I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino and Ukraine.

The EU thanks the Executive Secretary, Dr. Robert Floyd, for his opening statement and reports and expresses its appreciation to you Chair as well as to the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) for all the preparations for this Session. We also warmly welcome Ambassador Peter Potman, of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as the new Vice- Chair of Working Group A.

The entry into force and universalization of the CTBT remains a priority for the EU. We urge all States that have not yet done so, to sign and ratify the CTBT. We also consistently call upon the remaining Annex 2 States, who still need to sign and ratify the Treaty in order to bring it into force, to do so without any preconditions or further delay. In the meantime, it is crucial for international peace and security that all States fully observe the moratorium on nuclear test explosions or any other nuclear explosion, and refrain from any action contrary to the object and purpose of the Treaty. In this regard, we call on all concerned States to continue to honor their engagements.

During the last NPT PrepCom Session in New York, the EU was pleased to submit a Working Paper on the CTBT with recommendations for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, cosponsored by 16 countries. We also look forward to the Article XIV Conference in September, in New York and support the efforts of the Co-Chairs - Sweden and the Philippines – to reach consensus on a Joint Final Declaration. This will be an important occasion to reaffirm States Signatories’ support to the CTBT and promote its entry into force.

Chair,

We would like to thank the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) for providing the initial draft of the 2026-2027 Programme and Budget Proposals. We welcome the optimization and reprioritization of activities and we encourage the PTS to continue such efforts. At the same time it is crucial that the Organisation’s Budget enables the PTS to implement its programmatic activities.

Ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the verification regime, through an IMS Sustainment Strategy remains essential. We thank the PTS for circulating several information papers, which clearly show the technical needs of the PTS and the path for the maintenance of the IMS network. As we are about to discuss the funding of these needs, taking into account the constraints of many States Signatories, we must keep in mind that any deviation from the scenario A will lead to a decrease in data availability and quality. Whatever the scenario that will eventually be approved by the PrepCom, we have to make sure that the potential decrease in data availability and quality will not hamper the ability of the PTS to perform its mission. We support your efforts and consultations Chair to reach consensus among States Signatories on a funding scenario that will be implemented from 2026 and onwards.

The EU urges all States Signatories to pay their outstanding contributions and arrears without further delay. Paying assessed contributions is not optional, and the failure to do so is inconsistent with the Resolution establishing the Preparatory Commission. Thus, all efforts should be made towards the early payment of assessed contributions for the sake of the verification regime’s efficient operation and the PTS’s financial health.

Chair,

The EU has so far contributed over € 29.5 million in extra-budgetary contributions to the CTBTO. This reflects the strong commitment of the EU and its Member States to the Treaty and to its implementation. These funds are being used inter alia to improve the auxiliary seismic station network, to strengthen CTBTO on-site inspection capabilities, and to provide assistance to experts from developing countries through the Technical Experts Support Programme (TESP).

We thank the PTS for the consolidated report on Human Resources Management and Equal Employment Opportunities for women in the PTS. We welcome the sustained efforts in pursuing gender parity and equitable geographical representation while recruiting highly qualified professional staff. In this regard, we encourage the PTS to continue its efforts towards increasing the proportion of women in the professional and higher level categories. Moreover, the EU reiterates its support for the CTBTO mentoring programme for early career women in STEM from under-represented geographical regions in order to promote both gender equality and geographical diversity.

Chair,

The EU takes note with appreciation of the report of the Advisory Group (AG)

and supports the recommendation contained therein. We also take note of the Financial statements of the Preparatory Commission, including the report of the External Auditor, who has issued an unqualified opinion on the accounts. In this regard we highlight the importance of proportionality of the audit to the nature of this organisation as well as the need for the PTS to assess the implementation of the recommendations made on a cost-benefit basis with proper consideration of organisational constraints and context, as pointed out by the AG.

Regarding the appointment of the new External Auditor for 2026-2027, the EU welcomes that several nominations were submitted by States Signatories. We are pleased that France, an EU Member State, has submitted a highly sound nomination, both technically and financially, of the Cour de Comptes, which we support. We thank the Chair for organising the informal presentation of the five nominations and we look forward to making a positive recommendation to the Commission with a view to appointing the new External Auditor by consensus at its next Session.

Thank you Chair