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EU Statement on the occasion of the CTBTO 28th Joint Meeting of Working Groups A and B, 18 – 28 February 2025

21.02.2025 Press and information team of the Delegation to UN and OSCE in Vienna

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Serbia and Ukraine align themselves with this statement. 

Chairs,

The European Union wishes to thank you for organizing today’s joint session of the Working Group A and Working Group B. Our appreciation also goes to the Provisional Technical Secretariat, its staff and all the experts from States Signatories that have contributed to the published documents on establishing a technical and financial strategy for the IMS sustainment.

Chairs,

The International Monitoring System (IMS), along with the International Data Centre, is the core of the verification regime established by the Treaty. As we reiterate in EU statements, the IMS provides States signatories with reliable and neutral data to ensure that the moratorium on nuclear testing is almost universally adhered to everywhere, all the time. This is a unique tool of its kind and no State could develop on its own. Moreover, it is an irreplaceable transparency and confidence measure. The IMS has already shown its unique contribution by detecting nuclear tests, as well as through various scientific and civil applications for the benefit of all States Signatories.

It is essential that the IMS should be maintained, as close as possible to the requirements of the Treaty. Therefore, a proper funding of the IMS sustainment is necessary, through the regular budget. The circulated documents clearly show the technical needs of the PTS and the path for the update and maintenance of the IMS network.

As we are about to discuss the funding of these needs, taking into account the constraint of many States Signatories, we must keep in mind that any deviation from the scenario A will lead to a decrease in data availability and quality. Whatever the scenario that will eventually be approved by the PrepCom, we have to make sure that the potential decrease in data availability and quality will not hamper the ability of the PTS to perform its mission in the long term.

We look forward to working with you, Chairs, with a view to reaching consensus on a funding scenario that will be implemented from 2026 and onwards.

I thank you, Chairs.