Source: European Parliament
All EU Member States are party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention[1] since 2013. The EU’s position on the Convention was last comprehensively agreed in the Council conclusions of 27 May 2024[2]. The Convention contains provisions on withdrawal but not on suspension[3].
The common security and defence policy is part of the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and thus falls under the responsibility of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The High Representative conducts and develops the CFSP as mandated by the Council.
Although security and defence policy is not directly under the Commission’s remit, furthering cooperation in matters related to security and defence is one of the top priorities for the newly established Commission.
A Commissioner for Defence and Space has been tasked to ensure that when it comes to defence industry, Europe spends more, spends better and spends European.
To this end, the Commissioner for Defence and Space, together with the High Representative, will present the Paper on the future of European defence to frame a new approach to defence and defence industry, and identify investment needs. As such, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention goes beyond the scope of the prospective White Paper.
The rising and complex nature of threats facing Europe, notably the ongoing Russia’s war against Ukraine, have pointed to the need for Europe to take the next step on defence with a view to preparing for the most extreme military contingencies. For this, the EU and its Member States step up work on defence readiness to prepare for the challenges ahead.
This includes closing critical capability gaps, ramping up European defence production, and mobilising additional funding for defence.
- [1] Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, Oslo, 18 September 1997, https://legal.un.org/avl/ha/cpusptam/cpusptam.html
- [2] Council conclusions on an EU position on strengthening the ban against anti-personnel mines in view of the Fifth Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Brussels, 27 May 20204, (9442/24).
- [3] General rules on suspension of an international treaty are contained in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969.