On 15 December 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the challenges and prospects for multilateral weapons of mass destruction arms control and disarmament regimes. The resolution calls for the EU to play a strong role, and for member states to show continuous support, in all major disarmament treaties and non-proliferation regimes.
The resolution states that renewed global arms control and disarmament efforts are essential to the EU’s security, amid concerns that key arms control treaties have been weakened and dismantled due to current geopolitical tensions. The resolution uses examples such as China, which it says has substantially stepped up the development of its missile and nuclear capabilities and has shown a lack of transparency and a reluctance to engage in talks on its potential participation in multilateral nuclear arms control instruments. The resolution asks for the EU to coordinate with its like-minded partners to engage in diplomacy with China on this topic.
The resolution reiterates the European Parliament’s commitment to effective international arms control and disarmament and recalls its commitment to pursuing policies to bring the reduction of nuclear arsenals forward. Finally, it calls for EU delegations to put arms control high on the agenda for dialogue with non-EU countries and to play a strong role in reinforcing the global rules-based non-proliferation efforts and arms control and disarmament architecture.
