DYB2011-Part-II-web

United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2011: Part II
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supporting resolution 1540 (2004) and the work of the 1540 Committee, with
a particular focus on country visits.
The EU continued to pursue the universalization of the Chemical
Weapons Convention44 and to promote new activities in support of specific
projects of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. A new
EU Council Decision in support of Organisation activities was also negotiated.
The EU actively engaged in the process leading to the Seventh Review
Conference of the of the States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention
(BWC), 45 held in Geneva from 5 to 22 December, on the basis of a formal
Common Position, which the Council had adopted on 18 July. The EU
continued its support to BWC and World Health Organization activities in the
area of biosafety and biosecurity through the implementation of two distinct
Joint Actions.
With regard to its regulatory framework of dual-use items, the EU
continued to regularly update its control list to correctly reflect updates made
by the relevant international non-proliferation regimes. The EU regulatory
framework of dual-use items was also amended in 2011 with the introduction
of new EU General Export Authorizations aimed at simplifying the current
system. 46
The EU continued to promote its initiative for an International Code
of Conduct for Outer Space Activities, conducting consultations with major
space-faring nations and presenting its initiative in various United Nations
forums.
The EU was very active in supporting the International Code of Conduct
against Ballistic Missiles, also known as The Hague Code of Conduct, through
a specific Council Decision47 and worked in 2011 on a new Council Decision
that would support not only the Code of Conduct but also tackle missile
non-proliferation in general.
44 The full title is Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production,
Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction. The treaty text and
adherence status are available from http://disarmament.un.org/treaties/.
45 The full title is Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and
Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction.
The treaty text and status of adherence are available from http://disarmament.un.org/
treaties.
46 See amendment to Regulation No. 428/2009 (Council of the European Union, Regulation
(EU) No. 1232/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2011,
Official Journal of the European Union, L 326 (8 December 2011), pp. 26-44. Available
from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:326:0026:0044:EN:PDF
(accessed 13 June 2012)).
47 Council of the European Union, Council Decision 2008/974/CFSP of 18 December 2008,
Official Journal of the European Union, L 345 (23 December 2008), pp. 91-95. Available
from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:345:0091:0095:EN:PDF
(accessed 13 June 2012).