Conference on Disarmament - EU Statement on Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty

European Union

Statement on Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty

Conference on Disarmament

Geneva, 12 March 2024

Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova[1] and Georgia, the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

We thank you for convening today’s meeting and welcome the opportunity to focus on an issue, on which progress is long overdue. The EU is committed to achieve a non-discriminatory and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, since we continue to believe that an FMCT would represent a concrete step towards fulfilling obligations under Article VI of the NPT and would make a significant practical contribution to preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Starting negotiations on an FMCT is not only an EU priority, but the overwhelming will of the international community. Extensive efforts have been made to advance the definitions on the scope, modalities and parameters of future negotiations and a future treaty. We welcome substantial progress and the extensive preparatory work by the High Level Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty Expert Preparatory Group (HLEPG) and the previous Group of Governmental Experts. The HLEPG increased understanding of the challenges and provided a clear path toward future negotiations. States have contributed to advancing the objectives of the FMCT in various ways, including through UNGA resolutions, groups of experts mandated by the UNGA, the NPT framework, as well as putting forward draft treaties as referred to in the EU working paper (NPT/CONF.2026/PC.I/WP.4) submitted to the 2023 NPT PrepCom. However, despite urgent calls and multiple advocacy, including through the adoption of the UNGA Resolution 78/28 supported by 155 States, including all EU Member States, the Conference on Disarmament has not yet to commenced negotiations on such a treaty.

We stand ready to support the immediate commencement and early conclusion of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament of a Treaty banning the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons or other explosive devices, in accordance with document CD/1299 and the mandate contained therein. The moratoriums declared by four of the five nuclear-weapon States on the production of fissile material for military purposes should assert the prospect of a fissile material cut-off treaty as a logical step towards nuclear disarmament, as per article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We reiterate our call on China and all other States concerned to declare and uphold such a moratorium in order to contribute to our collective efforts towards nuclear disarmament.

In the run-up to the 2026 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, the EU submitted, at its First Preparatory Committee, the Working Paper titled “Towards a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty: Advancing the Objective of Stopping Fissile Material Production for Nuclear Weapons or Other Nuclear Explosive Devices in the Next Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Cycle”.  It underscores the urgent need for concerted international action in pursuit of a world free from nuclear weapons. In this regard, we would like to build on the work that has been achieved on this matter in recent years, including the reports from the 2015 Group of Governmental Experts and 2018 High-level Expert Preparatory Group, and on other initiatives. We see the value of regional dialogues and initiatives in favour of a fissile material cut-off treaty.

In conclusion, we call upon all States to seize this critical moment to reaffirm their commitment to work collectively towards the objective of achieving a world free from nuclear weapons.

I thank you, Mr. President.

[1] North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.