Proposal for a Council Decision on a Community position within the EC-Mexico Joint Council on the rules of procedure of the Special Committees
Date: 2002-05-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU office or agency, Mexico, cooperation agreement (EU), rules of procedure

C 203 E/250

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

27.8.2002

Proposal for a Council Decision on a Community position within the EC-Mexico Joint Council on
the rules of procedure of the Special Committees

(2002/C 203 E/33)

COM(2002) 228 final

(Submitted by the Commission on 7 May 2002)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) Article 49 of the Economic Partnership, Political Co-ordi-
nation and Co-operation Agreement between the European
Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the
United Mexican States, of the other part provides that the
Joint Council may decide to set up special committees to
assist it in the performance of its duties.

(2) Whereas Article 17 of the Decision No 2/2000 adopted on
23 March 2000 by the EU-Mexico Joint Council hereinafter
referred to as the ‘Decision No 2/2000’, established a
Special Committee on Customs Co-operation and Rules
of Origin.

(3) Whereas Article 19 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a
Special Committee on Standards and Technical Regulations.

(5) Whereas Article 24 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a

Special Committee on Steel Products.

(6) Whereas Article 32 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a

Special Committee on Government Procurement.

(7) Whereas Article 40 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a

Special Committee on Intellectual Property Matters.

(8) Whereas Article 23 of the Decision No 2/2001 adopted on
27 February 2001 by the EU-Mexico Joint Council, here-
inafter referred to as the ‘Decision No 2/2001’ sets up a
Special Committee on Financial Services.

(9) Whereas Article 49 of the Agreement provides that the
Joint Council shall determine in its rules of procedure
how the Special Committees shall function.

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

(4) Whereas Article 20 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a
Special Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

To adopt, as a Community position within the EC-Mexico Joint
Council, the annexed draft decision.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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ANNEX

DECISION No . . ./2002 OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY-MEXICO JOINT COUNCIL

of . . . 2002

established by the Economic Partnership, Political Co-ordination and Co-operation Agreement
between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the United
Mexican States, of the other part, of 8 December 1997

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEES

THE JOINT COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Economic Partnership, Political Co-ordi-
nation and Co-operation Agreement between the European
Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the
United Mexican States, of the other part, signed in Brussels on
8 December 1997, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agreement’
and in particular article 49.

Whereas Article 40 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a
Special Committee on Intellectual Property Matters.

Whereas Article 23 of the Decision No 2/2001 adopted on 27
February 2001 by the EU-Mexico Joint Council, hereinafter
referred to as the ‘Decision No 2/2001’ sets up a Special
Committee on Financial Services.

Whereas Article 49 of the Agreement provides that the Joint
Council may decide to set up special committees to assist it in
the performance of its duties.

Whereas Article 49 of the Agreement provides that the Joint
Council shall determine in its rules of procedure how the
Special Committees shall function,

Whereas Article 17 of the Decision No 2/2000 adopted on 23
March 2000 by the EU-Mexico Joint Council hereinafter
referred to as the ‘Decision No 2/2000’, established a Special
Committee on Customs Co-operation and Rules of Origin.

Whereas Article 19 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a
Special Committee on Standards and Technical Regulations.

Whereas Article 20 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a
Special Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

Whereas Article 24 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a
Special Committee on Steel Products.

Whereas Article 32 of the Decision No 2/2000 sets up a
Special Committee on Government Procurement.

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Rules of Procedure of the Special Committees are estab-
lished as set out in the annex of this Decision, which shall
become an appendix to the Rules of Procedure of the Joint
Council annexed to Decision No 1/2001 of the EU/Mexico
Joint Council.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on . . .

ANNEX

RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE EC-MEXICO SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Article 1

Presidency

Article 3

Delegations

Every meeting of the Special Committees shall be presided
alternatively by a representative of the European Commission,
and by a representative of the Mexican Government, normally
at senior civil servant level.

Before each meeting, the Chairman of the Special Committees
shall be informed of the intended composition and the Head of
the delegation of each Party.

Article 2

Meetings

Article 4

Secretariat

The Special Committees shall meet as stated in the respective
articles of
the Decision No 2/2000 and the Decision No
2/2001 which establishes each of them.

1.
An official of the European Commission, of the one part,
and an official of the Government of Mexico, of the other part,
shall act jointly as Secretaries of the Special Committees.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

27.8.2002

All correspondence to and from the Chairman of the
2.
Special Committees provided for in these rules of procedure
shall be forwarded to the Secretaries of the Special Committees
and to the Secretaries and the Chairman of
the Joint
to the members of the
Committee and where appropriate,
Joint Committee.

3. Upon adoption by the Special Committees, the minutes
shall be signed by the Chairman and by the Secretaries
within 10 working days after the end of
the internal
clearance procedure referred to in paragraph 2.

4. A copy of the minutes shall be forwarded to the Chairman

and Secretaries of the Joint Committee.

Article 5

Documents

When the deliberations of the Special Committees are based on
written supporting documents,
shall be
numbered and circulated as documents of
the Special
Committee by the two Secretaries.

such documents

Article 6

Publicity

Unless otherwise decided,
Committees shall not be public.

the meetings of

the Special

Article 7

Agenda for the meetings

agenda

1.
A provisional agenda for each meeting shall be drawn up
by the Secretaries of the Special Committees no later than
thirty days before the meeting, together with the supporting
forwarded to the
documentation. The
Chairman, Secretaries and members of the Joint Committee
not
the
later
meeting. The
adopted by the Special
Committees at the beginning of each meeting. Items not on
the provisional agenda may be added with the agreement of
both parties.

than fifteen days before the beginning of

shall be

shall be

agenda

2. With the agreement of
the time limits
specified in paragraph 1 may be shortened in order to take
account of the requirements of a particular case.

the Parties

Article 8

Minutes

Minutes shall be taken for each meeting and shall be based on
a summing up by the Chairman of the conclusions arrived at
by the Special Committees:

1. The parties will draft and agree on a first version of the
minutes directly after the Special Committees meeting.

2. The parties will then have 20 working days to circulate the
cleared

internally and compare

the versions

minutes
internally.

Article 9

Recommendations

In those

cases where

1.
is
empowered to make recommendations in accordance with
Decision No 2/2000 or Decision No 2/2001, those acts shall
be entitled ‘recommendation’, followed by a serial number, by
the date of their adoption and by description of their subject.

Special Committee

the

2. Where the Special Committee makes a recommendation,
the provisions of article 10, 11 and 12 of Decision No 1/2001
of the Joint Council that establish the rules of procedure of the
Joint Council shall apply mutatis mutandis.

The recommendations of the Special Committee shall be

3.
forwarded to the Secretaries of the Joint Committee.

Article 10

Expenses

The United Mexican States and the European Community
1.
shall each defray the expenses they incur by reason of their
participation in the meetings of the Special Committees, both
with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and to
postal and telecommunications expenditure.

Expenditure in connection with the material organisation
2.
and the interpretation at meetings,
translation and repro-
duction of documents shall be borne by the Party which
hosts the meetings.

Article 11

Annual report

The Special Committees shall report annually to the Joint
Committee.

Article 12

Other special committee

These rules of procedure shall apply to any other special
committee or body set up,
in accordance with article 49 of
the Agreement, to assist the Joint Council in the performance
of its duties.