Framework Agreement

between the European Community and the Republic of Malta on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Malta in Community programmes

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, hereinafter referred to as "the Community",

of the one part, and

THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA, hereinafter referred to as "Malta",

of the other part,

Whereas:

(1) The European Council in Luxembourg in December 1997 made participation in the Community programmes a way of stepping-up the enhanced pre-accession strategy for candidate countries, such participation being determined case-by-case. Following the European Council meetings in Helsinki in December 1999 and, in particular, in Nice in December 2000, the case-by-case approach in this field could be shifted to a more far-reaching one embracing most of the Community programmes.

(2) The Helsinki European Council stated that Malta is a candidate country destined to join the European Union on the basis of the same criteria applied to the other European candidate countries. Building on the existing European strategy, Malta, like other candidate States, benefits from a pre-accession strategy to prepare for accession, including the opportunity to participate in Community programmes and agencies.

(3) Malta has expressed the wish to participate in a number of Community programmes.

(4) The specific terms and conditions, in particular financial contribution, regarding the participation of Malta in each particular programme should be determined by agreement between the Commission of the European Communities, acting on behalf of the Community, and the competent authorities of Malta,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Malta shall be allowed to participate in all Community programmes opened to participation of candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe, in accordance with the provisions adopting these programmes.

Article 2

Malta shall contribute financially to the general budget of the European Union corresponding to the specific programmes in which Malta participates.

Article 3

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

Article 4

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

Article 5

The specific terms and conditions regarding the participation of Malta in each particular programme, in particular the financial contribution payable, shall be determined by agreement between the Commission, acting on behalf of the Community, and the competent authorities of Malta.

If Malta applies for Community external assistance pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 555/2000 of 13 March 2000 on the implementation of operations in the framework of the pre-accession strategy for the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Malta(1), or pursuant to any similar Regulation providing for Community external assistance to Malta that may be adopted in future, the conditions governing the use by Malta of the Community assistance shall be determined in a Financing Memorandum.

Article 6

The Agreement shall apply for an indeterminate period.

It may be denounced by either Party by giving six months' notice in writing.

Article 7

No later than three years after the date of entry into force of this Agreement, and every three years thereafter, both Contracting Parties may review the implementation of the Agreement on the basis of actual participation of Malta in one or more Community programmes.

Article 8

This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty establishing the European Community is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, to the territory of the Republic of Malta.

Article 9

This Agreement shall enter into force on the day on which the Contracting Parties have notified each other of the completion of their respective procedures.

Article 10

This Agreement is drawn up in duplicate in the Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.

Hecho en Bruselas, el diecinueve de diciembre del dos mil uno.

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den nittende december to tusind og en.

Geschehen zu Brüssel am neunzehnten Dezember zweitausendundeins.

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις δέκα εννέα Δεκεμβρίου δύο χιλιάδες ένα.

Done at Brussels on the ninteenth day of December in the year two thousand and one.

Fait à Bruxelles, le dix-neuf décembre deux mille un.

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì diciannove dicembre duemilauno.

Gedaan te Brussel, de negentiende december tweeduizendeneen.

Feito em Bruxelas, em dezanove de Dezembro de dois mil e um.

Tehty Brysselissä yhdeksäntenätoista päivänä joulukuuta vuonna kaksituhattayksi.

Som skedde i Bryssel den nittonde december tjugohundraett.

Por la Comunidad Europea

For Det Europæiske Fællesskab

Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft

Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα

For the European Community

Pour la Communauté européenne

Per la Comunità europea

Voor de Europese Gemeenschap

Pela Comunidade Europeia

Euroopan yhteisön puolesta

På Europeiska gemenskapens vägnar

>PIC FILE= "L_2002017EN.005701.TIF">

For the Republic of Malta

>PIC FILE= "L_2002017EN.005702.TIF">

(1) OJ L 68, 16.3.2000, p. 3.