Decision of the Joint Consultative Group on an Additional Procedure for Reduction by Destruction of Conventional Armaments and Equipment Limited by the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

14 July 1995

Pursuant to Section I, paragraph 5 of the Protocol on Procedures Governing the Reduction of Conventional Armaments and Equipment Limited by the Treaty on Armed Forces in Europe of 19 November 1990, the Joint Consultative Group decided on 14 July 1995 that the additional procedure for reduction of conventional armaments and equipment, as specified in the following text, shall be deemed sufficient for carrying out the reduction of conventional armaments and equipment limited by the Treaty. This decision does not prejudice any State Party's right to apply the reduction procedures as set forth in aforementioned Protocol or to apply the additional procedures for reduction set forth in the decision of the Joint Consultative Group of 11 May 1993, 29 June 1993 and 12 October 1993, 8 March and 3 May 1994, 24 May 1994.

Additonal Procedure for Reduction of Irreversibly Damaged
Conventional Armaments and Equipment Limited by the
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

  1. This procedure shall be applied only to conventional armaments and equipment limited by the Treaty which are derelict or have been damaged in combat or as a result of other unanticipated circumstances.

  2. Conventional armaments and equipment must be irreversibly damaged in order to be considered reduced in accordance with this procedure. For the purposes of this Decision, irreversible damage shall mean that the effects of damage to the parts and elements of items of conventional armaments and equipment are on a scale equivalent to the effects of damage that would result from carrying out any other approved reduction procedures. In order for the inspectors to conclude that the effects of damage are on an equivalent scale, they must be satisfied that the following criteria have been met:

    1. For battle tanks:

      1. integral main armament:

        1. visible irreversible damage to either of the trunnion mounts; or

        2. irreversible damage to the gun mount or cradle so as to make them unusable for mounting a gun tube;

        3. irreversible damage to the operating surfaces of the breech system or chamber so as to preclude firing; or

        4. irreversible damage to the breech block so as to preclude firing. and

      2. hull:

        1. such irreversible damage to the hull by severe cracking, deformation or distortion that it could not be used for military purposes; or

        2. visible irreversible damage to the perimeter of the hull turret aperture to the extent that the turret cannot traverse; or

        3. irreversible damage to the hull as a result of cracks, deformation or distortion not amounting to such serious damage as in paragraph 2(A)(2)(a) above but to the extent that the turret cannot traverse; and

        4. irreversible damage to the final drive aperture that precludes mounting a final drive; or

        5. irreversible damage to at least one of the engine mounts making incapable of mounting the engine.

    2. For armored combat vehicles:

      1. For armored infantry personnel carriers irreversible damage must be such that, for tracked vehicles the final drive must not be capable of propelling the vehicle, and for wheeled vehicles the front wheel final gearbox mounting area must be irreversibly damaged so that the vehicle could not be propelled.

      2. For armored infantry fighting vehicles and heavy armament combat vehicles the criteria shall be the same as those set out in paragraph 2(A) of this Decision except that for wheeled armored infantry fighting vehicles and heavy armament combat vehicles the criteria for wheeled armored personnel carriers in paragraph 2(B)(1) above are to be used instead of those in paragraphs 2(A)(2)(d) and (e).

    3. For artillery:

      1. For self­propelled guns, howitzers, artillery pieces combining the characteristics of guns and howitzers or mortars the criteria shall be the same as those set out in paragraph 2(A) of this decision.

      2. For guns, howitzers, artillery pieces combining the characteristics guns and howitzers or mortars the criteria shall be the same as those set out in paragraph 2(A)(1) of this decision. Additionally, the trails / base plate must be irreversibly damaged so as to be rendered inoperative.

      3. For multiple launch rocket systems all tubes or launcher rails, and tube or launcher rail bases must be irreversibly damaged so as to preclude firing.

    4. For combat aircraft:
      The aircraft's fuselage must be irreversible damaged so as to preclude flight.

    5. for attack helicopters:
      The attack helicopter's fuselage must be irreversible damaged so as to preclude flight.

  3. In accordance with Section X of the Protocol on Inspection each State Party shall have the right to conduct inspections of conventional armaments and equipment to be presented for reduction under this procedure. However for the purposes of this decision only, the limitations relating to inspections set out in paragraphs 4 and 5 below shall apply.

  4. Inspections under this procedure shall be limited to a single inspection in each calendar reporting period. This inspection shall be conducted by an inspecting State Party from the group of States Parties of which the State Party presenting items of conventional armaments and equipment for reduction is not a member.

  5. Each inspection under this procedure shall be limited to no more than seven days unless otherwise agreed by the State Party presenting items of conventional armaments and equipment for reduction and the inspecting State Party.

  6. A State Party intending to implement the additional procedure set out in this Decision shall provide to all other States Parties in accordance with Section X of the Protocol on Inspection a notification of intent to have conventional armaments and equipment reduced in accordance with this Decision. For the purposes of this Decision:

    1. the calendar reporting period is the period during which the conventional armaments and equipment to be reduced in accordance with this decision will be available at the reduction site, the first and last days of this period representing respectively the scheduled dates for initiation and completion of reduction;

    2. the duration of the calendar reporting period shall be no less than 15 days;

    3. the notification shall additionally contain a description of the unanticipated circumstances which caused damage to the conventional armaments and equipment to be reduced in accordance with this decision.

  7. Conventional armaments and equipment to be reduced in accordance with this Decision shall be presented at reduction sites in accordance with Section I and II of the protocol on Reduction, with the following exceptions:

    1. if the presentation of an item of conventional armaments and equipment as a complete assembly, in accordance with Section II, paragraph 2 of the protocol on Reduction, is, for whatever reason, impossible, all its major parts and elements shall be presented together to meet the criteria set out in paragraph 2 of this Decision.

    2. conventional armaments and equipment to be reduced in accordance with this Decision shall be segregated from other conventional armaments and equipment subject to reduction.

    3. the State Party intending to implement the additional procedure set out in this decision shall have the right to shroud any sensitive part of an item of conventional armaments and equipment presented at the reduction site.

    4. If the inspection team finds that the damage to an item of conventional armaments and equipment is not sufficient to meet the criteria set out in paragraph 2 of this decision, or if, for any cause within control of the State Party presenting items for reduction in accordance with this procedure, the inspectors are unable to inspect an item, it shall not be counted as reduced.

    5. The State Party seeking reduction under the procedure specified in this decision may take action as necessary during the inspection to further damage conventional armaments and equipment in order to satisfy inspectors that the criteria set out in paragraph 2 of this decision have been met.

    6. For the purposes of this decision copies of the inspection report shall be provided by the inspecting State Party to all States Parties and to the Joint Consultative Group within 30 days after the end of the inspection. Inspectors shall have the right to take photographs and video film of conventional armaments and equipment to be reduced in accordance with this Decision and include them in the report.

    7. Notwithstanding the Decision of the Joint Consultative Group of 23 May 1995 an the Costs of Inspections, days during which inspectors conduct inspections of reductions in accordance with this Decision shall not be included in calculating the number of inspector days during the third reduction phase in which inspection teams were present on the territory of the inspected State Party conducting inspections pursuant to Section X, paragraphs 1 to 10 of the Protocol on Inspection.

    8. The number of conventional armaments and equipment limited by the Treaty which a State Party reduces by the additional procedure specified in this Decision shall not exceed:

      1. a combined total of 300 battle tanks, pieces of artillery and armored combat vehicles and a combined total of 45 combat aircraft and attack helicopters; or

      2. two per cent of a combined total of a State Party's maximum levels for holdings of battle tanks, artillery, armored combat vehicles, artillery combat aircraft and attack helicopters,

      whichever is greater.

Statement by the Chairman of the Joint Consultative Group

The Chairman of the Joint Consultative Group notes that:

The States Parties have agreed, for the purpose of facilitating the implementation of the Decision adopted today on an Additional Procedure for Reduction of Conventional Armaments and Equipment limited by the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, that:

  1. the calendar reporting period during which the conventional armaments and equipment to be reduced are available at the reduction site includes the three days referred to in paragraph 7 of Section X of the Protocol on Inspection;

  2. the sites used for the presentation of the armaments and equipment to be reduced in accordance with the above­mentioned Decision are to be nodded in accordance with paragraph 10 of Article VIII of the Treaty;

  3. an inspection in reduced in accordance with the above­mentioned Decision can begin on any day during the calendar reporting period, including the first day.

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