The following Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have agreed to sign the "Endorsement of the Nuclear Weapon Convention" on 1st July 2008, to mark the 40th anniversary of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

We are well underway and here are the countries where we have initial support. Support in Belgium and Luxembourg is already significant.

Text of the endorsement

Briefing on the Nuclear Weapons Convention

Ms. Frieda Brepoels, PPE-De, Belgium:

"After 40 years it is also for the US, Russia, China, Great-Britain and France the highest time to keep their promises and destroy their entire nuclear arsenal. Nuclear weapons add nothing to a better and more secure world. A majority of people all over the world want a total ban on nuclear weapons. The non proliferation Treaty looses its credibility if the Heads of Government of those countries refuse to negotiate. They carry an enormous responsibility for all the following generations."

Ana Gomes, PSE (Portugal) and Vice-Chair EP Subcommittee Security and Defense:

"I signed this statement because I think the time has come to break the
impasse in the implementation of NPT, both in its non-proliferation and
in its disarmament aspects. With a new US administration about to come
to power, this is the right moment for parliamentarians and legislators
around the world to add their voices to the growing campaign for a world
without nuclear weapons. We, in the European Parliament, recognize our
responsibility to push the European nuclear weapons states to make real
commitments to the implementation of Article VI of the NPT - and we
think the NWC is a fundamental step forward in that direction."

Angelica Beer, Greens/EFA Germany, member EP Subcommittee on Security and Defence:

"Only a serious commitment to disarmament provides the moral ground for demanding non-proliferation from others"

Frieda Brepoels, Belgium PPE -DE:

"After 40 years it is also for the US, Russia, China, Great-Britain and France the highest time to keep their promises and destroy their entire nuclear arsenal. Nuclear weapons add nothing to a better and more secure world. A majority of people all over the world want a total ban on nuclear weapons. The non proliferation Treaty looses its credibility if the Heads of Government of those countries refuse to negotiate. They carry an enormous responsibility for all the following generations."

Mr. Girts Kristovskis, UEN Latvia, Vice-Chair of the EP Subcommittee on Security and Defense:

"The inability of states to progress with nuclear disarmament; the long term freezing of the Treaty of Non-Proliferation and the growing interest of terrorists to use the possibility of smuggling nuclear weapons brings civilization ever closer to the nightmare scenario becoming a reality. Unfortunately, we are rather passive."

First Signatories:

Deputy chairs EP PNND section:

Ms. Annemie Neyts (ALDE - Belgium)
Mr. Andre Brie (GUE/NGL - Germany)
Ms. Angelika Beer (Greens - EFA - Germany)
Mr. Girts Kristovskis (UEN - Latvia).
Ms. Ana Gomes (PSE - Portugal)

First co-signers on June 27th (alphabetical per country)

Ms. Evelin Lichentenberger (Greens/EFA, Austria)
Mr. Johannes Voggenhuber (Greens/EFA, Austria)
Ms. Frieda Brepoels (PPE -DE, Belgium)
Mr. Ivo Belet (PPE-DE, Belgium)
Mr. Jean-Luc Dehaene (PPE-DE, Belgium)
Mr. Raymond Langendries (PPE-DE, Belgium)
Mr. Philippe Busquin (PSE, Belgium)
Ms. Anne Van Lancker (PSE - Belgium)
Mr. El Khadrahoui Sa?d (PSE - Belgium)
Mr. Dirk Sterckx (ALDE, Belgium)
Mr. Johan Van Hecke (ALDE - Belgium)
Mr. Pierre Jonckheer (Greens/EFA, Belgium)
Mr. Bart Staes (Greens/EFA, Belgium)
Ms. Muriela Baeva (ALDE - Bulgaria)
Mr. Marios Matsakis (ALDE, Cyprus)
Ms. Zuzana Roithova (PPE-DE, Czech Republic)
Mr. Jir(? Ma?t?lka (GUE/NGL, Czech Republic)
Mr. Johannes Lebech (ALDE, Denmark
Ms. Margrete Auken (Greens/EFA, Denmark)
Mr. Michel Rocard (PSE, France)
Mr. Francis Wurtz (GUE/NGL, France)
Ms. Helene Flautre (Greens/EFA, France)
Mr. Alain Lipietz (Greens/EFA, France)
Mr. Jean-Luc Bennahmias (Greens/EFA, France)
Mr. Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Greens/EFA, France)
Ms. Sirpa Pietkainen (PPE-DE, Finland)
Ms. Riitta Myller (PSE, Finland)
Mr. Frithjof Schmidt (Greens/EFA, Germany)
Ms. Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Mr. Tobias Pflueger (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Ms. Sahra Wagenknecht (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Ms. Gabriele Zimmer (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Mr. Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL, Greece)
Mr. Jim Higgins (PPE-DE, Ireland)
Ms. Marian Harkin (ALDE, Ireland)
Mr. Eoin Ryan (UEN, Ireland)
Mr. Liam Aylward (UEN, Ireland)
Mr. Mario Mauro (PPE-DE, Italy)
Mr. Giusto Catania (GUE/NGL, Italy)
Mr. Giulietto Chiesa (PSE, Italy)
Ms. Pasqualina Napoletano (PSE - Italy)
Mr. Guido Sacconi (PSE - Italy)
Mr. Sepp Kusstatscher (Greens/EFA, Italy)
Mr. Vincenzo Aita (GUE/NGL - Italy)
Mr. Vittorio Agnoletto (GUE/NGL, Italy)
Mr. Umberto Guidoni (GUE/NGL, Italy)
Ms. Luisa Morgantini (GUE/NGL - Italy)
Ms. Erna Hennicot-Schoepges (PPE-DE, Luxembourg)
Ms. Lydie Polfer (ALDE - Luxembourg)
Mr. Claude Turmes (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg)
Mr. Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL - The Netherlands)
Ms. Elisa Ferreira (PSE, Portugal)
Mr. David Dragos Florin (PPE - DE - Romania)
Ms. Renate Weber (ALDE, Romania)
Mr. Emilio Menendez Del Valle (PSE, Spain)
Mr. Raul Romeva (Greens/EFA, Spain)
Mr. Carl Schlyter (Greens/EFA, Sweden)
Mr. Jens Holm (GUE/NGL, Sweden)
Mr. David Martin (PSE, UK)
Mr. Glyn Ford (PSE, UK)
Ms. Fiona Hall, ALDE - UK)
Baroness Sarah Ludford (ALDE, UK)
Ms. Jean Lambert (Greens/EFA - UK)
Ms. Caroline Lucas (Greens/EFA, UK)
Mr. Alyn Smith (Greens/EFA, UK)

You can find contact details of all MEPs on the website of the European parliament

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DRAFT Letter:

Dear Member of the European Parliament,

We invite you to co-sign the attached "Parliamentary endorsement of the Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC)".

The parliamentary statement was agreed by the cross-party group of Deputy Chairs of the European Parliament section of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND):

Ms. Ana Gomes (PSE - Portugal)
Mr. Andre Brie (GUE/NGL - Germany)
Ms. Angelika Beer (Greens - ALE - Germany)
Ms. Annemie Neyts (ALDE - Belgium)
Mr. Girts Kristovskis (UEN - Latvia).

If you agree, please print, sign and fax the statement today to +32-57-23 92 76 (Attn. Mr. DHuyvetter). This Parliamentary statement in support of the NWC will be released on Tuesday July 1st at 12 noon during a press event at the European Parliament to mark the 40th anniversary of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We hope you could join us for the photo opportunity. Please let us know if you can join so we inform the press of your presence. The venue will be either Place Luxembourg or an inside venue depending on the weather. We'll inform you of the exact place.

Time has come for the NPT Article VI commitment to be honored by the Nuclear Weapons States. 40 years have passed since the NPT was signed. With your support we'll make another step towards a world free of nuclear weapons.

This event is part of an international conference in the EP co-organized by PNND, Mayors for Peace, Abolition 2000, IPPNW, CNAPD and Greenpeace.

Sincerely,

(your name and organisation)

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