COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 09.02.1998 
COM(1998) 63 final 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
on a Community Position on the Rules of Procedure of the Association Council 
established by the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the 
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of 
Estonia, of the other part 
(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
The Europe Agreement eslablishing an association between the (European 
Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Estonia, 
of the other part, will enter into force on 1 February 1998. 
The Association Council established by Article 109 of the said Europe Agreement 
supervises the implementation of this Agreement and examines any major issues 
arising within the framework of the Agreement and any other bilateral or international 
issues of mutual interest. 
As provided in Article 110(3) of the Europe Agreement with Estonia, the Association 
Council shall establish its rules of procedure at its first meeting which is foreseen for 
24 February 1998. In conformity with Article 113(1) of the Europe Agreement, these 
rules of procedure shall determine the duties of the Association Committee, which 
shall assist the Association Council in the performance of its duties. 
The draft proposal further provides for nine subcommittees which will assist the 
Association Committee in specific fields covered by the Europe Agreement., 
As laid down by Article 2(1) of Council and Commission Decision 
/ /ECSC/EC/Euratom of 22 December 1997 on the conclusion of the said Europe 
Agreement, the Community position in the Association Council will be established by 
decision of the Council on proposal of the Commission. 
It is therefore proposed that the Council approves the attached proposal. 
2 
Proposal for a Council Decision 
on a Community Position on the Rules of Procedure of the Association Council 
established by the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the 
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of 
Estonia, of the other part 
The COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, the Treaty 
establishing the European Coal and Steel Community and the Treaty establishing the 
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), 
Having regard to Article 2(1) of the Council and Commission Decision of 22 
December 1997 on the conclusion of the Europe Agreement establishing an 
association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one 
part, and the Republic of Estonia, of the other part, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas Article 109 of the Europe Agreement establishes an Association Council, 
Whereas Article 110 of the said Agreement provides that the Association Council 
shall be assisted by an Association Committee, and Article 110 (3) the Association 
Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, 
Whereas Article 113 of the said Agreement provides that the Association Council 
shall, in its rules of procedure, determine the duties of the Association Committee and 
that the Association Council may delegate any of its powers to the Association 
Committee, 
1 IAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
The position to be adopted by the Community within the Association Council 
established hy Article 109 of the Europe Agreement establishing an association 
between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the 
Republic of Estonia, of the other part, in relations to the rules of procedure of the said 
Association Council and the delegation of its powers to the Association Committee 
referred to in Article 110 of the said Europe Agreement shall be based on the 
Association Council's draft decision, annexed to this Decision. Minor amendments to 
these draft decision may be accepted without further decision of the Council. 
Done at Brussels, 
for the Council 
DECISION No 1/98 OF THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL 
between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, 
and the Republic of Estonia, of the other part 
of 1998 
adopting its rules of procedure 
( / / ) 
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 Estonia, of the 
other part, and in particular Articles 109, 110, 111, 112, 113 and 114 thereof, 
Whereas that Agreement entered into force on 1998, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article J 
Chairmanship 
The Association Council shall be presided over alternately for periods of 12 months by a 
representative of the Council of the European Union, on behalf of the Community and its 
Member States, and a representative of the Government of the Republic of Estonia. The first 
period shall begin on the date of the first Association Council meeting and end on 31 
December 1998. 
Article 2 
Meetings 
The Association Council shall meet regularly at ministerial level once a year. Special 
sessions of the Association Council may be held if the Parties so agree, at the request of 
either Party. 
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 represented 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 the Association Council shall exercise all the rights of that 
member. 
Article 4 
Delegations 
The members of the Association Council may be accompanied by officials. 
Before each meeting, the President shall be informed of the intended composition of the 
delegation of each 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. 
The Association Council may invite non-members to attend its meetings in order to provide 
information on particular subjects. 
Article 5 
Secretariat 
An official of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union and an official 
of the Mission of the Republic of Estonia in Brussels shall act jointly as secretaries of the 
Association Council. 
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 Estonia in Brussels. 
Communications from the President of the Association Council shall be sent to the addresses 
by the two secretaries and circulated, where appropriate, to the other members of the 
Association Council at the addresses indicated in the preceding paragraph. 
b 
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 addresses 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 inclusion 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. 
The agenda shall be adopted by the Association 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 two Parties so agree. 
2. The President may, in agreement with the two Parties, shorten the time limits specified in 
paragraph I in order to take account of the requirements of a particular case. 
Article 9 
Minutes 
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: 
- the documentation submitted to the Association Council, 
- statements the entry of which has been requested by a member of the Association Council, 
- the decisions taken, the statements agreed upon and the conclusions adopted. 
t 
The draft minutes shall be submitted to the Association Council for approval. They shall be 
approved within three months after each Association Council meeting. 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 lake 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 Association Council within the meaning of 
Article 111 of the Europe Agreement shall be entitled respectively 'Decision' 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 authenticated by the two secretaries. 
Decisions and recommendations shall be forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in 
Article 6. 
The Association Council may decide to order publication of its decisions and 
recommendations in the Official Journal of the European Communities and the Riigi Teataja 
(Estonian State Gazette). 
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 
documental ion prepared in these languages. 
Article 12 
Expenses 
The Community and the Republic of Estonia shall each defray the expenses they incur by 
reason of their participation 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 Estonian, which shall be borne by the 
Republic of Estonia. 
Other expenditure relating to the material organization of meetings shall be borne by the 
Party which hosts the meetings. 
> 
Article 13 
Association CommiHee 
I. An Association Commillee is hereby established in order to assist Ihe 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 
Communities, on the one hand, and of representatives of the Estonian Government on the 
other, normally at senior civil servant level. 
2. The Association Committee shall prepare the meetings and the deliberations of the 
Association Council, implement the decisions of the Association Council 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. 
1. In cases where the Europe Agreement refers to an obligation to consult or a possibility of 
consultation, such consultation may take place within the Association Committee. The 
consultai ion may continue in the Association Council if the two Parties so agree. 
4. The rules of procedure of the Association Committee are annexed to this Decision. 
Article 14 
Subcommittee and special groups 
The subcommittees, mentioned in Article 114 of the Agreement, are listed in Annex 2 to 
this Decision. Subcommittees shall work under the authority of the Assocation Committee, to 
which they shall report after each one 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, 1998. 
For the Association Council 
The President 
ANNEX J ;. 
RULES OFPROGEDURE OF THE ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE 
Article J 
Chairmanship 
The Association Committee shall be presided over alternately 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 Government of the Republic of Estonia. The first period 
shall begin on the date of the first Association Council meeting and end on 31 December 
1998. 
Article 2 
Meetings 
The Association Committee shall meet when circumstances 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 the Association Committee shall be convened by the chairman. 
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 Estonian Government shall act 
jointly as secretaries 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 
I. The chairman shall draw up a provisional agenda for each meeting. It shall be forwarded 
by the secretaries of the Association Committee to the addresses referred to in Article 4 not 
later than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting. 
The provisional agenda shall include the items in respect of which the chairman has received 
a request for inclusion 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. 
The Association Committee may ask experts to attend its meetings in order to provide 
information on particular subjects. 
flic agenda shall be 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 
I he I wo Parlies so agree. 
2. The chairman may, in agreement with the two Parties, shorten the time limits specified in 
paragraph I 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 conclusions 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 H 
Deliberations 
In the specific cases where the Association Committee is empowered by the Association 
Council under Article 113 (2) of the Europe Agreement to take decisions/recommendations, 
these acts shall be entitled respectively 'Decision' and 'Recommendation', followed by a 
serial number, by the date of their adoption and by a description of their subject. 
Whenever the Association Committee takes a decision, Article 10 and 11 of Decision No 
1 /98 of the Association Council adopting its rules of procedure shall be applied mutatis 
mutandis. 
Decisions and recommendations of the Association Committee shall be forwarded to the 
addresses referred to in Article 4 of this Annex. 
10 
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Expenses 
The Community and the Republic of Estonia 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 
documents shall be borne by the Community, with the exception of expenditure in 
connection with interpreting or translation into or from Estonian, which shall be borne by the 
Republic of Estonia. 
Other expenditure relating to the material organization of meetings shall be borne by the 
Party which hosts the meetings. 
h 
ANNEX 2 
EC-Estonia Europe Agreement 
Proposed Multidisciplinary Sub-committee Structure 
Title Issues Europe 
Agreement 
Article 
1) Agriculture and fisheries Agriculture 16-20/78 
Fisheries 21-22/79 
Processed Agricultural Products Protocol 2 
2) Approximation of Approximation of legislation (all areas) 68-70 
legislation, Competition and White Paper on integration into the Internal Market 
Opening Up of Community Competition 63-65 
Programmes Intellectual and industrial property 66 
Public procurement 67 
Public administration 98 
Community programmes 108 
3) Trade, Industry and Commercial questions 9-15,23-35 
Consumer Protection Industrial cooperation and investment promotion 72-73 
Standards, technical regulations for industrial and 
processed agricultural goods and conformity assessment 75 
Tourism 92 
Small and medium enterprises 74 
Consumer protection 94 
4) Economic Issues Economic questions 71,97 
Monetary policy 88 
5) Human Resources, Education, training and youth 77 
Research, technological Science, research and technology 76 
development and social policy Social cooperation (employment, labour market, 
legislation, industrial relations, etc) 91 
Cultural cooperation 101 
Audio-visual policy 84 
6) Transport and Trans Transport 83 
European Networks Maritime Transport 53,83 
Infrastructure and Trans european networks 83 
Telecommunication (and information infrastructure) 84-85 
7) Environment, energy and Environment 82 
regional development Energy 80 
Nuclear safety 81 
Regional development 90 
X) (^operation in customs Customs cooperation 95 
matters, statistics, drugs and Indirect taxation 
prevention of illegal activities Statistical Cooperation 96 
Drugs and money laundering 89, 99 
Prevention of illegal activities 100 
Protocols on Origin and on Mutual Assistance 
9) Financial services and Financial services, banking, insurance 86-87 
Establishment and Capital Investment promotion, protection of investment 73 
Movements Movement of workers 36-42 
Right of Establishment and services 43-53 
Capital movements and payments 60-62 
iX 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(98) 63 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 11 01 06 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-98-063-EN-C 
ISBN 92-78-30844-7 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg 
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