Rules of procedure of the Cooperation Council between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part, as established on 27 January 1998 - Rules of procedure of the Cooperation Committee
Date: 1998-01-27
Institutions: EC–Russian Federation Cooperation Council
Subjects: Association Council (EU), Russia, cooperation agreement (EU), rules of procedure

21. 3. 98

‹

EN

‹

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 87/17

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE COOPERATION COUNCIL

between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part,
and the Russian Federation, of the other part,

as established on 27 January 1998

(98/228/EC)

THE COOPERATION COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Agreement on Partnership and
Cooperation establishing a partnership between the Euro-
pean Communities and their Member States, of the one
part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part, signed
at Corfu on 24 June 1994, hereinafter referred to as ‘the
Agreement’, and in particular Articles 90 to 93 thereof (1),

Having regard to the Protocol to the Agreement, signed
in Brussels on 21 May 1997,

Whereas
December 1997,

the Agreement

entered into force on 1

or the Head of the Permanent Representation to the EU
or a senior official.

In all other cases, a member wishing to be represented
shall notify the Chairman of the name of his representa-
tive before the meeting at which he is to be so rep-
resented.

The representative of a member of
Council shall exercise all the rights of that member.

the Cooperation

Article 4

Delegations

HAS ESTABLISHED THE FOLLOWING RULES OF PRO-
CEDURE:

The members of the Cooperation Council may be accom-
panied by officials.

Article 1

Presidency

The Cooperation Council shall be presided over altern-
the
ately for periods of 12 months by a member of
Council of
the
the European Union, on behalf of
Communities and their Member States, and a member of
the Government of the Russian Federation. However, the
first period shall begin on the date of the first Coopera-
tion Council meeting and end on 31 December of the
same year.

Before each meeting, the Chairman shall be informed of
the intended composition and of the head of the delega-
tion of each Party.

The Cooperation Council may invite other persons to
attend its meetings in order to provide information on
particular subjects.

Article 5

Secretariat

Article 2

Meetings

An official of the General Secretariat of the Council of
the European Union and an official appointed by the
Russian Federation shall act jointly as Secretaries of the
Cooperation Council.

The Cooperation Council shall meet regularly at minis-
terial level once a year. At the request of either Party,
special sessions of the Cooperation Council may be held
if the Parties so agree.

The meetings of the Cooperation Council, as agreed by
the Parties, are convened jointly by the Secretaries.

Article 3

Members and their representation in the Coopera-
tion Council

the Cooperation Council as defined in
Members of
Article 91 of the Agreement may be represented by a
designated minister or official if they are prevented from
attending.

The official should normally be the Head of the Mission
of the Russian Federation to the European Communities,

(1) OJ L 327, 28. 11. 1997, p. 1.

Article 6

Documents

When the deliberations of the Cooperation Council are
based on written supporting documents, such documents
shall be numbered and circulated as documents of the
Cooperation Council by the two Secretaries.

Article 7

Correspondence

communications

All
addressed to the Cooperation
Council or to the Chairman of the Cooperation Council
shall be forwarded to both Secretaries of the Cooperation
Council.

The two Secretaries shall ensure that correspondence is
forwarded to the Chairman of the Cooperation Council
and, where appropriate, circulated as documents referred

L 87/18

‹

EN

‹

Official Journal of the European Communities

21. 3. 98

to in Article 6 to other members of the Cooperation
Council. Correspondence circulated shall be sent to the
Secretariat-General of the Commission, the Permanent
Representations of the EU Member States and the Mission
of the Russian Federation in Brussels.

Communications from the Chairman of the Cooperation
Council shall be sent to the recipients by the respective
Secretary and, where appropriate, circulated as documents
referred to in Article 6 to the other members of the
Cooperation Council at the addresses indicated in the
preceding paragraph.

Article 8

Agenda for the meetings

1.
A provisional agenda for each meeting shall be
agreed with the two Parties. It shall be forwarded to the
addressees referred to in Article 7 not later than 15 days
before the beginning of the meeting by the respective
Secretary.

The provisional agenda shall include the items in respect
of which a request for inclusion in the agenda has been
received by either of the two Secretaries 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 received by the Sec-
retaries not later than the date of dispatch of the agenda.

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

2.
In agreement with the Parties, the time limits speci-
fied in paragraph 1 may be shortened in order to take
account of the requirements of a particular case.

Article 9

Minutes

Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up jointly
by the Secretaries in two authentic copies.

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

— the documentation submitted to the Cooperation

Council,

— statements the entry of which has been requested by a

member of the Cooperation Council,

— the recommendations made,

the statements agreed

upon and the conclusions adopted on specific items.

The minutes shall also include a list of members of the
Cooperation Council or their representatives who parti-
cipated at the meeting.

The draft minutes shall be submitted not later than one
month after each meeting to the Cooperation Council for
approval. When approved, two authentic copies of the

minutes shall be signed by the two Secretaries and be
filed by the Parties. A copy of
the minutes shall be
forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article
7 above.

Article 10

Recommendations

The Cooperation Council shall make its recom-

1.
mendations by common agreement between the Parties.

the

During
inter-sessional period the Cooperation
Council may make recommendations or approve minutes
by written procedure if Parties so agree. A written pro-
cedure consists of an official exchange of letters between
the two Secretaries, acting in agreement with the Parties.

2.
The recommendations of the Cooperation Council
within the meaning of Article 90 of the Agreement shall
be
serial
number, by the date of their adoption and by a general
description of their subject.

entitled ‘recommendation’,

followed by a

The recommendations of the Cooperation Council shall
be authenticated by the two Secretaries and two authentic
copies signed by Heads of delegation of the two Parties.

Recommendations shall be forwarded to each of
the
addressees referred to in Article 7 above as documents of
the Cooperation Council.

Article 11

Publicity

Unless otherwise decided,
operation Council shall not be public.

the meetings of

the Co-

Each Party may decide on the publication of the recom-
mendations of the Cooperation Council in its respective
official publication.

Article 12

Languages

The official languages of the Cooperation Council shall
be the official languages of the Parties.

The Cooperation Council shall normally base its delibera-
tions on documentation prepared in these languages.

Article 13

Expenses

The European Communities and the Russian Federation
shall each bear their expenses incurred by reason of their
participation in the meetings of the Cooperation Council,
both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expend-
iture and to postal and telecommunications expenditure.

21. 3. 98

‹

EN

‹

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 87/19

Expenditure
in connection with interpretation at
meetings and translation of documents shall be borne by
the European Communities, with the exception of ex-
penditure in connection with interpretation or translation
the European
from one of
Communities into Russian which shall be borne by the
Russian Federation.

languages of

the official

Other expenditure relating to the material organisation of
the meetings, including expenditure in connection with
reproduction of
the
those documents
meetings, shall be borne by the Party which hosts the
meeting.

circulated at

Article 14

Cooperation Committee

The Cooperation Committee is hereby established
1.
in accordance with Article 92 of the Agreement in order
its
to assist
in carrying out
the
duties. It shall be composed of representatives of

the Cooperation Council

Commission of the European Communities and of rep-
resentatives of the members of the Council of the Euro-
pean Union on the one hand, and of representatives of
the Government of the Russian Federation on the other,
normally at senior civil servant level.

and the deliberations of

The Cooperation Committee shall prepare the
2.
meetings
the Cooperation
Council, monitor the implementation of the recommen-
dations of the Cooperation Council where appropriate
and, in general, ensure continuity of the Partnership and
the proper functioning of the Agreement. It shall submit
any proposals or draft recommendations for adoption to
the Cooperation Council.

3.
Consultations referred to in Articles 16, 17 and 53 as
well as in Annex 2 of the Agreement shall take place
within the Cooperation Committee. The consultations
may continue in the Cooperation Council if the Parties
agree.

The

4.
the Cooperation
Committee are annexed to the present rules of procedure.

of procedure

rules

of

L 87/20

‹

EN

‹

Official Journal of the European Communities

21. 3. 98

ANNEX

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE COOPERATION COMMITTEE

Article 1

Presidency

Article 6

Agenda for the meetings

The Cooperation Committee shall be presided over alter-
nately for periods of 12 months by a representative of the
Commission of the European Communities, on behalf of
the Communities and their Member States, and a rep-
resentative of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The first period shall begin on the date of
the first
Cooperation Council meeting and end on 31 December
of the same year. For that period and thereafter for each
12-month period, the Cooperation Committee shall be
chaired by the Party which holds the Presidency of the
Cooperation Council.

Article 2

Meetings

The Cooperation Committee shall meet once a year and
when circumstances require with the agreement of the
Parties.

Each meeting of the Cooperation Committee shall be
held at a time and place agreed by the Parties.

The meetings of the Cooperation Committee are jointly
convened by the two Secretaries.

Article 3

Delegations

Before each meeting, the President shall be informed of
the intended composition of the delegation of each Party.

Article 4

Secretariat

An official of the Commission of the European Commu-
nities and an official of the Government of the Russian
Federation shall act jointly as Secretaries of the Coopera-
tion Committee.

All communications to and from the President of the
Cooperation Committee provided for in this Annex shall
the Cooperation
be forwarded to the Secretaries of
the Cooperation
Committee and to the Secretaries of
Council and to the President of the Cooperation Council.

Article 5

Publicity

Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Coopera-
tion Committee shall not be public.

A provisional agenda for each meeting shall be
1.
the Secretaries of
the Cooperation
drawn up by
Committee.
shall be forwarded to the addressees
It
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 inclu-
sion 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 received by the Secretaries not
later than the date of dispatch of the agenda.

The agenda
shall be adopted by the Cooperation
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.

2.
In agreement with the Parties the time limits speci-
fied in paragraph 1 may be shortened in order to take
account of the requirements of a particular case.

3.
The Cooperation Committee may ask experts to
attend its meetings in order to provide information on
particular subjects.

Article 7

Minutes

Minutes shall be taken for each meeting. Minutes shall
sum up the conclusions arrived at by the Cooperation
Committee.

the
Upon adoption by the Cooperation Committee,
minutes shall be signed by the President 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 of the present Annex.

Article 8

Recommendations

The Cooperation Committee shall not make recommen-
dations except in the specific cases where it is empowered
by the Cooperation Council under Article 92.2 of the
Agreement. In such cases, these acts shall be entitled
‘recommendation’, followed by a serial number, by the
date of their adoption and by description of their subject.
Recommendations shall be made by common agreement
between the Parties.

21. 3. 98

‹

EN

‹

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 87/21

Recommendations of the Cooperation Committee shall
be forwarded to the addressees referred to in Article 4 of
the present Annex. The Cooperation Committee may
decide on the publication of such recommendations.

The recommendations of
shall be signed by the President and the Secretaries.

the Cooperation Committee

Article 9

Expenses

The Community and the Russian Federation shall each
bear their expenses incurred by reason of their participa-
tion in the meetings of the Cooperation Committee and
of
its subcommittees and working groups, both with
regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and to
postal and telecommunications expenditure.

in connection with interpretation at
Expenditure
meetings and translation of documents shall be borne by
the European Communities, with the exception of expen-
diture in connection with interpretation or translation
the European
from one of

languages of

the official

Communities into Russian which shall be borne by the
Russian Federation.

Other expenditure relating to the material organisation of
the meetings, including expenditure in connection with
reproduction of
the
those documents
meetings, shall be borne by the Party which hosts the
meeting.

circulated at

Article 10

Subcommittees and working groups

The Cooperation Committee may set up subcommittees
and working groups to assist it in carrying out its duties.
They shall be considered to work under the authority of
the Cooperation Committee, to which they shall report
after each one of
their meetings. Subcommittees and
working groups shall not make recommendations.

The Cooperation Committee may modify the terms of
reference of any subcommittees or working groups, or
eliminate any of them, or set up further subcommittees or
working groups.