16 June 2001
EU Calls for 'Global' Effort on Missile Control
Reuters

The call came on the heels of talks earlier this week at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where President Bush tried with mixed success to convince his European allies of the need to press ahead with an anti-missile defense shield.

``As for the particular challenge posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles, we consider that this commitment should be complemented by a global and multilateral approach,'' the draft declaration said.

It said the EU should play a leading role in these efforts and vowed to forge a common position among the 15 member states on seeking a global code of conduct, which it said could lead ''in due time'' to the convening of an international conference.

``We stress the need to maintain strict enforcement of our national export controls and to reinforce the multilateral non-proliferation and export control regimes,'' the document said.

In a nod to the United States, the declaration added: ``This initiative will be pursued in full transparency with the European Union's key partners.''

In Brussels on Wednesday, Bush claimed there was growing European support for his controversial anti-missile defense plans and urged a radical rethink of global security strategy.

Bush said a first step in a reassessment would be to set aside the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty so the United States, and its allies, could test all missile defense options.

``The new threats are threats based upon uncertainty. The threat that somebody who hates freedom, or hates America, or hates the allies, or hates Europe, will try to blow us up,'' he said.

Many U.S. allies fear the plans for a missile defense shield, which Washington says is designed to prevent nuclear blackmail by rogue states like North Korea and Libya, could upset three decades of strategic stability under the ABM treaty.

Opponents like Russia and China warn it could spark a new arms race.

The European members of NATO, many of which belong also to the EU, said it was important to conduct an open dialogue with the United States on the issue of anti-missile defense and stressed the need to avoid unilateral moves.

Germany and France were least enthusiastic about the U.S. plan.