I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Serbia and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.

Chair,

The European Union wishes to congratulate you and the Vice-Chairs on your re-appointment and assure you of our continued support and cooperation. We also express our appreciation to you and the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) for the timely preparation of this meeting, in close coordination with the Vice-Chairs and the Working Group B Task Leaders.

The CTBT’s universalisation and entry into force remain a priority for the EU. We urge all States, which have not yet done so - in particular the remaining Annex II States - to sign and ratify the CTBT without any preconditions or further delay. Pending CTBT’s entry into force, the EU calls on all States to abide by the moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions, and to refrain from any action contrary to the object and purpose of the Treaty.

We reiterate our full confidence in the CTBT’s verification regime, which has demonstrated its ability to provide independent and reliable data to deter non-compliance with the Treaty once it enters into force. We recall that the DPRK is the only country having conducted full-scale nuclear explosive testing in the 21^st century. We strongly urge the DPRK to refrain from any further nuclear tests.

Chair,

We thank the Executive Secretary for his opening statement and report on verification related activities for the period July – December 2024 and look forward to the presentations by the PTS Directors and staff of the International Monitoring System (IMS), the International Data Centre (IDC) and On-Site Inspection (OSI) Divisions, on the implementation of the verification related programme. 

The EU considers the completion and maintenance of IMS stations a priority and encourages the PTS to continue its important operations, including building, certifying, operating and repairing IMS stations. The EU supports the recommendation for the relocation of station RN69, to further improve the functioning of the IMS. Moreover, ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the verification regime, through adequate funding, remains crucial. We thank the PTS for circulating the Sensitivity Analysis of the IMS Sustainment Strategy, as well as the Initial Draft of the Programme and Budget Proposals for 2026-2027. We also take note of the assessment and proposal to create new Professional staff posts for Major Programme 2: International Data Centre. In light of the financial constraints faced by States Signatories, it would be useful to discuss this proposal thoroughly. We look forward to important discussions during the dedicated informal session and the joint meeting of Working Groups A and B.

The IMS is a unique tool to ensure the credibility of the Treaty.  It guarantees that no breach of the almost universally agreed moratorium on nuclear testing would go undetected. It therefore constitutes an irreplaceable confidence-building measure. It is also a unique transparency measure: it is thanks to the IMS that States Signatories were given the assurance that a recent seismic event in Iran was of natural causes. No other international independent tool can provide that. And it is also a unique source of development through the scientific and civil applications, establishing an incomparable amount of scientific data and expertise, to the benefit of all State Signatories. The proper financing of the IMS, in the long-term perspective, is crucial. We look forward to discussing the scenarios that have been presented by the PTS, in order to identify a solution that would ensure continued data availability and reliability, so that this unique asset will not be jeopardized.

The EU reiterates its position that transportable noble gas measurement systems are essential for the analysis of the IDC, in further understanding the global radionuclide background and in facilitating the correct categorization of events. As confirmed by the PTS, this on-going activity is part of, and helps carry out its mandate.

Data availability, including through accurate and timely IDC reports, is equally essential. The EU welcomes the support provided by the PTS to States Signatories through the “National Data Centres (NDCs) for All” initiative, such as the provision of capacity building systems (CBS), which were procured in part through voluntary funding by the EU.

The EU and its Member States have been one of the largest contributors to the financing of OSI technologies capacity building. Further to the successful Build-Up Exercise 2024 in Hungary, we support the organisation of regular OSI exercises, including tabletop and directed exercises. Regarding the postponement of the Integrated Field Exercise 2025 (IFE25), we look forward to receiving information from the PTS during this session.

We look forward to the organisation of the eighth Science and Technology (SnT) Conference, in September 2025, which will provide a unique opportunity to focus on the civil and scientific applications of the Treaty, its verification regime, related data and technologies.

The EU, due to our continued political and financial commitment to the Organisation, provides significant voluntary contributions to support the verification regime as well as capacity building and outreach, particularly in developing countries. The Technical Experts Support Programme (TESP) continues to be financed through EU Council Decisions. We welcome the sustained efforts within the CTBTO towards gender equality and equitable geographical representation, including the enhanced participation of female experts in capacity building programmes and WGB activities.

In conclusion Chair,

We assure you of the EU’s full support and cooperation in bringing this meeting to a successful completion, with the adoption of a concise Report, focusing on operative outcomes.

Thank you.