# EUR-Lex - 52009PC0061 - EN

Important legal notice

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# 52009PC0061

**Proposal for a Council Decision on a Community Position concerning the Rules of Procedure of the Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council, the Trade and Development Committee and the Special Committees provided for by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part /* COM/2009/0061 final */ **

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[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 17.2.2009

COM(2009) 61 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

on a Community Position concerning the Rules of Procedure of the Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council, the Trade and Development Committee and the Special Committees provided for by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part was signed on 15 October 2008, and it is provisionally applied as of 29 December 2008.

Article 227 of the Agreement establishes a Joint Council, which will examine any major issues arising within the framework of the Agreement and any other bilateral, multilateral or international issue of mutual interest. The Joint Council will be assisted in the performance of its duties by a Trade and Development Committee and by Special Committees, as referred to in Articles 36, and 230 of the Agreement. The Trade and Development Committee will be responsible for general implementation of the Agreement.

Articles 228 and 230 of the Agreement specify that the Joint Council must establish its own Rules of Procedure and those of the Trade and Development Committee. In the light of the need to ensure the rapid start of the implementation of the Agreement the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Council, of the Trade and Development Committee and the Special Committees are to be adopted at the first meeting of the Joint Council scheduled to take place on ....

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

on a Community Position concerning the Rules of Procedure of the Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council, the Trade and Development Committee and the Special Committees provided for by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 300 (2), second subparagraph thereof,

Having regard for the Council Decision on signature and provisional application of Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part[1],

Having regard to Council conclusions on regional integration and the Economic Partnership Agreements for the development in the ACP countries[2],

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission[3],

Whereas:

(1) The Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, was signed on 15 October 2008, and is provisionally applied as of 29 December 2008.

(2) Article 227 of the said Agreement establishes a Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council, which will examine any major issues arising within the framework of the Agreement and any other bilateral, multilateral or international issue of mutual interest.

(3) Article 230 of the said Agreement establishes a CARIFORUM-EC Trade and Development Committee, which will assist the Joint Council in the performance of its duties and be responsible for general implementation of the Agreement.

(4) Article 230 (4) provides that the Trade and Development Committee may be assisted in the performance of its functions by the Special Committees.

(5) Article 36 of the said Agreement establishes a Special Committee on Customs Cooperation and Trade Facilitation.

(6) Articles 228(3) and 230(2) of the said Agreement provide that the Joint Council must adopt its Rules of Procedure and establish those of the Trade and Development Committee, and it is further appropriate for the Joint Council to use its decision-making powers provided for in Article 229 (1) of the Agreement in respect of all matters covered by the Agreement, to establish Rules of Procedures for Special Committees.

(7) The Community should determine the position to be taken with regard to the adoption of the Rules of Procedure for the Joint Council, the Trade and Development Committee and the Special Committees,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The position of the Community in view of the adoption of a decision by the Agreement's Joint Council on the Rules of Procedure for the Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council, the CARIFORUM-EC Trade and Development Committee and the Special Committees provided for by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, shall be based on the draft decision of the Joint Council annexed to this Decision.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

ANNEX

DECISION No .../2009 OF THE JOINT COUNCIL set up by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part concerning the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Council, the Trade and Development Committee and the Special Committees

THE JOINT CARIFORUM-EC COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”), signed in Bridgetown, Barbados on 15 October 2008, and in particular Articles 227, 228 (3), 229 (1) and 230 (2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The Agreement provides that the Joint Council must adopt its Rules of Procedure and establish those of the Trade and Development Committee.

(2) The Joint Council and the Trade and Development Committee will be assisted in the performance of their duties by the Special Committee on Customs Cooperation and Trade Facilitation, which is established in accordance with Article 36 of the Agreement, and by Special Committees which may be established pursuant to Article 230(4) of the Agreement. It is further appropriate to establish Rules of Procedure for these Special Committees.

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Rules of Procedure of the Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council and of the CARIFORUM-EC Trade and Development Committee are established as set out in Annex I and II respectively.

Article 2

1. The Rules of Procedure set out in Annex III shall be applicable to the Special Committee on Customs Cooperation and Trade Facilitation as well as to any other Special Committee which may be established pursuant to Article 230(4) of the Agreement.

2. These Rules are without prejudice to any special rules provided for in the Agreement or which may be decided by the Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on ....

Done at,

ANNEX I

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE JOINT CARIFORUM-EC COUNCIL

set up by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part

Article 1

Composition and Chair

1. The Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council (hereinafter referred to as the "Joint Council") is composed as provided for in Article 228 (1) of the Agreement.

2. The representative of the CARIFORUM States acting collectively, provided for in Article 228 (2) of the Agreement, is referred to as the "CARIFORUM Coordinator", and the reference to "the Parties" in the Rules of Procedure is in accordance with the definition provided for in Article 233 (3) of the Agreement.

3. The Joint Council shall be chaired alternately for periods of 12 months by a representative of the Council of the European Union and a representative of the European Commission, and by a representative of the CARIFORUM States at Ministerial or Head of Government level. The first Chair period shall begin on the date of the first meeting of the Joint Council of the Agreement and end on 31 December of the following year. The Chair shall be held first by a representative of the CARIFORUM States.

Article 2

Representation

1. The members of the Joint Council may be represented by an alternate representative if the designated representative is unable to attend.

2. A member wishing to be represented by an alternate representative shall notify the Chair of the Joint Council of the name of his or her alternate representative before the meeting at which he or she is to be so represented. The alternate representative of a member of the Joint Council shall exercise all the rights of that member.

Article 3

Observers

1. The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, the CARICOM Secretariat and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Secretariat shall be observers on a permanent basis.

2. The Parties may decide to invite additional observers on an ad hoc basis.

3. The Parties may decide to invite representatives of the CARIFORUM-EC Parliamentary Committee and of the CARIFORUM-EC Consultative Committee to inform the Joint Council of the work undertaken in the respective Committees.

Article 4

Meetings

1. The Joint Council shall meet at regular intervals, not exceeding a period of two years, and will hold extraordinary meetings whenever circumstances so require, if the Parties so agree.

2. Each session of the Joint Council shall be held at a date and place agreed by both Parties.

3. The meetings of the Joint Council shall be convened by the Secretary of the Joint Council.

Article 5

Delegations

The members of the Joint Council may be accompanied by officials. Before each meeting, the Chair of the Joint Council shall be informed of the intended composition of the delegations of the Signatory CARIFORUM States and of the EC Party.

Article 6

Secretariat

Officials of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union and of a CARIFORUM State shall act alternatively for periods of 12 months as Secretary of the Joint Council. These periods shall coincide with the holding of the Chair by respectively the EC Party and the CARIFORUM States.

Article 7

Documents

Where the deliberations of the Joint Council are based on written supporting documents, such documents shall be numbered and circulated as documents of the Joint Council by the Secretary.

Article 8

Correspondence

1. All correspondence addressed to the Joint Council shall be directed to the Secretary of the Joint Council.

2. The Secretary shall ensure that correspondence addressed to the Joint Council is forwarded to the Chair of the Council and, where appropriate, circulated as documents referred to in Article 7 of these Rules of Procedure to the other members of the Joint Council. Correspondence circulated shall be sent to the Secretariat-General of the European Commission, the Permanent Representations of the Member States of the European Union in Brussels and to the CARIFORUM Coordinator, as well as to the Coordinators of each Signatory CARIFORUM States provided for under article 234(1) of the Agreement.

3. Correspondence from the Chair of the Joint Council shall be sent to the recipients by the Secretary and, where appropriate, circulated as documents referred to in Article 7 of these Rules of Procedure to the other members of the Joint Council at the addressees provided for in paragraph 2.

Article 9

Agenda for the meetings

1. A provisional agenda for each meeting shall be drawn up by the Secretary of the Joint Council on the basis of proposals made by the Parties and the Signatory CARIFORUM States. It shall be forwarded by the Secretary of the Joint Council to the addressees referred to in Article 8 paragraph 2 of these Rules of Procedure no later than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting.

2. The provisional agenda shall include the items for which a request for inclusion in the agenda has been received by the Secretary no later than 21 days before the beginning of the meeting, although such items will not be included in the provisional agenda unless the relevant supporting documents have been received by the Secretary no later than the date of dispatch of the provisional agenda.

3. The agenda shall be adopted by the Joint Council at the beginning of each meeting. An item other than those appearing on the provisional agenda may be placed on the agenda if the Parties so agree.

4. The Chair of the Joint Council, in agreement with the Parties, may invite experts to attend its meetings in order to provide information on specific subjects.

5. With the agreement of the Parties, the Secretary may abridge the time limits specified in paragraph 1 in order to take account of the requirements of a particular case.

Article 10

Minutes

1. Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the Secretary as soon as possible.

2. The minutes shall, as a general rule, summarize each item on the agenda, specifying where applicable:

(a) all documents submitted to the Joint Council,

(b) any statement that a member of the Joint Council has asked to be entered,

(c) the decisions taken, recommendations made, statements agreed upon and conclusions adopted on specific items.

3. The minutes shall also include a list of members of the Joint Council or their representatives who took part in the meeting, and a list of the members of the delegations accompanying them.

4. The minutes shall be approved in writing by both Parties within three months of the date of the meeting. Once approved, two copies of the minutes shall be signed by the Secretary and each of the Parties shall receive one original of these authentic documents. Copies of the signed minutes shall be forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 8 paragraph 2 of these Rules of Procedure.

Article 11

Decisions and recommendations

1. The Joint Council shall adopt decisions and recommendations by agreement as provided for in Article 229 of the Agreement.

2. The Joint Council may decide to submit any general matter of an all ACP-EC interest arising under the CARIFORUM EPA to the ACP-EC Council of Ministers as defined in Article 15 of the Cotonou Agreement.

3. In the period between meetings, the Joint Council may adopt decisions or recommendations by written procedure if both Parties so agree. A written procedure shall consist of an exchange of notes between the Parties. The CARIFORUM Coordinator shall have the power to exchange such notes and to confirm the agreement of the Signatory CARIFORUM States on any decision, after receiving the individual Signatory CARIFORUM States confirmation of their agreement on any decision, as necessary.

4. Decisions and recommendations of the Joint Council within the meaning of Article 229 of the Agreement shall be entitled "Decision" and "Recommendation" respectively, and followed by a serial number, the date of their adoption and a description of their subject. Each decision shall provide for the date of its entry into force.

5. Decisions and recommendations adopted by the Joint Council shall be authenticated by a representative of the European Commission on behalf of the EC Party, and by the CARIFORUM Coordinator on behalf of the CARIFORUM States.

6. Decisions and recommendations shall be forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 8 (2) of these Rules of Procedure as documents of the Joint Council.

Article 12

Publicity

1. Unless otherwise decided, meetings of the Joint Council shall not be public.

2. Each Party or Signatory CARIFORUM State may decide on the publication of the decisions and recommendations of the Joint Council in its respective official publication.

Article 13

Languages

1. The working languages of the Joint Council shall be the official languages common to the Parties, namely English, Spanish, French and Dutch.

2. The Joint Council shall base its deliberations and adopt decisions and recommendations on documentation and proposals prepared in one of the languages referred to in paragraph 1.

Article 14

Expenses

1. Each Party shall meet any expenses it incurs as a result of participating in the meetings of the Joint Council, both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and with regard to postal and telecommunications expenditure.

2. Expenditure in connection with the organisation of meetings and reproduction of documents shall be borne by the Party hosting the meeting.

3. Expenditure in connection with the provision of interpretation services at meetings, and translation of documents into or from any of the working languages of the Council, shall be borne by the Party hosting the meeting. Expenditure associated with the provision of interpretation services and translation of documents into or from other official languages of the European Union (EU) shall be borne by the EC Party.

ANNEX II

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

set up by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part

Article 1

Composition and Chair

1. The CARIFORUM-EC Trade and Development Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Trade and Development Committee) is established in accordance with Article 230 of the Agreement for the purposes of assisting the Joint Council in the performance of its duties and of taking on the responsibility for the general implementation of the Agreement.

2. The Trade and Development Committee shall be chaired alternately for periods of 12 months by senior officials of the European Commission, on behalf of the European Community and its Member States, and by senior officials of the CARIFORUM States on their behalf. The first Chair period shall coincide with the first Chair period of the Joint Council. For that period and thereafter for each twelve-month period, the Trade and Development Committee shall be chaired by the Party holding the Chair in the Joint Council. The Chair shall be held first by a representative of the CARIFORUM States.

3. As provided for in Article 230 (1) of the Agreement, the Trade and Development Committee shall be composed of representatives of the members of the Council of the European Union and representatives of the European Commission, on the one hand, and of representatives of the Signatory CARIFORUM States, on the other, normally at senior officials level. The CARIFORUM Coordinator and the Signatory CARIFORUM States Coordinators shall each nominate a Deputy Coordinator who shall attend the meetings of the Trade and Development Committee. The CARIFORUM Deputy Coordinator shall act on behalf of the CARIFORUM States and present their position on all matters under the Agreement for which they have agreed to act collectively.

4 The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, the CARICOM Secretariat and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Secretariat shall be observers on a permanent basis. The Parties may decide to invite additional observers, including representatives of the CARIFORUM-EC Parliamentary Committee and of the CARIFORUM-EC Consultative Committee, on an ad hoc basis.

5. In addition to performing the specific tasks conferred upon it by the Agreement, the Trade and Development Committee shall prepare the meetings and deliberations of the Joint Council, monitor implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the Joint Council where appropriate and, in general, ensure continuity of the proper functioning of the Agreement. It shall consider any matter referred to it by the Joint Council as well as any other matter which may arise in the course of day-to-day implementation of the Agreement.

6. In cases where the Agreement refers to possible consultations, such consultations may take place within the Trade and Development Committee. The consultations may continue in the Joint Council if the Parties so agree, except where otherwise provided for in the Agreement.

Article 2

Meetings

1. The Trade and Development Committee shall meet once a year or when circumstances so require, with the agreement of both Parties. If both Parties agree, the meetings of the Trade and Development Committee may be held by video or teleconference.

2. Each meeting of the Trade and Development Committee shall be convened by the Secretary at a date and place agreed by both Parties.

Article 3

Delegations

Before each meeting, the Chair of the Trade and Development Committee shall be informed of the intended composition of the delegations attending the meeting.

Article 4

Secretariat

1. Officials of the European Commission and of a CARIFORUM State shall act alternatively for periods of 12 months as Secretary of the Trade and Development Committee. These periods shall coincide with the holding of the Chair by respectively the European Commission and the CARIFORUM States.

2. All correspondence with the Chair of the Trade and Development Committee provided for in these Rules of Procedure shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the Trade and Development Committee and the Secretary and the Chair of the Joint Council and, where appropriate, to the members of the Joint Council or the Trade and Development Committee.

Article 5

Publicity

Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Trade and Development Committee shall not be public.

Article 6

Agenda for the meetings

1. A provisional agenda for each meeting shall be drawn up by the Secretary of the Trade and Development Committee. It shall be forwarded to the Chair and Secretary of the Joint Council as well as to the members of the Trade and Development Committee no later than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting.

2. The provisional agenda shall include items in respect of which the Chair has received a request for inclusion in the agenda no later than 21 days before the beginning of the meeting, although such items may not be included in the provisional agenda unless the supporting documents have been received by the Secretary no later than the date of dispatch of the provisional agenda.

3. The agenda shall be adopted by the Trade and Development 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.

4. The Chair of the Trade and Development Committee in agreement with the Parties may invite experts to attend its meetings in order to provide information on specific subjects.

5. The Chair may, in agreement with the two Parties, abridge the time periods specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 in order to take account of the requirements of a particular case.

Article 7

Minutes

1. Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the Secretary as soon as possible.

2. The minutes shall, as a general rule, indicate in respect of each item on the agenda:

(a) the documents submitted to the Trade and Development Committee,

(b) any statement that a member of the Trade and Development Committee has asked to be entered,

(c) the decisions taken, recommendations made, statements agreed upon and conclusions adopted on specific items.

3. The minutes shall also include a list of members of the Trade and Development Committee or their representatives who took part in the meeting.

4. The minutes shall be approved in writing by the Deputy CARIFORUM Coordinator and the senior European Commission official(s) who participated in the meeting within two months of the date of the meeting. Once approved, two copies of the minutes shall be signed by the Secretary and each of the Parties shall receive one original of these authentic documents. Copies of the signed minutes shall be forwarded to the Chair and the Secretary of the Joint Council and to the members of the Trade and Development Committee.

Article 8

Decisions and Recommendations

1. Where the Trade and Development Committee is empowered under the Agreement to adopt decisions or recommendations, such acts shall be entitled "Decision" or "Recommendation" respectively, and followed by a serial number, the date of their adoption and a description of their subject. Each decision shall provide for the date of its entry into force.

2. Whenever the Trade and Development Committee takes a decision, Articles 10, 11 and 12 of the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Council shall apply mutatis mutandis.

3. Decisions and recommendations of the Trade and Development Committee shall be forwarded to the addressees referred to in Article 4 of these Rules of Procedure.

Article 9

Languages

1. The working languages of the Trade and Development Committee shall be the official languages common to the Parties namely English, Spanish, French and Dutch.

2. The Trade and Development Committee shall base its deliberations and adopt decisions and recommendations on documentation and proposals prepared in one of the languages referred to in paragraph 1.

Article 10

Expenses

1. Each Party shall meet any expenses it incurs as a result of participating in the meetings of the Trade and Development Committee, both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and with regard to postal and telecommunications expenditure.

2. Expenditure in connection with the organisation of meetings and reproduction of documents shall be borne by the Party hosting the meeting.

3. Expenditure in connection with the provision of interpretation services at meetings and translation of documents into or from any of the working languages of the Committee shall be borne by the Party hosting the meeting. The expenditure associated with the provision of interpretation services and translation of documents into or from the other official languages of the EU shall be borne by the EC Party.

ANNEX III

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEES

set up by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part

Article 1

Composition and Chair

1. Unless otherwise specified in the Agreement or agreed by the Trade and Development Committee, a Special Committee shall be composed of representatives of the European Commission and representatives of the members of the Council of the European Union, on the one hand, and of representatives of the Signatory CARIFORUM States, on the other, and its meetings shall be chaired alternately by an official of the European Commission and by an official of a CARIFORUM State. The CARIFORUM States shall mandate one of their representatives to act on their behalf and present their position on all matters under this Agreement for which they have agreed to act collectively. Such representative shall be referred to as the CARIFORUM Representative.

2. The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, the CARICOM Secretariat and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Secretariat shall be observers on a permanent basis. The Parties may decide to invite additional observers on an ad hoc basis.

Article 2

Meetings

Unless otherwise specified in the Agreement, a Special Committee shall meet upon request of either Party at a date and place agreed in advance between the Parties.

Article 3

Delegations

Before each meeting, the Chair of a Special Committee shall be informed of the intended composition of the delegations attending the meeting.

Article 4

Secretariat

1. Officials of the European Commission and of a CARIFORUM State shall act alternatively for periods of 12 months as Secretary of the Special Committees. These periods shall coincide with the holding of the Chair by respectively the European Commission and the CARIFORUM States.

2. All correspondence with the Chair of a Special Committee shall be forwarded to the Secretary of that Special Committee and to the Secretary and the Chair of the Trade and Development Committee and, where appropriate, to the members of such Committee.

Article 5

Documents

Where the deliberations of a Special Committee are based on written supporting documents, such documents shall be numbered and circulated as documents of that Special Committee by the Secretary.

Article 6

Publicity

Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Special Committees shall not be public.

Article 7

Agenda for the meetings

1. A provisional agenda for each meeting shall be drawn up by the Secretary of the Special Committee no later than 30 days before the meeting, together with the supporting documents. The agenda shall be forwarded to the Chair, Secretary and members of the Trade and Development Committee no later than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting. The agenda shall be adopted by the Special Committee at the beginning of each meeting. Items not on the provisional agenda may be added with the agreement of both Parties.

2. With the agreement of the Parties the time limits specified in paragraph 1 may be abridged in order to take account of the requirements of a particular case.

3. The Chair of a Special Committee in agreement with the Parties may invite experts to attend its meetings in order to provide information on particular subjects.

Article 8

Minutes

1. Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the Secretary directly after the meeting.

2. The minutes shall, as a general rule, indicate in respect of each item on the agenda:

(a) the documents submitted to the Special Committee,

(b) any statements that a member of the Special Committee has asked to be entered,

(c) the decisions taken, recommendations made, statements agreed upon and conclusions adopted on specific items.

3. The minutes shall also include a list of members of the Special Committee or their representatives who took part in the meeting.

4. The minutes shall be approved in writing by the CARIFORUM Representative and the European Commission official who participated in the meeting within one month of the date of the meeting. Once approved, two copies of the minutes shall be signed by the Secretary and each of the Parties shall receive one original of these authentic documents. Copies of the signed minutes shall be forwarded to the Chair, the members and the Secretary of the Trade and Development Committee.

Article 9

Decisions and recommendations

1. Where a Special Committee is empowered under the Agreement, or under the Joint Council decision establishing it, to adopt decisions or recommendations, such acts shall be entitled "Decision" or "Recommendation" respectively, and followed by a serial number, the date of their adoption and a description of their subject. Each decision shall specify the date of its entry into force.

2. Whenever a Special Committee makes a recommendation or takes a decision, Articles 10, 11 and 12 of the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Council shall apply mutatis mutandis.

3. Decisions and recommendations of Special Committees shall be forwarded to the Chair, the members and the Secretary of the Trade and Development Committee.

Article 10

Languages

1. The working languages of the Special Committees shall be the official languages common to the Parties namely English, Spanish, French and Dutch.

2. The Special Committees shall base their deliberations and adopt decisions and recommendations on documentation and proposals prepared in one of the languages referred to in paragraph 1.

Article 11

Expenses

1. Each Party shall each meet any expenses it incurs as a result of participating in the meetings of the Special Committees, both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and with regard to postal and telecommunications expenditure.

2. Expenditure in connection with the organisation of meetings and reproduction of documents shall be borne by the Party hosting the meetings.

3. Expenditure in connection with the provision of interpretation services at meetings and the translation of documents into or from any of the working languages of the Special Committee shall be borne by the Party hosting the meeting. Expenditure in connection with the provision of interpretation services and translation of documents into or from the other official languages of the EU shall be borne by the EC Party.

Article 12

Reporting

The Special Committees shall report to the Trade and Development Committee.

LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR PROPOSALS HAVING A BUDGETARY IMPACT EXCLUSIVELY LIMITED TO THE REVENUE SIDE

1. NAME OF THE PROPOSAL:

Council Decision on a Community Position concerning the Rules of Procedure of the Joint CARIFORUM-EC Council, the CARIFORUM-EC Trade and Development Committee and the Special Committees provided for by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part.

2. BUDGET LINES:

Chapter and Article: Administrative resources of the Commission to cover interpretation and venue costs.

Amount budgeted for the year concerned: In case of unforeseen needs, resources could be drawn from the following budget lines:

20.02.01 – External trade relations, including access to the markets of non-Community countries

20.01.02.11.00.02.40 – Réunions ne comportant que les personnes de la Commission (internes)/Conférences

3. FINANCIAL IMPACT

X Proposal has no financial implications

( Proposal has no financial impact on expenditure but has a financial impact on revenue – the effect is as follows:

(€ million to one decimal place)

4. ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES

5. OTHER REMARKS

[1] OJ L289, 30 October 2008.

[2] GAERC, 10 November 2008.

[3] OJ