EN Official Journal of the European Union L 195/3

FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

between the European Union and Kosovo (*1) on the general principles for the participation of Kosovo in Union programmes

THE EUROPEAN UNION, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Union’,

of the one part, and

KOSOVO (*1)

of the other part,

hereinafter referred to as ‘the Contracting Parties’,

Whereas:

(1) On 14 December 2007 the European Council underlined that the Union stands ready to play a leading role in strengthening stability in the region, stated the Union's readiness to assist Kosovo in the path towards sustainable stability and confirmed that the Union is ready to assist economic and political development through a clear European perspective, in line with the European perspective of the region.

(2) On 7 December 2009 the Council welcomed the European Commission's Communication of 14 October 2009 entitled ‘Kosovo — Fulfilling its European Perspective’ and invited it to take the necessary measures to support Kosovo's progress towards the Union in line with the European perspective of the region. It attached importance to measures related to trade and visa, and encouraged the European Commission to open up for Kosovo taking part in Union programmes, integrating Kosovo into the economic and fiscal surveillance framework, activating the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance's second component and strengthening the Stabilisation and Association Process dialogue.

(3) On 14 December 2010 the Council stated that it looked forward to receiving a European Commission proposal that would allow for Kosovo's participation in Union programmes. The European Commission issued such a proposal in March 2011.

(4) On 5 December 2011 the Council confirmed its commitment to find an agreement on Kosovo's participation in Union programmes, without prejudice to Member States' positions on status.

(5) On 22 October 2012 the Council authorised the European Commission to open negotiations on behalf of the Union on a framework agreement with Kosovo concerning its participation in Union programmes.

(6) Kosovo has expressed the wish to participate in a number of Union programmes.

(7) Article 212 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union refers to economic, financial and technical cooperation measures with third countries other than developing countries.

(8) The specific terms and conditions, including the relevant financial contribution, for the participation of Kosovo in each particular Union programme should be determined by agreement between the European Commission, acting on behalf of the Union, and the authorities of Kosovo.

(9) The signature and conclusion of this Agreement does not prejudge the position of Member States on the status of Kosovo, which will be decided in accordance with their national practice and international law. None of the terms, wording or definitions used in this Agreement, including its Annex, or in the Union programmes constitute recognition of Kosovo by the Union as an independent State, nor does it constitute recognition by individual Member States of Kosovo in that capacity where they have not taken such a step,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Kosovo shall be eligible to participate in the following Union programmes:

(a) those current Union programmes listed in the Annex, and their successor programmes, which are open to the participation of Kosovo, once this Agreement enters into force;

(b) Union programmes established or renewed after the signature of this Agreement which contain an opening clause providing for the participation of Kosovo.

Kosovo shall be able to participate in Union programmes in accordance with its commitments to adopt and apply standards in the areas relevant to the programme concerned and the progress made in that respect.

Article 2

Kosovo shall contribute financially to the general budget of the European Union in proportion to the specific Union programmes in which it participates.

Article 3

Kosovo's representatives shall be allowed to take part, as observers and for the points which concern Kosovo, in the management committees responsible for monitoring the Union programmes to which Kosovo contributes financially.

Article 4

Projects and initiatives submitted by participants from Kosovo shall, as far as possible, be subject to the same conditions, rules and procedures pertaining to the Union programmes concerned as applied to Member States.

Article 5

The specific terms and conditions regarding the participation of Kosovo in each particular Union programme, in particular the financial contribution payable, will be determined by agreement between the European Commission, acting on behalf of the Union, and the authorities of Kosovo. Any such agreement shall be considered to be an integral part of this Agreement.

If Kosovo applies for Union pre-accession assistance on the basis of Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 (1), or pursuant to any similar regulation providing for Union external assistance to Kosovo that may be adopted in future, the conditions governing the use by Kosovo of Union assistance shall be determined in a financing agreement.

Article 6

Each agreement referred to in the first paragraph of Article 5 shall stipulate, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), that financial control or audits are to be carried out by, or under the authority of, the European Commission, the European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) and the Court of Auditors.

Detailed provisions shall be adopted for financial control and auditing, administrative measures, penalties and recovery that enable the European Commission, OLAF and the Court of Auditors to be granted powers equivalent to their powers with regard to beneficiaries or contractors established in the Union.

Article 7

This Agreement shall apply for an indeterminate period.

This Agreement may be terminated by either Contracting Party by giving six months' notice in writing.

Article 8

The Contracting Parties may review this Agreement for the first time no later than three years after the date of its entry into force, and every three years thereafter, on the basis of the experience gained from Kosovo's participation in one or more Union programmes.

Article 9

This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, to the territory of Kosovo.

Article 10

This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the first month following the date on which the Contracting Parties have notified each other of the completion of their respective procedures for its entry into force.

Article 11

This Agreement shall be drawn up in duplicate in the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Albanian and Serbian languages, each text being equally authentic.

Съставено в Брюксел на двадесет и пети ноември през две хиляди и шестнадесета година. Hecho en Bruselas, el veinticinco de noviembre de dos mil dieciséis. V Bruselu dne dvacátého pátého listopadu dva tisíce šestnáct. Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den femogtyvende november to tusind og seksten. Geschehen zu Brüssel am fünfundzwanzigsten November zweitausendsechzehn. Kahe tuhande kuueteistkümnenda aasta novembrikuu kahekümne viiendal päeval Brüsselis. Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις είκοσι πέντε Νοεμβρίου δύο χιλιάδες δεκαέξι. Done at Brussels on the twenty fifth day of November in the year two thousand and sixteen. Fait à Bruxelles, le vingt cinq novembre deux mille seize. Sastavljeno u Bruxellesu dvadeset petog studenoga godine dvije tisuće šesnaeste. Fatto a Bruxelles, addì venticinque novembre duemilasedici. Briselē, divi tūkstoši sešpadsmitā gada divdesmit piektajā novembrī. Priimta du tūkstančiai šešioliktų metų lapkričio dvidešimt penktą dieną Briuselyje. Kelt Brüsszelben, a kétezer-tizenhatodik év november havának huszonötödik napján. Magħmul fi Brussell, fil-ħamsa u għoxrin jum ta‘ Novembru fis-sena elfejn u sittax. Gedaan te Brussel, vijfentwintig november tweeduizend zestien. Sporządzono w Brukseli dnia dwudziestego piątego listopada roku dwa tysiące szesnastego. Feito em Bruxelas, em vinte e cinco de novembro de dois mil e dezasseis. Întocmit la Bruxelles la douăzeci și cinci noiembrie două mii șaisprezece. V Bruseli dvadsiateho piateho novembra dvetisícšestnásť. V Bruslju, dne petindvajsetega novembra leta dva tisoč šestnajst. Tehty Brysselissä kahdentenakymmenentenäviidentenä päivänä marraskuuta vuonna kaksituhattakuusitoista. Som skedde i Bryssel den tjugofemte november år tjugohundrasexton. Në Bruksel, më njëzet e pesë nëntor të vitit dy mijë e gjashtëmbëdhjetë. U Briselu, dvadeset petog novembra godine dve hiljade šesnaeste. За Европейския съюз Рог la Unión Europea Za Evropskou unii For Den Europæiske Union Für die Europäische Union Euroopa Liidu nimel Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση For the European Union Pour l'Union européenne Za Europsku uniju Per l'Unione europea Eiropas Savienības vārdā – Europos Sąjungos vardu Az Európai Unió részéről Għall-Unjoni Ewropea Voor de Europese Unie W imieniu Unii Europejskiej Pela União Europeia Pentru Uniunea Europeană Za Európsku úniu Za Evropsko unijo Euroopan unionin puolesta För Europeiska unionen Për Bashkimin Evropian Za Evropsku uniju За Косово Por Kosovo Za Kosovo For Kosovo Für den Kosovo Kosovo nimel Για το Κοσσυφοπέδιο For Kosovo Pour le Kosovo Za Kosovo Per il Kosovo Kosovas vārdā – Kosovo vardu Koszovó részéről Għall-Kosovo Voor Kosovo W imieniu Kosowa Pelo Kosovo Pentru Kosovo Za Kosovo Za Kosovo Kosovon puolesta För Kosovo Për Kosovën Za Kosovo

(*1) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244(1999) and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 of 17 July 2006 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) (OJ EU L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 82).

(2) Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (OJ EU L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1).