Introduction

Since 2006, the European Union (EU) has supported the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) by means of two Joint Actions and four Council Decisions in the framework of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Over eleven million Euros have been provided by the European Union, mostly to support capacity-building activities in developing countries. The EU Joint Actions and Council Decisions can be found here:

• Council Joint Action 2006/184/CFSP (2006-2007)
• Council Joint Action 2008/858/CFSP (2009-2011)
• Council Decision 2012/421/CFSP (2012–2015)
• Council Decision 2016/51/CFSP (2016-2019)
• Council Decision 2019/97/CFSP (2019-2023)
• Council Decision 2021/2072/CFSP (2021-23)  

Implementation

The Geneva Branch of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) is currently implementing Council Decisions 2019/97 and 2021/2072.  

Council Decision 2019/97 aims to support implementation of the BWC on the international, regional and national levels through six major projects:   

1. Promoting universal adherence to the BWC
2. Capacity building in support of BWC implementation
3. Fostering biosecurity networks in the Global South
4. Supporting the inter-sessional programme and preparations for the Ninth BWC Review Conference
5. Strengthening preparedness of States Parties to prevent and respond to attacks involving biological agents
6. Enabling tools for awareness-raising, education and engagement

Council Decision 2021/2072 aims to support the building of resilience in biosafety and biosecurity through the BWC by means of four major projects:  

1. Strengthening biosafety and biosecurity capabilities in Africa through increased regional coordination 
2. Capacity building for BWC National Contact Points 
3. Facilitating the review of developments in science and technology of relevance to the BWC by also involving academia and industry 
4. Broadening support for voluntary transparency exercises