Strasbourg, 14/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - MEPs have made a strong appeal to Member States to immediately apply a moratorium on the use of fragmentation mines and depleted uranium in weapons, "while awaiting the conclusion of a comprehensive study of the demands of international humanitarian law". The European Parliament adopted a common resolution by 246 votes for, 172 against with 5 abstentions from the PES, ELDR, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL on the damages caused by unexploded mines (land mines and fragmentation bombs) as well as the use of depleted uranium in weapons. The EPP-ED had participated in the submitting the resolution but withdrew its signature in the end. The resolution is also calling on the Commission "to monitor, in the light of the results from the scientific studies, the use of depleted uranium in weapons, the developments linked to the possible significant contamination of the environment and the sizeable and calculable long term risk to human health, as well as regular updates in information". MEPs are exhorting the Council and Member States, as well as NATO and its members that belong to the EU to "make a public declaration in which it makes a commitment to not use, in current or future armed conflicts, weapons or systems of weapons that have been outlawed or are deemed illegal in international law".