Mr Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine^*, the Republic of Moldova^*, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, Iceland⁺, Norway⁺ and San Marino.

The EU wishes to thank the Executive Secretary, Dr. Robert Floyd, for his opening statement and for his report on Non-Verification-Related Activities for the period April-August 2022. We also wish to express our appreciation to you Mr. Chairman for all your efforts and productive work in ably steering this Group and for convening Informal Consultations, last week on the agenda of this Session. We warmly welcome the Director of Administration, Mr. Uday Dayal, and thank him for his presentation at the Informal Consultations.

Mr Chairman,

The European Union reiterates in the strongest possible terms its condemnation of the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which constitutes a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law, and demands that Russia immediately cease its military actions, unconditionally withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognised borders. We strongly condemn the Russian Federation’s attempts to illegally annex Ukrainian regions, which have no legal validity or effect.

We also reiterate our call on Russia to refrain from any action that would endanger the integrity of the international Monitoring System (IMS) - including stations in the region - and data availability through the verification regime.

Moreover, Russia’s irresponsible actions, as well as the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have caused significant economic pressures for many State Signatories and correspondingly have repercussions for the financial outlook of international organizations.  

Mr Chairman,

The entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) remains a top priority for the European Union. We urge all States, which have not yet done so, to sign and ratify the CTBT. We reiterate our call upon the remaining eight Annex 2 States: China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, and the USA who still need to ratify the Treaty and the DPRK, India, and Pakistan who still need to sign and ratify it in order to bring it into force, to do so without any preconditions or further delay. In the meantime, it is crucial that all States fully observe the moratorium on nuclear test explosions or any other nuclear explosion, and refrain from any action contrary to the object and purpose of the Treaty.

We warmly welcome the recent ratifications of the CTBT by Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe, which constitute yet another step towards the CTBT’s universalisation. We commend the Executive Secretary and his team for this impressive record and fully support their efforts for achieving additional ratifications of the Treaty.

The EU would like to thank the PTS for providing the 2023 Budget update proposals. We welcome the net savings and efficiencies of 1.4 million US dollars and reprioritization of 3.11 million US dollars, and take note of the overall weighted average price adjustment increase for 2023 which stands at 3.17%. In this regard, we encourage the PTS to continue to streamline, prioritise and rationalize its functions, with a focus on ensuring sustained business continuity. We also welcome the fact that 81.2% of the 2023 Budget is allocated to verification activities and note that the allotments for capacity building and training activities were not impacted.

Mr Chairman,

The International Monitoring System (IMS) and the International Data Centre (IDC) have proved their unique ability to provide States Signatories with independent and reliable means to detect nuclear tests, which further reinforce the importance of the CTBTO. However, the CTBTO can only carry out its mandatory functions and the sustainment and provisional operation of the verification system if provided with the necessary funding.

We are concerned with the recorded decrease in the collection rates of assessed contributions for 2022. The EU recalls that paying assessed contributions is not optional, and the failure to do so amounts to non-compliance with the Resolution establishing the Preparatory Commission. It is crucial for the operation of the verification regime of the Treaty, and for the wider organization’s financial health that all States honour their legal obligation to pay their assessed contributions on time and in full.

We encourage the PTS to continue its important operations, including building, certifying, operating and repairing IMS stations. We welcome the commitment made by the Executive Secretary to commence with a comprehensive review of the IMS stations’ lifecycle costs, including post-certification activities, for certified IMS stations, and look forward to constructively engaging in this discussion. However, as noted by the ES, the current budget allocated to cover the sustainment and recapitalization of the IMS is inadequate. A solution needs to be found urgently. This will require States Signatories to make tough but important choices about budget allocation.

We have noted with interest the proposal of a Funding mechanism for the 2025 Integrated Field Exercise (IFE). Since the Commission has approved an exercise programme culminating in an IFE, it is clear that adequate resources will need to be identified.

We welcome PTS’s efforts to ensure that vacant positions are filled in the shortest possible time, and towards reaching gender parity. We encourage the PTS to continue to strive for this goal, in addition to efforts to increase diversity within the PTS.

The EU, materialising its full commitment to the Treaty and its implementation, has so far contributed 29.5 million Euro to support CTBTO monitoring and verification activities. These funds are being used to improve the auxiliary seismic station network, to strengthen on-site inspection and noble gas monitoring capabilities, and to provide technical assistance to countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean region, allowing them to participate fully in the CTBTO’s verification regime. The EU has already commenced consultations with the PTS regarding its next voluntary contribution through EU Council Decision IX.

Last but not least Mr Chairman,

The EU wishes to congratulate the new Chair of the Advisory Group, Ms Rasmi Rajyaguru, on the assumption of her duties during the 59^th Session of the Advisory Group, and takes note with appreciation of the Group’s recommendations as contained in its Report and the addendum.

Thank you.

* Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, as well as potential Candidate Country Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

+ Iceland and Norway are members of the EFTA and of the European Economic Area.