Proposal for a Council Decision on a Community Position concerning the Rules of procedure of the Association Council and the Association Committee established by the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement established an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part
Date: 2002-06-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Association Council (EU), Jordan, association agreement (EU), rules of procedure

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Proposal for a Council Decision on a Community Position concerning the Rules of procedure of
the Association Council and the Association Committee established by the Euro-Mediterranean
Agreement established an Association between the European Communities and their Member
States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part

(2002/C 262 E/13)

COM(2002) 286 final

(Submitted by the Commission on 4 June 2002)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, concluded in November 1997, entered into force on 1 May 2002.

An Association Council is established under Article 89 of the Agreement, which will examine any major
issues arising within the framework of the Agreement and any other bilateral or international issues of
mutual interest. Moreover, under Article 92 of the Agreement an Association Committee is created, subject
to the powers of the Association Council. The Association Committee shall be responsible for the
implementation of the Agreement.

Article 90(3) and Article 93(2) specify that the Association Council and the Association Committee shall
adopt their rules of procedures. The first meeting of the Association Council is scheduled for [June 10,
2002]. It is therefore necessary to adopt its rules of procedure during this first meeting. As practised with
the other Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements already in force the Association Council shall, at the
same time, adopt the internal procedure for the Association Committee.

The proposed rules of procedure specify the duties of the Association Council and the Association
in accordance with the Association
Committee and the practices, which they will need to follow,
Agreement.

It is therefore proposed that the Council approves the attached proposal.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 300(2), second
subparagraph thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of
the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part, has definitely entered into force
on 1 May 2002.

(2) Article 89 of the said Agreement establishes an Association Council, which will examine any major
issues arising within the framework of the Agreement and any other bilateral or international issues of
mutual interest.

(3) Article 92 of the said Agreement establishes an Association Committee, subject to the powers of the

Association Council, which shall be responsible for the implementation of the Agreement.

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(4) Article 90(3) and Article 93(2) of the said Agreement provide that the Association Council and the

Association Committee shall adopt their respective rules of procedure.

(5) The Community should determine the position to be taken within the Association Council with regard
to the adoption of the rules of procedure for the Association Council and the Association Committee,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The position to be adopted by the Communities and their Member States within the Association Council
established by Article 89 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and
their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part, shall be
based on the draft decisions of the Association Council annexed to the present Decision.

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DECISION No . . ./2002 OF THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES, OF THE ONE PART, AND THE HASHEMITE
KINGDOM OF JORDAN OF THE OTHER PART

of . . .

concerning the adoption of its Rules of procedure

(. . ./. . ./. . .)

THE EU-JORDAN ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement estab-
lishing an Association between the European Communities
and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite
Kingdom of
the other part, and in particular
Jordan, of
Articles 89 to 96 thereof,

Whereas that Agreement entered into force on 1 May 2002,

HAS DECIDED TO ADOPT THE
PROCEDURE:

FOLLOWING RULES OF

Article 1

Presidency

The Association Council shall be presided over alternately for a
period of 12 months by a representative of the Presidency of
the Council of
the
Community and its Member States, and a representative of
the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The
first period shall begin on the date of the first Association
Council meeting and end on 31 December 2002.

the European Union, on behalf of

Article 2

Meetings

The Association Council shall meet regularly at ministerial level
once a year. Special sessions of the Association Council may be
held if the Parties so agree, at the request of either Party. Unless
otherwise agreed by the Parties, each session of the Association
Council shall be held at the usual venue for meetings of the
the European Union at a date agreed by both
Council of
Parties.

The meetings of
convened by the secretaries of
agreement with the President.

the Association Council shall be jointly
in

the Association Council

Article 3

Representation

The members of the Association Council may be represented if
unable to attend. If a member wishes to be so represented, he
must notify the President of the name of his representative
before the meeting at which he is to be so represented.

Article 4

Delegations

The members of the Association Council may be accompanied
by officials.

Before each meeting, the President shall be informed of the
intended composition of the delegation of each Party.

A representative of the European Investment Bank may attend
the meetings of the Association Council as an observer when
matters which concern the Bank appear on the agenda.

The Association Council may invite, by agreement between the
Parties, non-members to attend its meetings in order to provide
information on particular subjects.

Article 5

Secretariat

An official of the General Secretariat of the Council of the
the
European Union and an official of
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Brussels shall act jointly as
secretaries of the Association Council.

the Mission of

Article 6

Correspondence

Correspondence addressed to the Association Council shall be
sent to the President of the Association Council at the address
of
the European
Union.

the General Secretariat of

the Council of

shall ensure that correspondence is
The two secretaries
forwarded to the President of the Association Council and,
where appropriate, circulated to the other members of the
Association Council. Correspondence circulated shall be sent
to the Secretariat-General of the Commission, the Permanent
Representations of the Member States and the Mission of the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Brussels.

Communications from the President of the Association Council
shall be sent to the addressees by the two secretaries and
circulated, where appropriate, to the other members of the
Association Council at the addresses indicated in the second
paragraph.

Article 7

Publicity

The representative of a member of the Association Council
shall exercise all the rights of that member.

Unless otherwise decided,
Council shall not be public.

the meetings of

the Association

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Article 8

Agendas for meetings

In the period between meetings, the Association Council may
adopt decisions or recommendations by written procedure if
both Parties so agree.

1.
The President shall draw up a provisional agenda for each
the
meeting.
It shall be forwarded by the secretaries of
Association Council to the addressees referred to in Article 6
not later than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting.

The provisional agenda shall include the items in respect of
which the President has received a request for inclusion in the
agenda not later than 21 days before the beginning of the
meeting, save that such items shall not be written into the
provisional agenda unless the supporting documentation has
been forwarded to the secretaries not later than the date of
dispatch of the agenda.

The agenda shall be adopted by the Association Council at the
beginning of each meeting. An item other
than those
appearing on the provisional agenda may be placed on the
agenda if the Parties so agree.

The decisions and recommendations of the Association
2.
Council within the meaning of Article 91 of the Euro-Medi-
terranean Agreement shall be entitled respectively ‘Decision’
and ‘Recommendation’ followed by a serial number, the date
their subject. Each
of
its entry into force. The
decision shall specify the date of
decisions and recommendations of
the Association Council
shall be signed by the President and authenticated by the
two secretaries.

their adoption and a description of

Decisions and recommendations shall be forwarded to each of
the addressees referred to in Article 6.

The Association Council may decide to order publication of its
decisions and recommendations in the Official Journal of the
the
European Communities
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

and the Official

Journal of

2.
The President may, in agreement with the Parties, shorten
the periods specified in paragraph 1 in order to take account of
the requirements of a particular case.

Article 11

Languages

Article 9

Minutes

Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the two
secretaries.

The minutes shall, as a general rule, indicate in respect of each
item on the agenda:

— the documentation submitted to the Association Council,

— statements which a member of the Association Council has

asked to be entered,

— the decisions taken, the statements agreed upon and the

conclusions adopted.

The draft minutes shall be submitted to the Association
for approval. They shall be approved within six
Council
months
each Association Council meeting. When
after
approved, the minutes shall be signed by the President and
the two secretaries. The minutes shall be filed in the archives
the European
of
Union; a certified true copy shall be forwarded to each of
the addressees referred to in Article 6.

the General Secretariat of

the Council of

Article 10

Decisions and recommendations

The Association Council shall adopt its decisions and

1.
recommendations by mutual agreement of the Parties.

The official languages of the Association Council shall be the
official languages of the two Parties.

Unless otherwise decided, the Association Council shall base its
deliberations on documentation prepared in those languages.

Article 12

Expenses

The Community and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan shall
each defray the expenses they incur by reason of their partici-
pation in the meetings of the Association Council, both with
regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and to postal
and telecommunications expenditure.

Expenditure in connection with interpreting at meetings, trans-
lation and reproduction of documents shall be borne by the
Community, with the exception of expenditure in connection
with interpreting or translation into or from Arabic, which
shall be borne by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

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

Article 13

Association Committee

1.
The Association Council shall be assisted in carrying out
its duties by the Association Committee. The Committee shall
be composed of representatives of the members of the Council
of
the
Commission of the European Communities, on the one hand,
and of representatives of the Government of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, on the other hand.

the European Union and of

representatives of

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ensure

in general,

continuity of

The Association Committee shall prepare the meetings
2.
and the deliberations of the Association Council,
implement
the decisions of the Association Council where appropriate
and,
the Association
relationship and the proper functioning of the Euro-Mediter-
ranean Agreement. It shall consider any matter referred to it by
the Association Council as well as any other matter which may
arise in the course of the day-to-day implementation of the
It shall submit proposals or
Euro-Mediterranean Agreement.
to the Association
any draft decisions/recommendations
Council for its approval.

In cases where the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement refers
3.
to an obligation to consult or a possibility of consultation, such
consultation may take place within the Association Committee.
The consultation may continue in the Association Council if
the two Parties so agree.

The draft Rules of Procedure of

4.
Committee are annexed to this Decision (Annex 1).

the Association

ANNEX 1

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE

Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part

Article 1

Chairmanship

The Association Committee shall be presided over alternately for periods of 12 months by representatives of the
European Community and a representative of the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The position of the European Union with regard to Titles V and VI of the Treaty on European Union will always be
expressed by a representative of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The first period shall begin on the date of the first Association Council meeting and end on 31 December of the same
year.

Article 2

Meetings

The Association Committee shall meet when circumstances require, with the agreement of both Parties.

Each meeting of the Association Committee shall be held at a time and place agreed by both Parties.

The meetings of the Association Committee shall be convened by the Chairman.

Before each meeting, the Chairman shall be informed of the intended composition of the delegation of each Party.

Article 3

Delegations

Article 4

Secretariat

An official of the European Commission and an official of the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan shall
act jointly as secretaries of the Association Committee.

All communications to or from the Chairman of the Association Committee in the framework of these Rules of
Procedure shall be addressed to the secretaries of the Association Committee and the secretaries and President of the
Association Council.

Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Association Committee shall not be public.

Article 5

Publicity

Article 6

Agendas for meetings

1.
The Chairman shall draw up a provisional agenda for each meeting. It shall be forwarded by the secretaries of the
Association Committee to the addressees referred to in Article 4 not later than 15 days before the beginning of the
meeting.

The provisional agenda shall include the items in respect of which the Chairman has received a request for inclusion in
the agenda not later than 21 days before the beginning of the meeting, save that such items shall not be written into the
provisional agenda unless the supporting documentation has been forwarded to the secretaries not later than the date of
dispatch of the agenda.

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The Association Committee may ask experts to attend its meetings in order to provide information on particular
subjects.

The agenda shall be adopted by the Association Committee at the beginning of each meeting. An item other than those
appearing on the provisional agenda may be placed on the agenda if the two Parties so agree.

The Chairman may, in agreement with the two Parties, shorten the periods specified in paragraph 1 in order to

2.
take account of the requirements of a particular case.

Article 7

Minutes

Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the two Secretaries. They shall
indicate the decisions and
recommendations taken and the conclusions adopted. The draft minutes shall be submitted to the Association
Committee for approval. When approved, the minutes shall be signed by the Chairman and the two Secretaries and
one original copy shall be filed by each of the Parties.

Article 8

Deliberations

In the specific cases where the Association Committee is empowered by the Association Council under the Euro-Medi-
terranean Agreement
to adopt decisions/recommendations, those acts shall be entitled respectively ‘Decision’ and
‘Recommendation’, followed by a serial number, the date of their adoption and a description of their subject.

Whenever the Association Committee takes a decision, Articles 10 and 11 of Decision No . . . of the Association Council
[of June 10, 2002] adopting its Rules of Procedure shall be applied mutatis mutandis.

Decisions and recommendations of the Association Committee shall be forwarded to the addressees referred to in
Article 4 of these Rules of Procedure.

Article 9

Expenses

Each Party shall defray the expenses related to its participation in the meetings of the Association Committee and of any
working groups or bodies which might be set up in accordance with Article 95 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement,
both 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 Community, with the exception of expenditure in connection with interpreting and/or translation into or from
Arabic, which shall be borne by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

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

DECLARATION OF THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMISSION RELATING TO ARTICLE 93 OF
THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES, OF THE ONE PART, AND THE
HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN, OF THE OTHER PART

The Council of the European Union and the European Commission declare with regard to Article 93(3) of
the EU-Jordan Association Agreement
the Association Committee, when
exercised by the EU, will henceforth be implemented by a representative of the European Commission.
The EU position with regard to Titles V and VI of the Treaty on the European Union will always be
expressed by a representative of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

the chairmanship of

that

The Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and
their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part, shall be
amended formally as soon as possible when the Agreement is next revised, for instance, when new
Member States join the EU.