Council Joint Action 2003/872/CFSP of 8 December 2003 extending and amending the mandate of the Special Representative of the European Union for the South Caucasus
Date: 2003-12-08
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Caucasus countries, appointment of staff, diplomatic representation, the EU's international role

L 326/44

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

13.12.2003

COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2003/872/CFSP

of 8 December 2003

extending and amending the mandate of the Special Representative of the European Union for the
South Caucasus

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(c) to engage

constructively with main interested actors

concerning the region;

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union and, in par-
ticular, Articles 14, 18(5) and 23(2) thereof,

Whereas:

Joint Action 2003/496/CFSP of 7 July 2003
Council
concerning the appointment of
the European Union
Special Representative for the South Caucasus (1) is due
to expire on 31 December 2003.

On the basis of a review of
mandate of
extended.

the Special Representative

that

Joint Action,

the
should be

(1)

(2)

(3)

(d) to encourage and to support further cooperation between
States of the region, in particular between the States of the
South Caucasus, including on economic, energy and trans-
port issues;

(e) to enhance the effectiveness and visibility of the European

Union in the region.

The EUSR shall support the work of the High Representa-

2.
tive in the region.

On 17 November 2003 the Council adopted Guidelines
on the appointment, mandate and financing for Euro-
pean Union Special Representatives,

Article 3

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

The mandate of Mr Heikki TALVITIE as the European Union
Special Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus is hereby
extended.

Article 2

The mandate of the EUSR will be based on the policy
1.
objectives of the European Union in the South Caucasus. These
objectives include:

(a) to assist Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in carrying out
political and economic reforms, notably in the fields of rule
of law, democratisation, human rights, good governance,
development and poverty reduction;

(b) in accordance with existing mechanisms,

to prevent
in the resolution of
conflicts in the region,
conflicts, and to prepare the return of peace,
including
through promoting the return of refugees and internally
displaced persons;

to assist

In order to achieve the policy objectives, the mandate of the
EUSR shall be to:

(a) develop contacts with governments, parliaments, judiciary

and civil society in the region;

(b) encourage Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to cooperate
on regional themes of common interest, such as common
security threats, the fight against terrorism, trafficking and
organised crime;

(c) contribute to the prevention of conflicts, and to prepare the
including through recom-
return of peace to the region,
mendations for action related to civil society and rehabilita-
tion of territories without prejudice to the Commission's
responsibilities under the EC Treaty;

(d) assist in conflict resolution, in particular to enable the Euro-
pean Union better to support the United Nations Secretary-
General and his Special Representative for Georgia,
the
Group of Friends of the United Nations Secretary-General
for Georgia,
the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the
conflict resolution mechanism for South Ossetia;

the Minsk Group of

(e) intensify the European Union's dialogue with the main

interested actors concerning the region;

(1) OJ L 169, 8.7.2003, p. 74.

(f) assist the Council in further developing a comprehensive

policy towards the South Caucasus.

13.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 326/45

Article 4

Article 8

1.
The EUSR shall be responsible for the implementation of
the mandate acting under the authority and operational direc-
tion of the High Representative. The EUSR shall be accountable
to the Commission for all expenditure.

2.
The Political and Security Committee (PSC) shall maintain
a privileged link with the EUSR and shall be the primary point
of contact with the Council. The PSC shall provide strategic
guidance and political input to the EUSR within the framework
of the mandate.

To ensure the consistency of the external action of the Euro-
pean Union, the activities of the EUSR shall be coordinated
with those of the High Representative, the Presidency and the
Commission. EUSRs will provide regular briefings to Member
States' missions and Commission delegations. In the field, close
liaison shall be maintained with the Presidency, the Commis-
sion and Heads of Mission who shall make best efforts to assist
the EUSR in the implementation of the mandate. The EUSR
shall also liaise with other international and regional actors in
the field.

Article 5

Article 9

The financial reference amount intended to cover the
the EUSR shall be

1.
expenditure related to the mandate of
EUR 299 000.

2.
The expenditure financed by the amount stipulated in
paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the proce-
dures and rules applicable to the general budget of the Euro-
pean Community with the exception that any pre-financing
shall not remain the property of the Community.

The management of the expenditure shall be subject to a

3.
contract between the EUSR and the Commission.

The Presidency, Commission, and/or Member States, as

4.
appropriate, will provide logistical support in the region.

Article 6

The privileges, immunities and further guarantees necessary for
the completion and smooth functioning of the mission of the
EUSR and the members of his staff shall be defined with the
parties. Member States and the Commission shall grant all
necessary support to such effect.

Article 7

As a rule, the EUSR will report in person to the High Represen-
tative and to the PSC and may report also to the relevant
working group. Regular written reports will be circulated to the
High Representative, Council and Commission. The EUSR may
report to the General Affairs and External Relations Council on
the recommendation of the High Representative and the PSC.

The implementation of this Joint Action and its consistency
with other contributions from the European Union to the
region shall be kept under regular review. The EUSR shall
present a comprehensive written report on the implementation
of the mandate to the High Representative, the Council and the
Commission two months before the mandate expires, which
shall form a basis for evaluation of the Joint Action in the rele-
vant working groups and by the PSC. In the context of overall
priorities for deployment, the High Representative shall make
recommendations to the PSC concerning the Council's decision
on renewal, amendment or termination of the mandate.

Article 10

This Joint Action shall enter into force on 1 January 2004.

It shall apply until 30 June 2004.

Article 11

This Joint Action shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Union.

Done at Brussels, 8 December 2003.

For the Council

The President

F. FRATTINI