Alfred Sant has expressed his support to a report on the challenges and prospects for multilateral weapons of mass destruction arms control and disarmament regimes.
In an intervention to the plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg the former Prime Minister and Head of the Maltese
S&D Delegation stated that the sole reason why he voted in favour of this report is because it puts the issues of nuclear non-proliferation on the EU agenda.
The crux of the report on the challenges and prospects for multilateral weapons of mass destruction arms control and disarmament regimes includes an appeal put forward by MEPs urging the creation of policies which would pave the way for a world free of nuclear weapons.
The Labour MEP mentioned how 53 years ago nuclear weapons states including an EU Member State pledged to persuade non-nuclear countries to accept the Non-Proliferation Treaty but at the same time they continued to modernise and develop new armament systems.
While expressing frustration at the lack of progress towards nuclear disarmament which to some degree was the result of the fundamental imbalance in the non-proliferation architecture, Sant said that the report correctly relies on the principle of a meaningful control over weapon systems -no matter who owns them, as well as on the full respect of international
humanitarian norms. Beyond that, the report also affirms that the future development of nuclear energy should be restricted to peaceful purposes, though some Member States would ban it, he added.
Sant warned that the upcoming French presidency of the Council will likely push for new steps towards a military and defence union and as a consequence this might lead the EU to blindly follow the minority interests of few nuclear weapon states which would be prioritized over it becoming a global mover for peace.
“I therefore regret the too-cautious position adopted in the report regarding the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which is key to strengthening the NPT”, he said.
The report was adopted with 536 votes in favour, 128 against and 31 abstentions.
