斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所-Verification-of-the-CFE-Treaty_141页_508kb

Summary of the CFE Treaty Verification Report

Core Content

The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), signed in Paris on 19 November 1990, is a landmark arms control agreement that established a comprehensive verification regime. It was signed by 22 countries, including all members of NATO and the former Warsaw Treaty Organization (WTO), and aimed to reduce the risk of surprise attacks by imposing limits on conventional armaments and equipment. The treaty was accompanied by several supporting documents, including protocols and declarations, which provided additional detail and flexibility for implementation.

Main Provisions

• Area of Application: The treaty applies to the entire land territory of the signatories in Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains, encompassing European island territories.
• Sub-Zones: The ATTU zone is divided into sub-zones (IV.1, IV.2, IV.3, IV.4) and a flank zone, with progressively larger areas and distinct limits on equipment.
• Treaty-Limited Equipment (TLE): Includes battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles (ACVs), artillery, combat aircraft, and attack helicopters. Limits are set for each sub-zone and the flank zone.
• Reduction and Storage: TLE must be reduced and stored in designated permanent storage sites (DPSS), with exceptions for certain categories.
• Verification Regime: The treaty introduced a detailed verification framework, including on-site inspections, challenge inspections, and the use of national and multinational technical means (NTM and MTM).

Key Points

• Verification Structure: The treaty's verification system is designed to ensure compliance and is based on a combination of technical means, information exchange, and on-site inspections.
• Challenge Inspections: A unique feature of the CFE Treaty is the inclusion of challenge inspections, although with the right of refusal.
• Information Exchange: Regular exchange of information is required, including annual calendars of military activities and declarations of TLE holdings.
• Technical Means: The verification system incorporates advanced technologies such as satellites, radar, and imaging systems to monitor compliance.

Verification Provisions

• On-Site Inspections (OSI): Inspections can be conducted on declared and undeclared sites, with specific quotas for passive inspections.
• National and Multinational Technical Means (NTM and MTM): These include satellite imagery, radar, and other surveillance technologies used for monitoring and verification.
• Compliance Monitoring: The treaty provides for a thorough system of compliance monitoring, including the use of technical capabilities to detect violations.
• Inspection Procedures: The Joint Consultative Group (JCG) and Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG) are responsible for overseeing the verification process and managing inspections.

Challenges and Opportunities

• Political Changes: The dissolution of the WTO and the emergence of new states in Eastern Europe posed challenges, but the treaty was designed to accommodate these changes.
• Flexibility: The verification regime includes flexibility to adapt to changing political and military environments, allowing for further negotiations and adjustments.
• Future Implications: The CFE Treaty is considered a foundation for future arms control agreements and provides valuable lessons for more ambitious reductions and verification systems.

Conclusion

The CFE Treaty is a significant step in the evolution of arms control verification. It established a detailed and flexible verification framework that can adapt to the changing political landscape in Europe. The treaty's provisions on TLE limits, storage, and inspection are designed to enhance security and reduce the risk of conflict. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding and implementing these verification mechanisms to ensure the treaty's success and to provide a basis for future arms control efforts.