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 Slovak Republic
Date: 2002-04-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Slovakia, advisory committee (EU), association agreement, exchange of information, regional cooperation

27.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 203 E/131

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 Slovak Republic

(2002/C 203 E/20)

COM(2002) 200 final — 2002/0093(ACC)

(Submitted by the Commission on 23 April 2002)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

regard to the Treaty

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

establishing

Having regard to Article 300, paragraph 2, second and third
indent, of the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Article 2(1) of the Council and Commission
Decision of 19 December 1994 concerning the conclusion of a
Europe Agreement establishing an association between the
European Communities and their Member States, of the one
part, and the Slovak Republic, of the other part,

(2) Dialogue and cooperation between regional and local auth-
orities
in the European Community and the Slovak
Republic can make a major contribution to the full
implementation of the Europe Agreement.

(3) It seems appropriate that such cooperation should be
organised between the members of the Committee of the
Regions of the European Communities and of the Slovak
Liaison Committee for Cooperation with the Committee of
the Regions of the European Communities,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

Having regard to the Commission proposal,

Whereas:

(1) 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.

The position to be adopted by the Community within the
Association Council established by Article 104 of the Europe
Agreement establishing an association between the European
Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
Slovak Republic, of the other part,
in relation to the estab-
lishment of a Joint Consultative Committee shall be based on
the draft decision of the said Association Council which is
annexed to the present decision.

DRAFT

Decision No . . ./2002 of the Association Council between the European Communities and their
Member States, of the one part, and the Slovak Republic, of the other part, amending, through the
setting up of a Joint Consultative Committee between the Committee of the Regions and the
Slovak Liaison Committee for Cooperation with the Committee of the Regions, Decision No 1/95
adopting the rules of procedure of the Association Council

THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

Republic can make a major contribution to the devel-
opment of their relations and to the integration of Europe.

Having regard to the Europe Agreement establishing an
association between the European Communities and their
Member States, of the one part, and the Slovak Republic, of
the other part (1), and in particular Article 109 thereof;

Whereas:

(2) It seems appropriate that such cooperation should be
organised at the level of the Committee of the Regions,
of the one part, and of the Slovak Liaison Committee for
Cooperation with the Committee of the Regions, of the
other part, by the setting up of a Joint Consultative
Committee.

(1) Dialogue and cooperation between regional and local auth-
orities in the European Community and those in the Slovak

(1) OJ L 360, 31.12.1994, p. 2.

(3) This means that the rules of procedure of the Association
Council, adopted by Decision 1/95, need to be amended
accordingly,

C 203 E/132

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

27.8.2002

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

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

‘Article 19

the Association Council with a

A Joint Consultative Committee (hereinafter referred to as
is hereby established with the task of
“Committee”)
view to
assisting
promoting
the
and
European
authorities
regional
Community and those in the Slovak Republic. Such
dialogue and cooperation shall be aimed in particular at:

dialogue
local

cooperation

between

and

the

in

1. preparing Slovak regions and local authorities

for
activity in the framework of future membership of the
European Union;

2. preparing Slovak regions and local authorities for their
the

participation in the work of
Regions after accession of the Slovak Republic;

the Committee of

3. exchanging information on current

issues of mutual
in particular on up-to-date state of play
interest,
concerning EU regional policy and accession process
as well as preparation of Slovak regions and local auth-
orities for these policies;

4. encouraging multilateral structured dialogue between (a)
Slovak regions and local authorities and (b) regions and
local authorities from EU Member States,
including
through networking in specific areas where direct
contacts and cooperation between regions and local
authorities from the Slovak Republic and EU Member
States might prove the most effective way of solving
particular problems;

5. providing regular exchange of

information on inter-
regional cooperation between regional and local auth-
orities from the Slovak Republic and Member States;

6. encouraging exchange of experience and knowledge in
the field of regional policy and structural interventions,
between (a) Slovak regions and local authorities and (b)
regions and local authorities from EU Member States, in
particular know-how and techniques concerning prep-
aration of regional and local development plans or
strategies and most efficient use of Structural Funds;

7. assisting Slovak regional and local authorities by means
of information exchange in practical implementation of
the principle of subsidiarity in all aspects of life on
regional and local level;

of the Europe Agreement and in the framework of the
Pre-accession Strategy.

Article 20

The Committee shall comprise eight representatives of the
Committee of the Regions, on the one hand, and eight
representatives of the Slovak Liaison Committee for Coop-
eration with the Committee of the Regions, on the other
hand. An equal number of alternate members shall be
appointed.

The 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 regional and local
authorities, on its own initiative.

The Committee may make
Association Council.

recommendations

to the

Members shall be chosen to ensure that the Committee is
as faithful a reflection as possible of the various levels of
regional and local authorities
in both the European
Community and the Slovak Republic.

The Committee shall adopt its own Rules of Procedure.

The Committee shall meet at intervals, which it shall itself
determine in its Rules of Procedure.

The Committee shall be co-chaired by a member of the
Committee of the Regions of the European Community
and a member of the Slovak Liaison Committee for Coop-
eration with the Committee of the Regions.

Article 21

The Committee of the Regions, on the one hand, and the
Slovak Liaison Committee
for Cooperation with the
Committee of the Regions, on the other hand, shall each
defray the expenses they incur by reason of their partici-
pation in the meetings of the Committee 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 borne
by the Committee of the Regions, with the exception of
expenditure in connection with interpreting or translation
into or from Slovak, which shall be borne by the Slovak
Liaison Committee for Cooperation with the Committee of
the Regions.

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

Article 2

8. discussing any other relevant matters proposed by any
side, as they can arise in the context of implementation

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