    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [June 20, 2005]
    [Pages 1028-1030]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Statement by the European Union and United States on the Joint
    Program of Work on the Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
    June 20, 2005

        Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their
    delivery systems continue to be a preeminent threat to international
    peace and security. This global challenge needs to be tackled
    individually and collectively, and requires an effective global
    response. We are fully committed to support in that respect the
    important role of the United Nations Security Council and other key UN
    institutions.

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        The United States and the European Union are steadfast partners in
    the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and
    will undertake several new initiatives to strengthen our cooperation and
    coordination in this important arena, even as we enhance our ongoing
    efforts.
        Building Global Support for Nonproliferation: The European Union and
    the United States will enhance information sharing, discuss assessments
    of proliferation risks, and work together to broaden global support for
    and participation in nonproliferation endeavors. We will increase
    transparency about our nonproliferation dialogues with other countries
    to ensure, to the extent possible consistency in our nonproliferation
    messages.
        We reaffirm our willingness to work together to implement and
    strengthen key arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties,
    agreements and commitments that ban the proliferation of WMD and their
    delivery systems. In particular we underline the importance of the
    Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Biological
    and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. We
    will increase our effort to promote, individually or, where appropriate,
    jointly, the universalisation of these Treaties and Conventions and the
    adherence to the Hague Code of Conduct against the proliferation of
    ballistic missiles.
        Reinforcing the NPT: The EU and the US reaffirm that the NPT is
    central to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. The EU and the US
    stress the urgency to maintain the authority and the integrity of the
    Treaty. To that end, the EU and the U.S. recommit to fulfill our
    obligations under the Treaty while working together in order to
    strengthen it. We will evaluate lessons learned from the 2005 Review
    Conference and continue to stress the importance of compliance with and
    universal adherence to the NPT.
        Recognizing the Importance of the Biological Threat: The EU and the
    US will work together in advance of the upcoming BTWC- Review Conference
    in 2006, in order to strengthen the Biological Weapons and Toxin Weapons
    Convention.
        Promoting Full Implementation of UNSCR 1540: We will coordinate
    efforts to assist and enhance the work being done by the UNSCR 1540
    Committee, and compliance with the resolution. We will work together to
    respond, where possible, to assistance requests from States seeking to
    implement the requirements set by the UNSC Resolution 1540 and in
    particular, to put in place national legal regulatory, and enforcement
    measures against proliferation.
        Establishing a Dialogue on Compliance and Verification: The European
    Union and the United States renew their call on all States to comply
    with their arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation agreements
    and commitments. We will seek to ensure, through regular exchanges,
    strict implementation of compliance with these agreements and
    commitments. We will continue to support the multilateral institutions
    charged with verifying activities under relevant treaties and
    agreements. We will ask our experts to discuss issues of compliance and
    verification in order to identify areas of possible cooperation and
    joint undertaking.
        Strengthening the IAEA: The U.S. and the EU welcome the steps taken
    earlier this month by the Board of Governors of the IAEA that created a
    new Committee on Safeguards and Verification, which will enhance the
    IAEA's effectiveness and strengthen its ability to ensure that nations
    comply with their NPT safeguards obligations. We will work together to
    ensure all States conclude a comprehensive safeguards agreement and an
    Additional Protocol with the IAEA. We agree that the Additional Protocol
    should become a standard for nuclear cooperation and non-proliferation.
        Advancing the Proliferation Security Initiative: As we enhance our
    own capabilities, laws and regulations to improve our readiness for
    interdiction actions, we pledge to

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    strengthen the Proliferation Security Initiative and encourage PSI
    countries to support enhanced cooperation against proliferation
    networks, including tracking and halting financial transactions related
    to proliferation.
        Global Partnership: The U.S. and the EU reaffirm our commitment to
    the Global Partnership Initiative Against the Spread of Weapons and
    Materials of Mass Destruction. We will assess ongoing and emerging
    threats and coordinate our nonproliferation cooperation, including with
    other participating states, to focus resources on priority concerns and
    to make the most effective use of our resources.
        Enhancing Nuclear Security: We intend to expand and deepen
    cooperation to enhance the security of nuclear and radiological
    materials. We welcome the establishment of the Global Threat Reduction
    Initiative (GTRI) and will cooperate closely to implement this important
    new initiative, including by exploring opportunities under the GTRI to
    reduce the threat posed by radiological dispersal devices and by
    identifying specific radiological threat reduction projects that could
    be implemented.
        Ensuring Radioactive Source Security: We remain concerned by the
    risks posed by the potential use of radioactive sources for terrorist
    purposes. We will work towards having effective controls applied by the
    end of 2005 in accordance with the IAEA Guidance on the Import and
    Export of Radioactive Sources. We will support IAEA efforts to assist
    countries that need such assistance to establish effective and
    sustainable controls.
        Rationalizing Multilateral Disarmament Work: We will continue to
    cooperate in order to overcome the stalemate in the Conference on
    Disarmament and pursue reforming of the UN General Assembly's First
    Committee on disarmament and international security. These initiatives
    are part of our broader efforts to streamline and make the multilateral
    disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation machinery more
    responsive.
        The U.S. and the EU take special note of the Conference to Consider
    and Adopt Amendments to the Convention on the Physical Protection of
    Nuclear Material (CPPNM) that will take place at the IAEA, July 4-8
    2005, and we urge all States Parties to the CPPNM to attend and fully
    support adoption of an amended Convention.

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.