Proposal for a Council Decision on the Community position in relation to the establishment of a Joint Consultative Committee to be decided on by the association council established by the Europe agreement between the European Communities and the Czech Republic
Date: 2001-12-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Association Council (EU), Czechia, accession to the European Union, association agreement (EU), cooperation policy, joint committee on EU matters

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 28.12.2001
COM(2001) 805 final

2001/0319 (ACC)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

ON THE COMMUNITY POSITION IN RELATION TO THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE TO BE
DECIDED ON BY THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL ESTABLISHED BY THE
EUROPE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

(presented by the Commission)

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The  Europe  Agreement  establishing  an  Association  between  the  European
Communities  and  their  Member  States,  of  the  one  part,  and  the  Czech
Republic,  of  the  other  part,  which  entered  into  force  on  1  February  1995,
provides, in the article 109 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(cid:1)  12  of  the  Europe  Agreement  referring  to  Article
109  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  the  Czech
Republic.”

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  Czech
economic and social partners on the part of the Czech Republic.

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  Czech  social  partners,  who  will  familiarise
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  familiarise  themselves  with  the  social  dimension
of  the  reforms  of  the  economic  and  social  structures  taking  place  in  the
Czech  Republic.  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 Czech 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
invited  to  adopt  the  annexed  proposal  for  a  decision  concerning  the
Community  position  within  the  Association  Council  with  the  Czech
Republic.

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2001/0319 (ACC)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

ON THE COMMUNITY POSITION IN RELATION TO THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE TO BE
DECIDED ON BY THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL ESTABLISHED BY THE
EUROPE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

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  in  particular  to  Article  300  EC,  paragraph  2,  second  and  third
subparagraphs,

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  Czech
Republic, of the other part,

Having regard to the Commission proposal,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Article  109  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.

Dialogue and co-operation between economic and social interest groups in the
European Community and the Czech Republic can make a major contribution
to the development of their relations.

It seems appropriate that such co-operation should be between the members of
the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  of  the  European  Communities  and  the
Czech Republic’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 Czech Republic, of the other part, in relation

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to  the  establishment  of  a  Joint  Consultative  Committee  shall  be  based  on  the  draft
decision of the said Association Council which is annexed to the present decision.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President
[…]

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ANNEX

DRAFT DECISION NO ....../2001

of the Association Council

between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
Czech Republic, of the other part, of ......... 2001 amending, through the setting-up of a
Joint Consultative Committee, Decision No 1/95 establishing the rules of procedure of
the Association Council.

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 Czech
Republic, of the other part, and in particular Article 109 thereof,

WHEREAS:

(1) 

(2) 

dialogue and co-operation between economic and social interest groups in the
European Community and the Czech Republic can make a major contribution
to the development of their relations,

it seems appropriate that such co-operation be organised between the members
of the Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities and the
Czech  Republic’s  economic  and  social  partners,  by  the  setting  up  of  a  Joint
Consultative Committee,

(3) 

this means that the rules of procedure of the Association Council, adopted by
Decision 1/95, have to be amended accordingly

HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING DECISION:

Article 1

The  following  rules  shall  be  added  to  the  rules  of  procedure  of  the  Association
Council:

Joint Consultative Committee

“Article 19

A  Joint  Consultative  Committee  is  hereby  established  with  the  task  of  promoting
dialogue  and  Co-operation  between  the  economic  and  social  interest  groups  in  the
European Community and the Czech Republic. Such dialogue and Co-operation shall
encompass  all  economic  and  social  aspects  of  relations  between  the  European
Community  and  the  Czech  Republic,  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.

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Article 20

The  Joint  Consultative  Committee  shall  comprise  seven  representatives  of  the
Economic  and  Social  Committee  of  the  European  Communities  and  seven
representatives of the Czech Republic’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, as concerns the promotion of the dialogue
between the economic and social interest groups, 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 Community and the Czech Republic.

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

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

Article 21

The Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities, on the one hand,
and  the  Czech  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 Czech expenditure in connection with interpreting or translation into or
from Czech, which shall be born by the Czech economic and social interest groups.

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

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the
date of its adoption

Done at Brussels,

For the Association Council
The Chairman :
The Secretaries :

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For the Czech side :

For the European Community :

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