EU Statement on the occasion of the sixty-seventh session of Working Group B of the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organisation
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom align themselves with this statement.
The European Union expresses its appreciation to you and the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) for the timely preparation of this meeting, in close coordination with the Vice-Chairs and the Working Group B (WGB) Task Leaders.
We thank the Executive Secretary for his opening statement and for presenting the report on verification related activities for the period January to June 2026 and look forward to the presentations by the Directors and staff of the International Monitoring System (IMS), the International Data Centre (IDC) and On-Site Inspection (OSI) Divisions, on the implementation of the verification related programme.
The EU attaches high importance to the deliberations on verification issues conducted in the framework of WGB. These discussions should be conducted with a focus on technical issues and in a goal-oriented, effective and efficient manner. We stand ready to contribute to the discussion on how this is best achieved.
The CTBT’s universalisation and entry into force remain a priority for the EU. We urge all States that have not yet done so, in particular the remaining Annex 2 States, to sign and ratify the CTBT without any preconditions or further delay. In the meantime, it is crucial for international peace and security that all States fully observe the moratorium on nuclear test explosions or any other nuclear explosions, and refrain from any action contrary to the object and purpose of the Treaty. We take note of statements expressing concerns about possible nuclear weapons explosive testing. These statements have to be considered with the greatest care and seriousness. We call on all States without exception to continue to honour their engagements, including those undertaken during the NPT Review Processes.
We welcome the ratification of the CTBT by Tonga, which completes the universalisation of the Treaty across the Pacific region.
We reiterate our full confidence in the CTBT’s verification regime, which has demonstrated its ability to provide independent and reliable data and constitutes a strong preventive measure against testing.
The EU condemns the DPRK’s unlawful and destabilising nuclear actions, including testing conducted in past years. We strongly urge the DPRK to comply with all its international obligations. Through IMS detection and IDC analysis, States signatories have been provided with indispensable information regarding the DPRK’s illegal nuclear tests.
Chair,
The EU considers the completion and sustainment of IMS stations a priority and encourages the PTS to continue its important operations, including building, certifying, operating and repairing IMS stations. While acknowledging that the levels of DAU have remained high during the first half of 2026, we wish to stress that it is crucial to maintain the IMS network and ensure high data availability even in the context of a zero nominal growth (ZNG) budget, which we are concerned about. We recall that ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the verification regime, through an adequately funded IMS Sustainment Strategy, remains essential.
The EU welcomes the support provided by the PTS to States Signatories through the “National Data Centres (NDCs) for All” initiative, such as the provision of capacity building systems, which were procured in part through voluntary funding by the EU. The EU strongly supports the further development and usage of the tools in the NDC-in-a-box software package. It is an irreplaceable valuable package for independent analyses at NDCs.
Chair,
The EU and its Member States have been one of the largest contributors to the financing of OSI technologies capacity building. We would like to express our warm appreciation to Namibia for hosting the milestone Integrated Field Exercise later this year, and look forward to receiving information on the results. It is important that we collectively reflect on the lessons learnt from this exercise and ensure that the future activity of OSI remains fit for purpose in a general context requiring potential savings.
We would also like to underline the immense value of the information stored on particulate filters over the past twenty years, and its release from the PTS archive. After a certain time, it should be possible to release the filters back to the country of origin. The rules and procedures for releasing filters should be agreed upon and we look forward to finalizing the on-going discussions on this topic.
Chair,
The EU urges all States Signatories without exception to pay their outstanding contributions and arrears without further delay. In this period of ZNG budget, paying assessed contributions is crucial in order to enable full support of all components of CTBT, an efficient operation of the verification regime and the financial health of the CTBTO. The EU supports the 2027 Budget update as presented by the PTS in July this year and is open to discuss the programmatic priorities which will guide the PTS for the next biennium, including engaging in discussions aimed at increasing the efficiency of the activity of all components of the verification regime while preserving the priority character of the IMS.
As a confirmation of our continued political and financial commitment to the Organisation, the EU provides significant voluntary contributions to support the verification regime, as well as capacity building and outreach activities, particularly in developing countries. The Technical Experts Support Programme (TESP) continues to be financed through EU Council Decisions. We welcome the sustained efforts within the CTBTO towards gender equality and equitable geographical representation, including the enhanced participation of female experts in capacity building programmes and WGB activities.
In conclusion Chair,
As we mark this year the 30th anniversary of the opening for signature of the CTBT, we welcome the high-level events convened under the auspices of the PTS in New York and Vienna and the ministerial meeting organised by the Friends of the CTBT in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York this September.
We assure you, Chair, of the EU’s full support and cooperation in bringing this meeting to a successful completion, with the adoption of a concise Report, focusing on operative outcomes.
We also take this opportunity to thank you for your continued commitment and dedication to this Working Group over the past years and assure the incoming Chair of our full support for a successful activity of the Working Group in the years to come.
Thank you.