98/304/JHA: Joint Action of 27 April 1998 adopted by the Council on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, concerning the financing of specific projects in favour of displaced persons who have found temporary protection in the Member States and asylum-seekers
Date: 1998-04-27
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU aid, development aid, joint action, repatriation grant, return migration, right of asylum

L  138/6

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

9.5.98

(Acts  adopted  under  Title  VI  of  the  Treaty  on  European  Union)

JOINT  ACTION

of  27  April  1998

adopted  by  the  Council  on  the  basis  of  Article  K.3  of  the  Treaty  on  European  Union,
concerning  the  financing  of  specific  projects  in  favour  of  displaced  persons  who  have  found
temporary  protection  in  the  Member  States  and  asylum-seekers

(98/304/JHA)

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION,

—  projects developed in connection with the twinning of

local administrative areas,

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  European  Union  and,  in
particular,  Articles  K.3(2)(b)  and  K.8(2)  thereof,

—  aid  to  transport.

Whereas  the  Member  States  consider  asylum  policy  a
matter  of  common  interest;

Article  2

Whereas  taking  action  in  favour  of  displaced  persons
who  have  found  temporary  protection  in  the  Member
improve  the
States  and  asylum-seekers 
conditions  under  which  such  persons  are  voluntarily
repatriated,  and  whereas  it  is  necessary  to  undertake
specific projects on an experimental basis, with a view to
establishing  a  legal  instrument  for  developing  further
action  in  this  area,  as  appropriate,

likely  to 

is 

The  aggregate  cost  of  the  specific  projects  shall  not
exceed  ECU  13  million.

Article  3

The  specific  projects  shall  be  financed  by  the  general
budget  of  the  European  Communities.

HAS  ADOPTED  THIS  JOINT  ACTION:

Article  1

Article  4

1. Specific  projects  intended  to  facilitate  the  voluntary
repatriation  of  displaced  persons  who  have  found
temporary  protection 
the  Member  States  and
asylum-seekers  shall  be  undertaken  on  an  experimental
basis  during  1998.

in 

2. These  measures  are  intended  primarily  to  cover  the
following areas:

—  education  facilities  for  persons  concerned  who  are

under  the  age  of  18,

—  vocational training,

—  information  on  the  economic  and  administrative
set-up  in  their  country  of  origin,  with  the  essential
aim  of  assisting 
their
country,

their  reintegration 

into 

1. Where  the  financing  is  less  than  ECU  200 000,  the
Commission  shall  keep  the  Council  informed  of  the
number  of  requests  received  for  the  financing  of  specific
in  granting  support
projects,  the  principles  applied 
thereto  and  the  results  of  such  projects.

2. Where the financing is ECU 200 000 or more and less
than ECU 1 million, the Commission shall be assisted by
a  committee  consisting  of  one  representative  from  each
Member  State  and  chaired  by  a  representative  of  the
Commission.  The  Commission  shall  submit  to  the
list  of  the  projects  which  have  been
committee  a 
submitted to it. It shall indicate the projects it selects and
shall give reasons for its selection. The committee, acting
by  the  majority  provided  for  in  the  second  subparagraph
of  Article  K.4(3)  of  the  Treaty,  shall  deliver  its  opinion

9.5.98

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

L  138/7

on  the  various  projects  within  a  period  of  two  weeks.
The  Chairman  shall  not  vote.  The  opinion  shall  be
recorded  in  the  minutes;  moreover,  each  Member  State
shall have the right to ask that its position be recorded in
the  minutes.  The  Commission  shall  take  full  account  of
the  opinion  delivered  by  the  committee.  It  shall  inform
the  committee  of  how  it  has  done  so.

3. Where  the  financing  is  ECU  1  million  or  more,  the
Commission  shall  submit  to  the  committee  referred  to  in
paragraph 2 a list of projects which have been submitted
to it. It shall indicate the projects it selects and shall give
reasons  for  its  selection.  The  committee,  acting  by  the
majority  provided  for  in  the  second  subparagraph  of
Article  K.4(3)  of  the  Treaty,  shall  deliver  its  opinion  on
the  various  projects  within  a  period  of  two  weeks.  The
Chairman  shall  not  vote.  If  a  favourable  opinion  is  not
delivered  within  the  time  limit,  the  Commission  shall
either  withdraw  the  project(s)  concerned  or  submit  it
(them),  with  any  opinion  from  the  committee,  to  the
Council,  which,  acting  by  the  majority  provided  for  in
the  second  subparagraph  of  Article  K.4(3)  of  the  Treaty,
shall  take  a  decision  within  one  month.

Article  5

The  Commission  shall  keep  the  Council  informed  of  the
results  of  the  specific  projects  financed  by  the  general

budget  of  the  European  Communities  with  a  view  to
assessing  the  possibility  of  developing  action  in  this  area
on  the  basis  of  an  appropriate  legal  instrument.

Article  6

This  Joint  Action  shall  enter  into  force  on  the  day  of  its
adoption.

It  shall  be  applicable  until  the  end  of  1998.

Article  7

This  Joint  Action  shall  be  published  in  the  Official
Journal.

Done  at  Luxembourg,  27  April  1998.

For  the  Council

The  President

R.  COOK