EN Official Journal of the European Union C 211/3

Memorandum of Understanding between the European Commission and the World Organisation For Animal Health (OIE) concerning common Communication actions for 2011

(Text with EEA relevance)

2010/C 211/02

The EUROPEAN COMMISSION, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Commission’, and

The WORLD ORGANISATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH, hereinafter referred to as ‘OIE’,

hereafter referred to jointly as ‘the sides’,

DETERMINED to

— The Commission and the OIE intend to further develop their cooperation which was formally established in the exchange of letters between the Commission and the OIE in 2004 and broadened during recent years,

CONSIDERING that

— A framework agreement aimed at adapting the Standard Contribution Agreement and simplifying the contractual negotiations of individual contribution-specific agreements was concluded between the Commission and the OIE in 2010.

— The year 2011 will mark the 250th anniversary of the creation of the veterinary profession and the first veterinary health system and that this anniversary should be used to increase public awareness of animal health and welfare, food safety and public health issues and the essential role of veterinarians in society in relation to these issues.

— The Commission and the OIE share this common communication goal and agree that their cooperation would be advantageous in view of achieving this goal. They thus acknowledge the need to define an enabling environment to foster their cooperation.

RECOGNISING

The respective roles of the two cooperating sides in the aforementioned communication areas which are mutually reinforcing,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

1. The two sides shall cooperate, with due regard to their respective competences, to achieve common communication goals. For this purpose they may develop joint activities.

2. The two sides, with due regard to their respective competences, shall further enhance and develop dialogue and reciprocal exchange of information in relation to communication activities.

3. With due regard to their respective competences, institutional settings and operational frameworks, the two sides shall inform and consult each other, as appropriate, on communication issues of mutual interest.

4. The two sides intend to cooperate, with due regard to their respective competences, to increase public awareness of animal health and welfare, food safety and public health and the essential role of veterinarians in society in relation to these issues. For this purpose they may develop joint activities.

5. The two sides shall cooperate, with due regard to their respective competences, to increase the visibility and the recognition of veterinarians and veterinary services which constitute a global public good given their truly pivotal role in animal disease prevention and control, animal welfare, food safety and public health. For this purpose they may develop joint activities.

6. Contact points and mechanisms shall be established for communication so as to achieve the objectives pursued by the present Memorandum of Understanding.

7. The two sides are committed to meeting on a regular basis to take stock of progress, in particular in relation to the implementation of joint communication actions and discuss further ways to enhance mutual collaboration, including joint activities, or explore potential synergies.

8. A programming document detailing joint communication actions as well as each side's role and responsibility shall be drawn up.

9. The two sides will agree on the questions related to the interpretation and implementation of the present Memorandum of Understanding.

10. This Memorandum shall apply on the date of its signature and terminate once the actions agreed under it have been completed and at the latest by 1 July 2012.