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 Republic of Bulgaria
Date: 2002-05-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Bulgaria, EEA Joint Consultative Committee, European Association Agreement

27.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 203 E/253

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 Republic of Bulgaria

(2002/C 203 E/34)

COM(2002) 231 final — 2002/0107(ACC)

(Submitted by the Commission on 13 May 2002)

committee or body that can assist it in carrying out its
duties,

(2) Dialogues and cooperation between regional and local
authorities in the European Union and the Republic of
Bulgaria can make a major contribution to the full
implementation of the Europe Agreement,

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

the European Communities and of

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

The position to be adopted by the Community within the
Association Council established by Article 110 of the Europe
Agreement establishing an Association between the European
Communities and their Member States, on the one hand, and
the Republic of Bulgaria, on the other hand, in relation 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.

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

regard

Having
subparagraphs, of
Community,

to Article

third
the Treaty establishing the European

300(2),

second

and

Having regard to Article 2(1) of the Council and Commission
Decision of 19.12.1995 (1) on conclusion of
the Europe
Agreement establishing an Association between the European
Communities and their Member States, on the one hand, and
the Republic of Bulgaria, on the other hand,

Having regard to the Commission proposal,

Whereas:

(1) Article 110 of the said Europe Agreement provides that the
Association Council may decide to set up any special

(1) OJ L 358, 31.12.1994, p. 1.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

27.8.2002

DRAFT DECISION No . . ./2002 OF THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL

between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of
Bulgaria, of the other part

amending, through the setting up of a Joint Consultative Committee between the Committee of the
Regions and the Bulgarian Liaison Committee for Cooperation with the Committee of the Regions,
Decision No 1/95 (1) adopting 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 Republic of Bulgaria, of the other part (2) and in
particular Article 110 thereof;

Whereas dialogue and cooperation between the regional and local authorities in the European Community
and those in the Republic of Bulgaria can make a major contribution to the development of their relations
and to the integration of Europe;

Whereas 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 Bulgarian Liaison Committee for Cooperation with the Committee
of the Regions, of the other part, by setting up of a Joint Consultative Committee;

Whereas this means that the rules of procedure of the Association Council, adopted by Decision No 1/95,
need to be amended accordingly;

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

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

concerning EU regional policy and accession process as
well as preparation of Bulgarian regions and local auth-
orities for these policies;

‘Article 15

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

1. preparing Bulgarian regions and local authorities for
activity in the framework of future membership of the
European Union;

2. preparing Bulgarian regions and local authorities for
their participation in the work of the Committee of
the Regions after accession of the Republic of Bulgaria;

3. exchanging information on current

issues of mutual
in particular on up-to-date state of play

interest,

(1) OJ L 255, 25.10.1995, p. 19.
(2) OJ L 358, 31.12.1994, p. 3.

4. encouraging multilateral structured dialogue between (a)
Bulgarian regions and local authorities and (b) regions
from EU Member States, including through networking
in specific areas where direct contacts and cooperation
between regions and local authorities from the Republic
of Bulgaria 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 Republic of Bulgaria and Member States;

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

7. assisting Bulgarian regional and local authorities by
means of information exchange in practical implemen-
tation of the principle of subsidiarity in all aspects of life
on regional and local level;

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 203 E/255

8. discussing any other relevant matters proposed by any
side, as they can arise in the context of implementation
of the Europe Agreement and in the framework of the
Pre-accession Strategy.

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

Article 16

Article 17

The Committee shall comprise eight representatives of the
Committee of the Regions, on the one hand, and eight
the Bulgarian Liaison Committee for
representatives of
Cooperation 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 Republic of Bulgaria.

The Committee of the Regions, on the one hand, and the
Bulgarian 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 Bulgarian, which shall be borne by the
Bulgarian 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.’

The Committee shall adopt its own Rules of Procedure.

Article 2

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

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