L 58/70 Official Journal of the European Union 3.3.2015 COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 201 5/332 of 2 March 2015 extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 33 and Article 31(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Whereas: (I)  On 8 July 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/438/CESP (') appointing Mr Herbert SALBER as the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia. The EUSR’s mandate is to expire on 28 February 2015. (2)  The mandate of the EUSR should be extended for a further period of eight months. (3)  The EUSR will implement the mandate in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union’s external action as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 European Union Special Representative The mandate of Mr Herbert SALBER as the EUSR for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia is hereby extended until 31 October 2015. The Council may decide that the mandate of the EUSR be terminated earlier, based on an assessment by the Political and Security Committee (PSC) and a proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR). Article 2 Policy objectives The mandate of the EUSR shall be based on the policy objectives of the Union for the South Caucasus, including the objectives set out in the Conclusions of the extraordinary European Council meeting held in Brussels on 1 September 2008 and the Council Conclusions of 15 September 2008, as well as those of 27 February 2012. Those objectives include: (a) in accordance with the existing mechanisms, including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and its Minsk Group, to prevent conflicts in the region, to contribute to a peaceful settlement of conflicts in the region, including the crisis in Georgia and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, by promoting the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and through other appropriate means, and to support the implementation of such a settlement in accordance with the principles of international law; (b) to engage constructively with the main interested actors regarding the region; (c) to encourage and to support further cooperation between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and, as appropriate, their neighbouring countries; (d) to enhance the Union’s effectiveness and visibility in the region. (1) Council Decision 2014/438/CFSP of 8 July 2014 amending and extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia (O] L 200, 9.7.2014, p. 11).