Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the signature and provisional application of an Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia concerning the system of ecopoints to be applied to transit traffic of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia through Austria
Date: 2002-07-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, North Macedonia, agreement (EU), management, road transport, tradeable emission permit, transit

C 20 E/80

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28.1.2003

Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the signature and provisional application of an
Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Community and the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia concerning the system of ecopoints to be applied to
transit traffic of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia through Austria

(2003/C 20 E/11)

COM(2002) 418 final — 2002/0188(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 23 July 2002)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. The Agreement between the European Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in
to that applicable to
the field of
Community heavy goods vehicles in transit through Austria, shall apply to transit traffic of the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia through Austria, with effect from 1 January 1999.

transport (1) establishes that a system of ecopoints, equivalent

In accordance with the provisions of Article 12.3(b), the method of calculation and the detailed rules
and procedures for the management and control of the ecopoints are to be agreed by means of an
exchange of letters between the Contracting Parties, and will be in line with the provisions of Articles
11 and 14(2) of Protocol 9 to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European
Union regulating the ecopoints system applying in the Community.

2. The negotiations during 1998 resulted in the attached text which was initialled only on 25 January
2001. As a consequence, it was also agreed that the ecopoints system will be implemented from 1
January 2002. During the negotiations, the Commission services informed and consulted Member
States.

However, the total number of ecopoints allocated to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia lorries
for 1999, 2000 and 2001 is also agreed in order to ensure that the annual percentage reduction is
made in line with those applied to Community lorries. On this basis, the functioning of the regime
applied between the Republic of Austria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia during the
period January 1999-December 2001 was examined by the Joint Transport Committee established by
Article 22 of the Transport Agreement, and no discriminatory effects were identified.

3. The Agreement establishes the number of ecopoints allocated to trucks of the former Yugoslav Republic
for
It also provides for appropriate documents, rules of

of Macedonia for the period 1999-2003 on the basis of
Community heavy goods vehicles’ principle.
procedure and methods of control for managing the system.

the ‘no less favourable treatment

The Agreement stipulates that the system of ecopoints shall be applied from 1 January 2002.

The Commission invites the Council to decide on the signature and provisional application of the
Agreement and to initiate the conclusion procedure. Accordingly, it hereby submits to the Council two
proposals as follows:

1. Proposal for a Council decision on the signature and provisional application of an Agreement in the
form of an exchange of letters concerning the system of ecopoints to be applied to transit traffic of the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia through Austria.

2. Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement.

(1) OJ L 348, 18.12.1997, p. 170.

28.1.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 20 E/81

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 71(1)
in conjunction
with the first sentence of the first subparagraph of Article
300(2), thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

an exchange of
and the

(1) The Commission has negotiated an Agreement in the form
letters between the
European
of
Community
former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia concerning the system of ecopoints to be
applied to transit traffic of the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia through Austria.

(2) Subject

the
Agreement initialled on 25 January 2001 should be signed.

to its possible conclusion at a later date,

Article 1

entitled to sign, on behalf of

The President of the Council
is authorised to designate the
the European
person(s)
Community, the Agreement in the form of an exchange of
letters between the European Community and the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia concerning the system of
the former
ecopoints
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia through Austria, subject to
its conclusion at a later date.

to be applied to transit

traffic of

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The Agreement referred to in Article 1 shall be applied on a
provisional basis from 1 January 2002.

Article 3

(3) Provision should be made for the provisional application of

the Agreement from 1 January 2002.

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.