16.1.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L11/35 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 22 December 2000 on the rules applicable to national experts on detachment to the General Secretariat of the Council in the context of an exchange system for officials of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union and officials of national administrations or of international organisations (2001/41EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 207(2) thereof, Whereas: (1) The conclusions of the Helsinki European Council in December 1999 encourage the implementation within the General Secretariat of the Council of the possibility of exchanges with national administrations. (2) It has been decided to introduce arrangements for the exchange of officials to ensure closer collaboration between the Council and national administrations or international organisations, by means of the detachment of officials of the General Secretariat to such administra- tions or organisations and by the detachment to the General Secretariat of national or international officials, thus allowing a reciprocal transfer of knowledge to be carried out. (3)  The specific nature and volume of the work to be done justifies the detachment of several national experts and practitioners, to the General Secretariat of the Council for a limited period, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: CHAPTER 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1 Definition 1. These rules are applicable to national experts on detach- ment to the General Secretariat of the Council, hereinafter referred to as the ‘General Secretariat’, in the context of the arrangements for exchanges of officials of the General Secre- tariat with national administrations or international organ- isations. 2. The persons covered by these rules shall remain in paid employment in an international or national administration throughout the period of detachment. 3. Except where the Secretary-General/High Representative grants a derogation, national experts on detachment shall be nationals of a Member State of the European Union. However, such a derogation shall be excluded in the field of the European common security and defence policy. Article 2 Period of detachment 1. The period of detachment of national experts on detach- ment shall depend on the tasks assigned to them. The total period of detachment, including any renewal, may not exceed four years. They shall serve on a full-time basis throughout the period of detachment. 2. The probable period of detachment shall be fixed at the outset in the Exchange of Letters referred to in Article 18(2) between the Secretary-General/High Representative and the Permanent Representative, or the employer in the case of an international organisation. 3. No national expert may be detached to the General Secre- tariat more than once.