BETA


2006/2657(RSP) Resolution on the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons BTWC, cluster bombs and conventional arms

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2

Events

2007/01/11
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2006/11/16
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2006/11/16
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted a joint resolution on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons (BTWC), cluster bombs and conventional arms, and called for the accession of all States to the BTWC. The EU must work towards a declaration that the ban on biological and toxin weapons is a universally binding rule of international law. Parliament encouraged the EU, therefore, to take up this issue in the transatlantic fora, in particular NATO, and to persuade the US administration to move away from its unilateral point of view and to contribute to the relaunch and enhancement of the multilateral framework.

Parliament went on to call on the Council, Commission and Member States to do the following:

-promote full compliance with the obligations under the BTWC and, where necessary, the strengthening of national implementation measures, including penal legislation and control over pathogenic micro-organisms and toxins in the framework of the BTWC;

-contribute to the improvement of the mechanisms for verifying compliance by the States Parties by promoting efforts to enhance transparency through increased exchange of information among States Parties;

-promote compliance with obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1540, in particular to eliminate the risk of biological or toxin weapons being acquired or used for terrorist purposes;

-promote promote common understanding and effective action in particular on: enhancing international capabilities for responding to cases of alleged use of biological or toxin weapons or suspicious outbreaks of disease; strengthening existing mechanisms for combating infectious diseases affecting humans, animals and plants; adoption of codes of conduct for scientists in the field relevant to the BTWC;

-support a further intersessional work programme during the period between the Sixth and Seventh Review Conferences, to identify specific areas and procedures for further progress under this work programme and to promote the convening of a Seventh Review Conference of the BTWC to be held no later than 2011.

Furthermore, Parliament asked the EU and its Member States to ensure that the scope of Protocol III to the CCW on Incendiary Weapons is expanded in order to prevent the further use of white phosphorus shells against military and civilian targets and to stop the use of (depleted) uranium warheads. It also demanded the creation of a specific Protocol VI to unambiguously ban the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of all types of cluster munitions (fragmentation bombs).

In this light, Parliament welcomed in particular the positive response by a coalition of more than 30 States (amongst them many Member States, including Belgium, Sweden, Germany, France, Austria, Denmark, Spain and the Czech Republic) to the call made by both Kofi Annan and Jan Egeland at the beginning of the CCW Review Conference for negotiations to start without delay to establish a convention to ban cluster munitions worldwide, in the same way as has been done for anti-personnel mines. The EU and all Member States must support this initiative as actively as possible.

Lastly, Parliament called on all Member States, the Council and the Commission to work hard to ensure that, within the foreseeable future, both the BTWC and the CCW are equipped with a permanent secretariat to oversee their successful implementation.

Documents
2006/11/16
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2006/11/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/11/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/11/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/11/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/11/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/11/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/11/15
   Joint motion for resolution
Documents
2006/11/15
   EP - Debate in Parliament

Documents

Votes

RC- B6-0585/2006 - Armes biologiques et à toxines (BTWC) - am. 2 #

2006/11/16 Outcome: +: 261, -: 261, 0: 10
FR SE DK BE FI PT LT IE NL IT EE AT MT SI CY ES EL LV CZ LU PL SK HU GB DE
Total
54
17
12
17
10
18
5
11
20
42
5
17
5
7
5
35
17
4
18
4
45
10
19
55
80
icon: PSE PSE
143

Finland PSE

2

Lithuania PSE

For (1)

1

Ireland PSE

1

Estonia PSE

2

Slovenia PSE

For (1)

1

Czechia PSE

2

Slovakia PSE

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
64

Sweden ALDE

3

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

2

Austria ALDE

1

Slovenia ALDE

2

Cyprus ALDE

For (1)

1

Spain ALDE

1

Latvia ALDE

1

Hungary ALDE

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
27

France GUE/NGL

2

Sweden GUE/NGL

2

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

1

Spain GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
17

France IND/DEM

Abstain (1)

1

Sweden IND/DEM

2

Denmark IND/DEM

1

Ireland IND/DEM

For (1)

1

Czechia IND/DEM

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
19

Austria NI

1

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

United Kingdom NI

3
icon: UEN UEN
21

Denmark UEN

Against (1)

1

Latvia UEN

Against (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
35

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

3

Italy Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Spain Verts/ALE

Against (1)

2

Latvia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

For (1)

5
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
206

Denmark PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Finland PPE-DE

3

Lithuania PPE-DE

Against (1)

1
4

Estonia PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Malta PPE-DE

Against (2)

2

Slovenia PPE-DE

4

Latvia PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

RC - B6-0585/2006 - Armes biologiques et à toxines (BTWC) - am. 3 #

2006/11/16 Outcome: +: 293, -: 232, 0: 12
FR SE DK BE NL FI AT PT LT IE IT EE MT LV ES SI CY EL CZ LU GB PL SK DE HU
Total
54
18
12
16
20
11
17
19
5
11
44
5
5
4
36
7
5
17
18
4
56
44
10
80
19
icon: PSE PSE
146

Finland PSE

2

Lithuania PSE

For (1)

1

Ireland PSE

1

Estonia PSE

2

Slovenia PSE

For (1)

1

Czechia PSE

2

Slovakia PSE

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
65

Sweden ALDE

3

Austria ALDE

1

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

2

Latvia ALDE

1

Spain ALDE

1

Slovenia ALDE

2

Cyprus ALDE

For (1)

1

Hungary ALDE

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
35

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

3

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Italy Verts/ALE

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

5
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
27

France GUE/NGL

2

Sweden GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

1

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

2

Spain GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
16

Sweden IND/DEM

2

Denmark IND/DEM

1

Ireland IND/DEM

For (1)

1

Czechia IND/DEM

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
19

Austria NI

1

United Kingdom NI

3

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2
icon: UEN UEN
22

Denmark UEN

Against (1)

1

Latvia UEN

Against (1)

1
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
207

Denmark PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Finland PPE-DE

3

Lithuania PPE-DE

Against (1)

1
4

Estonia PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Malta PPE-DE

Against (2)

2

Latvia PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Slovenia PPE-DE

4

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/7/docs/0/url
/oeil/spdoc.do?i=12973&j=0&l=en
docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0585_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0585_EN.html
docs/1/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0586_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0586_EN.html
docs/2/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0587_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0587_EN.html
docs/3/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0593_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0593_EN.html
docs/4/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0594_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0594_EN.html
docs/5/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0611_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0611_EN.html
docs/6/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-6-2006-0585_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-6-2006-0585_EN.html
docs/7/docs/0/url
/oeil/spdoc.do?i=12973&j=0&l=en
events/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20061115&type=CRE
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/EN&reference=20061115&type=CRE
events/2
date
2006-11-16T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2006-0493_EN.html title: T6-0493/2006
summary
events/2
date
2006-11-16T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2006-0493_EN.html title: T6-0493/2006
summary
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 132-p2
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 123-p2
docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-585&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0585_EN.html
docs/1/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-586&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0586_EN.html
docs/2/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-587&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0587_EN.html
docs/3/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-593&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0593_EN.html
docs/4/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-594&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0594_EN.html
docs/5/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-611&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0611_EN.html
docs/6/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P6-RC-2006-585&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-6-2006-0585_EN.html
docs/7/body
EC
events/2/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-493
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2006-0493_EN.html
activities
  • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20061115&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2006-11-16T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=12973&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-493 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0493/2006 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
committees
    docs
    • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-585&language=EN title: B6-0585/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-586&language=EN title: B6-0586/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-587&language=EN title: B6-0587/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-593&language=EN title: B6-0593/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-594&language=EN title: B6-0594/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-611&language=EN title: B6-0611/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P6-RC-2006-585&language=EN title: RC-B6-0585/2006 type: Joint motion for resolution
    • date: 2007-01-11T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=12973&j=0&l=en title: SP(2007)0054 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
    events
    • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20061115&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2006-11-16T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=12973&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2006-11-16T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-493 title: T6-0493/2006 summary: The European Parliament adopted a joint resolution on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons (BTWC), cluster bombs and conventional arms, and called for the accession of all States to the BTWC. The EU must work towards a declaration that the ban on biological and toxin weapons is a universally binding rule of international law. Parliament encouraged the EU, therefore, to take up this issue in the transatlantic fora, in particular NATO, and to persuade the US administration to move away from its unilateral point of view and to contribute to the relaunch and enhancement of the multilateral framework. Parliament went on to call on the Council, Commission and Member States to do the following: -promote full compliance with the obligations under the BTWC and, where necessary, the strengthening of national implementation measures, including penal legislation and control over pathogenic micro-organisms and toxins in the framework of the BTWC; -contribute to the improvement of the mechanisms for verifying compliance by the States Parties by promoting efforts to enhance transparency through increased exchange of information among States Parties; -promote compliance with obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1540, in particular to eliminate the risk of biological or toxin weapons being acquired or used for terrorist purposes; -promote promote common understanding and effective action in particular on: enhancing international capabilities for responding to cases of alleged use of biological or toxin weapons or suspicious outbreaks of disease; strengthening existing mechanisms for combating infectious diseases affecting humans, animals and plants; adoption of codes of conduct for scientists in the field relevant to the BTWC; -support a further intersessional work programme during the period between the Sixth and Seventh Review Conferences, to identify specific areas and procedures for further progress under this work programme and to promote the convening of a Seventh Review Conference of the BTWC to be held no later than 2011. Furthermore, Parliament asked the EU and its Member States to ensure that the scope of Protocol III to the CCW on Incendiary Weapons is expanded in order to prevent the further use of white phosphorus shells against military and civilian targets and to stop the use of (depleted) uranium warheads. It also demanded the creation of a specific Protocol VI to unambiguously ban the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of all types of cluster munitions (fragmentation bombs). In this light, Parliament welcomed in particular the positive response by a coalition of more than 30 States (amongst them many Member States, including Belgium, Sweden, Germany, France, Austria, Denmark, Spain and the Czech Republic) to the call made by both Kofi Annan and Jan Egeland at the beginning of the CCW Review Conference for negotiations to start without delay to establish a convention to ban cluster munitions worldwide, in the same way as has been done for anti-personnel mines. The EU and all Member States must support this initiative as actively as possible. Lastly, Parliament called on all Member States, the Council and the Commission to work hard to ensure that, within the foreseeable future, both the BTWC and the CCW are equipped with a permanent secretariat to oversee their successful implementation.
    • date: 2006-11-16T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 123-p2
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 123-p2
      procedure/subject
      Old
      • 7.30.12 Control of personal weapons and ammunitions
      New
      7.30.12
      Control of personal weapons and ammunitions
      procedure/subtype
      Old
      Resolution on statements
      New
      Resolution on statement
      activities
      • date: 2006-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20061115&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
      • date: 2006-11-16T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=12973&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-493 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0493/2006 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          reference
          2006/2657(RSP)
          title
          Resolution on the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons BTWC, cluster bombs and conventional arms
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 123-p2
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          subtype
          Resolution on statements
          type
          RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
          subject
          7.30.12 Control of personal weapons and ammunitions