98/302/CFSP: Joint Action of 30 April 1998 adopted by the Council on the basis of Article J.3 of the Treaty on European Union, concerning support for the electoral process in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Date: 1998-04-30
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU aid, common foreign and security policy, joint action, organisation of elections

9.5.98

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

L  138/3

JOINT  ACTION

of  30  April  1998

adopted by the Council on the basis of Article J.3 of the Treaty on European Union, concerning
support  for  the  electoral  process  in  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina

(98/302/CFSP)

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION,

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  European  Union,  and  in
particular  Articles  J.3  and  J.11  thereof,

Having regard to the conclusions of the Dublin European
Council  on  13  and  14  December  1996,  and  of  the
Amsterdam  European  Council  on  16  and  17  June  1997,

Whereas  national  elections  are  due  to  take  place  in
Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  on  12-13  September  1998;

Whereas  the  Permanent  Council  of  the  Organisation  for
Security  and  Cooperation  in  Europe  (OSCE)  decided  on
5  and  12  March  1998  that  the  OSCE  would  supervise
these  elections;

Whereas  the  Union  has  consistently  contributed  to  the
OSCE  supervision  activities  for  all  elections  held  in
Bosnia  and  Herzegovina (1)  pursuant  to  the  General
Framework  Agreement 
in  Bosnia  and
Herzegovina  and  intends  to  continue  to  play  an  active
role  to  this  effect;

for  Peace 

Whereas EU Member States are the main contributors to
the OSCE budget for the supervision of national elections
in  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  under  the  OSCE  scale  for
‘large  missions  and  projects’,

HAS  ADOPTED  THIS  JOINT  ACTION:

Article  1

In  particular,  this  joint  action  aims  at  providing  EU
support  in  addition  to  that  already  provided  through  the
contribution  to  the  OSCE  budget  for  the  supervision  of
national  elections  in  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  under  the
OSCE  scale  for  ‘large  missions  and  projects’,  which
provides  for  a  contribution  by  EU  Member  States
representing  67 %  of  the  total.

Article  2

Project  No  G-7 

1. The  additional  support  referred  to  in  Article  1  shall
take  the  form  of  an  EU  contribution  towards  OSCE
supervision.  This  shall  include  a  voluntary  contribution
(Supervision
towards  OSCE 
Personnel) (2),  through  the  provision  of  a  team  of  EU
supervisors  tasked  with  overseeing  the  electoral  process
including voter registration, polling and counting (Section
1,  2,  3  and  4  of  No  G-7),  under  the  aegis  of  the  OSCE,
as  well  as  towards  OSCE  Project  No  G-16  (Media
Centre).

2. EU long-term supervisors shall stay in the region for a
period  of  up  to  208  days.  EU  medium-term  supervisors
shall stay in the region for a period of 34 to 38 days. EU
short-term supervisors shall stay for a period of 11 to 18
days.

Article  3

1.
In  order  to  cover  the  costs  involved  in  realising  the
activities  mentioned  in  Article  2,  a  maximum  of  ECU
5  million  shall  be  charged  to  the  general  budget  of  the
European  Communities  for  1998.

This  joint  action  aims  at  further  strengthening  the
support  already  provided  by  the  Union  to  the  activities
carried  out  by  the  OSCE  pursuant  to  the  General
Framework  Agreement 
in  Bosnia  and
Herzegovina.

for  Peace 

(1)  Joint  Action  96/406/CFSP  (OJ  L  168,  6.7.1996,  p.  1),  as
amended  by  Council  Decision  97/153/CFSP  (OJ  L  63,
4.3.1997,  p.  1),  and  supplemented  by  Council  Decision
97/224/CFSP (OJ L 90, 4.4.1997, p. 1) and Council Decision
97/689/CFSP  (OJ  L  293,  27.10.1997,  p.  1).

2. Of  the  amount  mentioned  in  paragraph  1,  a  sum  of
up  to  ECU  4,92  million  will  be  earmarked  for  a
voluntary contribution in order to co-finance up to 40 %
of the total cost of the OSCE project No G-7, sections 1,
2, 3 and 4, and for the transport costs of EU supervisors
from Member States’ capitals to Vienna and their return.

(2)  Decision No 224 of the OSCE Permanent Council of 8 April

1998.

L  138/4

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

9.5.98

This,  taking  into  account  the  Member  States’  own
contributions,  will  allow  the  Union  to  finance  the  vast
majority  of  the  supervision  activities.  The  exact  amount
will be calculated on the basis of the definitive list of EU
supervisors.

3. Of  the  amount  mentioned  in  paragraph  1,  a  sum  of
up  to  ECU  80 000  will  be  earmarked  for  a  voluntary
contribution  towards  OSCE  project  No  G-16  (Media
Centre),  notably  with  a  view  to  ensuring  EU  visibility.

4. The  expenditure  financed  from  the  amount  referred
to  in  paragraph  1  shall  be  managed  in  compliance  with
the  Community’s  budgetary  procedures  and  rules.

Article  4

The Council shall review the implementation of this joint
action.

Article  5

This  joint  action  shall  enter  into  force  on  the  day  of  its
adoption.

Article  6

This  joint  action  shall  be  published  in  the  Official
Journal.

Done  at  Luxembourg,  30  April  1998.

For  the  Council

The  President

T.  JOWELL