Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken by the Community within the Association Council established by the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Bulgaria, of the other part, with regard to the establishment of a Joint Consultative Committee by the EU-Bulgaria Association Council
Date: 1998-04-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Association Council (EU), Bulgaria, advisory committee (EU)

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 07.04.1998 
COM(1998) 218 final 

PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION 
ON THE POSITION TO BE TAKEN BY THE COMMUNITY 
WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL 
ESTABLISHED BY THE EUROPE AGREEMENT 
BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES, 
OF THE ONE PART, AND THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA, 
OF THE OTHER PART, WITH REGARD TO 
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE 
BY THE EU-BULGARIA ASSOCIATION COUNCIL 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

The  Europe  Agreement  establishing  an  Association  between  the  European 
Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Bulgaria, 
of the other part, which entered into force on  I February  1995, provides, in the article 
110  thereof,  that  the  Association  Council  may  decide  to  set  up  any  other  special 
. committee or body that can assist it in carrying out its duties. 

The Joint Declaration N°  17 of the Europe Agreement referring to Article  110 agreed 
"that the Association  Council will examine the creation of a consultative  mechanism 
composed of members of the Economic and Social Committee of the Community and 
the corresponding partners of Bulgaria." This has been confirmed at the last meeting of 
the EU/Bulgaria Association Committee on 27/28 October 1997. 

The Commission  proposes therefore  that a Joint Consultative Committee  representing 
the social  and  economic  interest  groups of both  parties be  set  up by the  Association 
Council in support of the keen interest expressed, in this respect, by the social partners 
from  both sides, represented by the Economic and Social Committee, on the part of the 
Community,  and  by  the  Bulgarian  economic  and  social  partners  on  the  part  of 
Bulgaria. 

The  proposed  Joint  Consultative  Committee  is  intended  to  constitute  a  forum  for 
dialogue  between  the social  partners of both sides which would  be equally  beneficial 
to the  Bulgarian  social  partners, who will  familiarize  themselves  with  the  process  of 
consultation  taking  place  within  the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  with  the 
dialogue  between  the  social  partners  in  the  European  Union  in  general,  and  to  the 
social partners of the European Union who will familiarize  themselves with the social 
dimension  of  the  reforms  of  the  economic  and  social  structures* taking  place  in 
Bulgaria.  The  Association  Council  may  also  consult the proposed  Joint  Consultative 
Committee before  taking decisions  in areas of obvious social  interest. Consultation  of 
the committee, remains, however, at the discretion of the Association Council. 

The  establishment  of  the  proposed  Joint  Consultative  Committee  does  not  have  any 
financial 
impact  on  the  Community  budget,  the  Bulgarian  participants  being 
responsible  for  their  own  expenses  and  the  expenses  on  the  Community  side  being 
covered by the budget of the Economic and Social Committee. 

The  text  of  the  proposal  for  a  Council  decision  on  the  position  to  be  taken  by  the 
Community  in the Association  Council, as provided for by Article 2(1) of the Council 
and the Commission  decision of  19.12.1994 on the conclusion  of the  aforementioned 
Europe Agreement, is attached hereto. The Council is asked to adopt this text. 

~ 2~ 

PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION 
ON THE POSITION TO BE TAKEN BY THE COMMUNITY 
WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL 
ESTABLISHED BY THE EUROPE AGREEMENT 
BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES, 
OF THE ONE PART, AND THE REPUBLIC OF BULÇARIA, 
OF THE OTHER PART, WITH REGARD TO 
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE 
BY THE EU-BULGARIA ASSOCIATION COUNCIL 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing a European Community, the Treaty establishing a 
European Coal and Steel Community and the Treaty establishing a European Atomic Energy 
Community (Euratom), 

Having regard to Article 2(1) of the Council and Commission Decision of  19.12.1994 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 Bulgaria, of the 
other part, 

Having regard to the Commission proposal, 

Whereas  Article  110 of  the  said  Europe Agreement  provides  that the  Association  Council 
may  decide  to  set  up any  special  committee  or body  that can  assist  it  in  carrying  out  its 
duties, 

Whereas  dialogue  and  co-operation  between  economic  and  social  interest  groups  in  the 
European Union and Bulgaria can make a major contribution to the full  implementation  of 
the Europe Agreement, 

t 

Whereas it seems appropriate that such co-operation should be between the members of the 
Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities and Bulgaria's economic and 
social partners, 

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 

The position to be adopted by the Community within the Association Council established by 
the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the 
one part, and the Republic of Bulgaria, of the other part, in relation to the establishment of a 
Joint Consultative  Committee  shall  be  based  on the  draft  decision  of the «aid  Association 
Council which is annexed to the present decision. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 

- 3-

DRAFT 
DECISION No 

798 

of the Association Council 
Association between the European Communities and 
their Member States, of the one part, 
and the Republic of Bulgaria, of the other part, 

of 

1998 

on the setting-up of a 
Joint Consultative Committee 

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 Bulgaria, of the 
other part, and in particular Article 110 thereof, 

whereas dialogue  and  cooperation  between  economic  and  social  interst  groups  in  the 
European  Union  and  Bulgaria  can  make  a  major  contribution  to  the  development  of 
EU/Bulgaria's relations, 

whereas  it seems appropriate that such cooperation should be between the members of the 
Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities and Bulgaria's economic and 
social partners, 

has adopted the following decision: 

Article 1 

A Joint Consultative Committee  is hereby established with the task of promoting dialogue 
and cooperation between the economic and social interest groups in the European Union and 
Bulgaria. Such dialogue and cooperation shall encompass all economic and social aspects of 
relations  between  the  European  Union  and  Bulgaria,  as  they  arise  in  the  context  of  the 
implementation  of the Europe Agreement. The Joint Consultative Committee shall express 
its views on questions arising in these areas. 

Article 2 

The Joint Consultative Committee shall comprise six representatives of the Economic and 
Social  Committee  of  the  European  Communities  ad  six  representatives  of  Bulgaria's 
economic and social interest groups. 

The Joint Consultative Committee shall carry out its activities on the basis of consultation by 
the Association Council or on its own initiative. 

Members  shall  be chosen to ensure that the Joint Consultative Committee  is as faithful  a 
reflection as possible of the various economic and social interest groups in both the European 
Union and Bulgaria. 

The Joint. Consultative Committee shall be co-chaired  by a member of the Economic and 
Social Committee of the European Communities and a Bulgarian member. 

The Joint Consultative Committee shall adopt its own Rules of Procedure. 

Article 3 

The Economie and Social  Committee of the European Communities, on the one hand, and 
the Bulgarian economic and social  interest groups, on the other hand» shall each defray the 
expenses they incur by reason of their participation in the meetings for the Committee and of 
its working groups 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  born  by  the  Economic  and  Social  Committee,  with  the  exception  of 
Bulgarian expenditure in connection with interpreting or translation into or from Bulgarian, 
which shall be born by the Bulgarian economic and social interest groups. 

Other expenditure relating to the material organization of meetings shall be born by the Party 
which hosts the meetings. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Association Council 

The President 

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ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(98) 218  final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

11  06  02 

Catalogue  number  :  CB-CO-98-234-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-33119-8 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

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