time monitoring of emergencies and operational engagement/coordination to deal with CBRN-related disasters; reminds on the Barnier report from 2006 “For a European civil protection force: Europe aid”1 which the Parliament strongly supported, and welcomes in that regard the new willingness by the Commission to create a European Emergency Response Capacity as stated in the Commission Communication “Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and humanitarian assistance” (COM(2010)0600); 1 http://ec.europa.eu/archives/commission_ 2004- 2009/president/pdf/rapport_barnier_en.pd f
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the existing EU Civil Protection Mechanism, as defined in Council Decision 2007/779/EC, is currently the appropriate instrument to deal with CBRN disasters, and stresses that this structure should be the forum where emergency decisions concerning CBRN disaster preparedness and response should be taken; notes, however, that in order to achieve this goal and to ensure proper prevention and detection, cooperation must be established with civil protection bodies, with the intelligence and law-enforcement authorities, as well as with security-service and, military information and response centres in each of the Member States and at EU level, such as the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) of the Political and Security Committee (PSC) and the Joint Situation Centre (SitCen); also, it recalls the role of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI), tasked with facilitating, promoting and strengthening the operational cooperation of the relevant national authorities of the EU countries in the field of internal security;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Urges EU Member States to appoint or create a national authority that, in the event of a CBRN attack or disaster, would be tasked with the responsibility of acting as the main coordinator of all national and local structures involved, as well as of all the counter measures taken to respond to such an event;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls that preventing terrorist access to CBRN materials is a key priority under both the current 2005 EU Counter- Terrorism Strategy and the future one, as well as under the 2003 EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Means of Delivery; requests, therefore, that the EU Counter- Terrorism Coordinator report regularly to Parliament, through the appropriate and relevant EU agencies and experts, on any potential CBRN risks or threats within the Union or against EU citizens and interests elsewhere; insists that further clarification is needed on the appropriate roles of the various EU and national bodies involved in the fight against terrorism; acknowledges in that connection the coordination and information-gathering role of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (role of the COSI) and the SitCen; is nevertheless concerned about the current lack of democratic oversight of both bodies; calls for Parliament, as the only directly democratically elected body in the EU, to be kept promptly and fully informed about the actionvities of both of these bodies;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for the mainstreaming of the measures provided for in the CBRN Action Plan in all the EU'’s external relations instruments for economic cooperation and political dialogue with third countries (including in the EU'’s non-proliferation clauses); urges the Commission and Council, in their political and economic dialogue with third countries, to use all available means (including Common Foreign and Security Policy and external relations instruments) to promote standards for the detection and prevention of, including information sharing and response to CBRN incidents in third countries, as outlined in the Action Plan;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Takes the view that the EU CBRN Action Plan must set higher standards where security assessment criteria for high- risk CBRN facilities are concerned, since the development of ‘criteria’, as stated in the current Action Plan amended and adopted by the Council, is in itself simply not enough and sets an astonishingly low standard, coupled with the low levels of responsibility allocated to the organisations dealing with CBRN materials, relevant Member States authorities and EU bodies; notes as well that all measures taken should be proportional to the probable risks;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Welcomes the initiatives of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in supporting International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) programmes and nuclear inspections; recommends that measures should be taken to pool its databases and the research findings with those of Member States;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Supports the drawing-up of strategies to raise awareness among undertakings, the scientific and university community and financial institutions of the risks linked to the proliferation and trafficking of CBRN material in the context of their work and activities; further takes the view, in more general terms, that confidentiality is a vital component of the effectiveness of certain security measures in the action plan, and it is important to guard against any risk of disclosure that could render them ineffective;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Considers it crucial that the ‘Prevention’ part of the EU CBRN Action Plan should be amended in such a way as to force the chemicals industry to replace the use of high-risk chemicals with suitable lower-risk alternatives, where such replacement is possible, regardless of the economic costs; suggests that a specific link should be established with the existing REACH Regulation1, something which the version of the Action Plan proposed by the Commission rightly sought to do;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Council and the Commission to urge all Member States to sign and to meet their commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and to do their utmost to promote the Additional Verification Protocol to the BWC, which includes lists of dangerous biological agents and pathogens and provisions on disclosure statements and monitoring inspections; also, it urges Member States, the Council, the Commission and the international community to draw up, as part of the Verification Annex to the CWC, a list of all potentially harmful chemical substances, including white phosphorus;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Further calls on the Commission and the Council to continue to step up activities in support of the treaty system, in particular the conventions on chemical and biological weapons, therefore calling on all EU Member States to impose a strict ban on the production and use of biological and chemical weapons and to disarm their own weapons;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Commission to present an overall assessment of the state of play in industries in Europe when it comes to securing and increasing control over high- risk CBRN materials, including an overview of all relevant national laws regarding implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and other international instruments related to CBRN materials; that overview should include reporting on the degree to which Member States and industries fulfil their international obligations; recognises, nevertheless, that enforcement measures like the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions might be insufficient to tackle the risks deriving from CBRN use by non-state actors, namely by terrorist networks;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the Council and the Commission to promote the existing Draft Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, Transfer and Use of Uranium Weapons and on their Destruction, and to present this convention to the UN member countries to be signed and ratified; calls on all the EU Member States and the UN member countries to impose a moratorium on the use of depleted uranium weapons until such time as a global ban on these weapons has been agreed;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Encourages the introduction of measures to combat proliferation financing, following the model of the mechanisms set up to combat terrorism financing;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Urges the Commission to carry out a study on the safety and protection of nuclear plants in throughout the EU against terrorist attacks;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Welcomes the Commission's activities under the Instrument for Stability to tackle activities under CBRN; considers these activities complementary to the Action Plan and calls on the Commission to expand the projects to regions other than solely the former Soviet Union (SEDE); also, building on the experiences under the Instrument for Stability calls on the Commission to launch a call for proposals aimed at strengthening the safety and the protection of civilian laboratories in order to avoid future proliferation;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 e (new)
Paragraph 21 e (new)
21e. Calls for the adoption of EU quality and security standards and the development of a EU system for the certification of CBRN security equipment and technologies;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Stresses that the securisation of both transport and storage of CBRN materials is undeniably and inevitably part of the process to make access to these materials as difficult as possible hence tackling CBRN-related insecurity;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Stresses that the risks associated with trade of chemicals over the Internet needs further investigations and specific actions;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Considers it essential to carry out proper studies with a view to involvengaging all relevant national and EU bodies and stakeholders, including an assessment of ways to make exchanges and cooperation faster and easier, thus making the response to a public safety threat more effective;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls for the creation of EU/regional specialised response teams, including medical personnel, law-enforcement agentsstaff and military personnel, and notes that, if such teams are created, special training and operational exercises should be scheduled regularly;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Calls on the various EU and national bodies involved in information gathering to review their organisational structures and where lacking create appropriate elements with experience and understanding of identifying and assessing CBRN threats and risks;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to rapidly to review and apply the EU CBRN Action Plan in accordance with its recommendations, and expects them to implement it swiftly; further, it urges the Commission and the Council to refer the next EU CBRN Action Plan to the Parliament at least one year ahead of its entry into the implementation phase for it to deliver its opinion in due time;