Decision No 1/1999 of the Association Council between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part, of 22 February 1999 adopting its rules of procedure - Rules of procedure of the Association Committee
10. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 96/13 II (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL DECISION No 1/1999 OF THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part of 22 February 1999 adopting its rules of procedure (1999/247/EC) THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL, Having regard to the Europe Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part, and in particular Articles 110, 111, 112, 113, 114 and 115 thereof, Whereas that Agreement entered into force on 1 February 1999, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 Chairmanship The Association Council shall be presided over alternately the for periods of 12 months by a representative of Council of the the European Union, on behalf of Community and its Member States, and a representative of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. The first period shall begin on the date of the first Association Council meeting and end on 31 December 1999. Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, each session of the Association Council shall be held at the usual venue for meetings of the Council of the European Union at a date agreed by both Parties. The meetings of the Association Council shall be jointly convened by the Secretaries of the Association Council in agreement with the President. Article 3 Representation The members of the Association Council may be rep- resented if unable to attend. If a member wishes to be so represented, he must notify the President of the name of his representative before the meeting at which he is to be so represented. The representative of a member of Council shall exercise all the rights of that member. the Association Article 4 Delegations Article 2 Meetings The members of the Association Council may be accom- panied by officials. Before each meeting, the President shall be informed of the intended composition of the delegation of each Party. The Association Council shall meet regularly at minis- terial level once a year. Special sessions of the Association Council may be held if the Parties so agree, at the request of either Party. A representative of the European Investment Bank shall attend the meetings of the Association Council, as an observer, when matters which concern the Bank appear on the agenda. L 96/14 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 4. 1999 The Association Council may invite non-members to attend its meetings in order to provide information on particular subjects. Article 5 Secretariat those appearing on the provisional agenda may be placed on the agenda if the two Parties so agree. The President may, 2. in agreement with the two Parties, shorten the time limits specified in paragraph 1 in order to take account of the requirements of a particular case. An official of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union and an official of the Mission of the Republic of Slovenia in Brussels shall act jointly as Sec- retaries of the Association Council. Article 9 Minutes Article 6 Correspondence Correspondence addressed to the Association Council shall be sent to the President of the Association Council at the address of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. The two Secretaries shall ensure that correspondence is forwarded to the President of the Association Council and, where appropriate, circulated to other members of the Association Council. Correspondence circulated shall be sent to the General Secretariat of the Commission, the Permanent Representations of the Member States and the Mission of the Republic of Slovenia in Brussels. Communications from the President of the Association Council shall be sent to the addressees by the two Secret- to the other aries and circulated, where appropriate, members of the Association Council at the addresses indi- cated in the preceding paragraph. Article 7 Publicity Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Association Council shall not be public. Article 8 Agendas for meetings 1. The President shall draw up a provisional agenda for each meeting. It shall be forwarded by the Secretaries of the Association Council to the addressees referred to in Article 6 not later than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting. The provisional agenda shall include the items in respect of which the President has received a request for inclu- sion in the agenda not later than 21 days before the beginning of the meeting, save that items shall not be written into the provisional agenda unless the supporting documentation has been forwarded to the Secretaries not later than the date of despatch of the agenda. The agenda shall be adopted by the Association Council at the beginning of each meeting. An item other than Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the two Secretaries. The minutes shall, as a general rule, indicate in respect of each item on the agenda: ü the documentation submitted to the Association Council, ü statements the entry of which has been requested by a member of the Association Council, ü the decisions and recommendations taken, the state- ments agreed upon and the conclusions adopted. The draft minutes shall be submitted to the Association Council for approval. When approved, the minutes shall be signed by the President and the two Secretaries. The minutes shall be filed in the archives of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union who is acting as depository of the documents of the Association; a certified copy shall be forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 6. Article 10 Decisions and recommendations 1. The Association Council shall take its decisions and recommendations by common agreement of the Parties. During the inter-sessional period, the Association Council may take decisions or recommendations by written procedure if both Parties so agree. 2. The decisions and recommendations of the Associa- tion Council within the meaning of Article 112 of the Europe Agreement shall be entitled respectively ‘Deci- sion' and ‘Recommendation' followed by a serial number, by the date of their adoption and by a description of their subject. The decisions and recommendations of the Association Council shall be signed by the President and authenti- cated by the two Secretaries. Decisions and recommendations shall be forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 6 above. Each Party may decide on the publication of decisions and recommendations of the Association Council in its respective official publication (Official Journal of the European Communities and Uradni List Republike Slov- enije). 10. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 96/15 Article 11 Languages The official languages of the Association Council shall be the official languages of the two Parties. Unless otherwise decided, the Association Council shall base its deliberations on documentation prepared in these languages. Article 12 Expenses The Community and the Republic of Slovenia shall each defray the expenses they incur by reason of their partici- pation in the meetings of the Association Council, both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and to postal and telecommunications expenditure. Expenditure in connection with interpreting at meetings, translation and reproduction of documents shall be borne by the Community, with the exception of expenditure in connection with interpreting or translation into or from Slovenian, which shall be borne by the Republic of Slov- enia. Other expenditure relating to the material organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party which hosts the meetings. Article 13 Association Committee 1. An Association Committee is hereby established in order to assist the Association Council in carrying out its duties. It shall be composed of representatives of the members of the Council of the European Union and of members of the Commission of the European Communi- ties, on the one hand, and of representatives of the Slov- enian Government, on the other, normally at senior civil servant level. 2. The Association Committee shall prepare the meet- ings and the deliberations of the Association Council, the Association Council implement the decisions of where appropriate and, in general, ensure continuity of the association relationship and the proper functioning of the Europe Agreement. It shall consider any matter referred to it by the Association Council as well as any other matter which may arise in the course of the day- to-day implementation of the Europe Agreement. It shall submit proposals or any draft decisions/recommendations for adoption to the Association Council. In cases where the Europe Agreement refers to an 3. obligation to consult or a possibility of consultation, such consultation may take place within the Association Committee. The consultation may continue in the Asso- ciation Council if the two Parties so agree. The 4. Committee are annexed to this Decision. of procedure rules of the Association Article 14 Subcommittees and special groups the The subcommittees, mentioned in Article 115 of to this Europe Agreement, are listed in Annex II Decision. Subcommittees shall work under the authority of the Association Committee, to which they shall report after each of their meetings. The Association Committee may decide to abolish any existing subcommittees or groups, modify their terms of reference or set up further subcommittees or groups to assist it in carrying out its duties. These subcommittees and groups shall not have any decision-making power. Done at Brussels, 22 February 1999. For the Association Council The President J. FISCHER L 96/16 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 4. 1999 ANNEX I RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE Article 1 Chairmanship to in Article 4 not later than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting. The Association Committee shall be presided over alter- nately for periods of 12 months by a representative of the European Commission, on behalf of the Community and its Member States, and a representative of the Govern- ment of the Republic of Slovenia. The first period shall begin on the date of the first Association Council meeting and end on 31 December 1999. The provisional agenda shall include the items in respect of which the Chairman has received a request for inclu- sion in the agenda not later than 21 days before the beginning of the meeting, save that items shall not be written into the provisional agenda unless the supporting documentation has been forwarded to the Secretaries not later than the date of dispatch of the agenda. Article 2 Meetings The Association Committee may ask experts to attend its meetings in order to provide information on particular subjects. The Association Committee shall meet when circum- stances require with the agreement of both Parties. Each meeting of the Association Committee shall be held at a time and place agreed by both Parties. The meetings of convened by the Chairman. the Association Committee shall be Article 3 Delegations Before each meeting, the Chairman shall be informed of the intended composition of the delegation of each Party. Article 4 Secretariat An official of the European Commission and an official of the Slovenian Government shall act jointly as Secreta- ries of the Association Committee. All communications to and from the Chairman of the Association Committee provided for in this Decision shall be forwarded to the Secretaries of the Association Committee and to the Secretaries and the President of the Association Council. Article 5 Publicity Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Association Committee shall not be public. Article 6 Agendas for meetings 1. The Chairman shall draw up a provisional agenda for each meeting. It shall be forwarded by the Secretaries of the Association Committee to the addressees referred agenda shall be The adopted by the Association Committee at the beginning of each meeting. An item other than those appearing on the provisional agenda may be placed on the agenda if the two Parties so agree. The Chairman may, 2. in agreement with the two Parties, shorten the time limits specified in paragraph 1 in order to take account of the requirements of a particular case. Article 7 Minutes Minutes shall be taken for each meeting and shall be based on a summing up by the Chairman of the conclu- sions arrived at by the Association Committee. When approved by the Association Committee, the minutes shall be signed by the Chairman and by the Secretaries and filed by each of the Parties. A copy of the minutes shall be forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 4. Article 8 Deliberations In the specific cases where the Association Committee is empowered by the Association Council under Article 114(2) of the Europe Agreement to take decisions/recom- mendations, these acts shall be entitled respectively ‘Deci- sion' and ‘Recommendation', followed by a serial number, by the date of their adoption and by a description of their subject. Decisions and recommendations shall be made by common agreement between the Parties. 10. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 96/17 The decisions and recommendations of the Association Committee shall be signed by the President and authenticated by the two Secretaries and shall be forwarded to the addressees referred to in Article 4 of this Annex. Each Party may decide on the publication of the decisions and recommendations of this Association Committee in its respective official publication (i. e. Official Journal of the European Communities and the Uradni List Republike Slovenije). Article 9 Expenses The Community and the Republic of Slovenia shall each defray the expenses they incur by reason of their participation in the meetings of the Association Committee, both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and to postal and telecommunications expenditure. Expenditure in connection with interpreting at meetings, translation and reproduction of docu- ments shall be borne by the Community, with the exception of expenditure in connection with interpreting or translation into or from Slovenian, which shall be borne by the Republic of Slovenia. Other expenditure relating to the material organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party which hosts the meetings. L 96/18 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 4. 1999 ANNEX II EC-SLOVENIA EUROPE AGREEMENT PROPOSED MULTIDISCIPLINARY SUBCOMMITTEE STRUCTURE Title Issues 1. Agriculture and fisheries Agriculture Fisheries Processed Agriculture 2. Approximation of legislation, com- Approximation of legislation (all areas) petition and opening up of Community White Paper on integration in the internal market programmes Competition Intellectual and industrial property Public procurement Public administration Community programmes 3. Trade, consumer protection industry, ECSC products and Commercial questions Industrial cooperation Standards and conformity assessment Tourism Small and medium-sized enterprises Consumer protection Coal and steel 4. Economic issues Economic questions Monetary policy EA Article 19-22/79 23-24 Protocol 3 70-72 65-67 68 69 106 26-37 74 76 90 91 93 Protocol 2 73, 96 86 5. Human resources, research, technolo- gical development and social policy 6. Transport Committee 7. Environment, development energy and regional Education and training Science and technology Social cooperation (employment, labour market, legislation, indus- trial relations, etc. ) Cultural legislation Information communication Transport Maritime transport Infrastructure and trans-European networks Post and telecommunications Environment and protection against natural disasters Energy Nuclear safety Regional development 78 77 89 99 92 83 84 82 80 81 88 istics, drugs and prevention of illegal activities 8. Cooperation in customs matters, stat- Customs Taxation Statistical cooperation Drugs and money laundering Prevention of illegal activities Protocol on origin and mutual assistance 9. Financial services and establishment and capital movements Banking, insurance and other financial services Investment promotion and protection Movement of workers Right of establishment and services Capital movements and payments 94-35 27 95 87, 97 98 Protocols 4, 5 85 75 38-44 45-55 62-64