Proposal for a Council Decision on a Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 75 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part
Date: 2004-06-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Association Council (EU), Egypt, association agreement (EU), rules of procedure

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 2.6.2004 
COM(2004) 404 final 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

on a Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 75 
of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the 
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab 
Republic of Egypt, of the other part 

(presented by the Commission) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Article 75 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between 
the  European  Communities  and  their  member  States,  of  the  one  part,  and  the  Arab 
Republic of Egypt, of the other part, deals with the working of the Association Council 
and states that the latter shall adopt its own rules of procedure. 

The proposal drawn up by the Commission is closely based on the rules of procedure 
adopted for the other Euro-Med Association Agreements. 

The Council is requested to adopt, in the form of a common Community position, the 
attached  draft  Decision  of  the  EU/Egypt  Association  Council  adopting  its  rules  of 
procedure,  to  which  draft  rules  of  procedure  for  the  Association  Committee  are 
appended. 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

on a Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 75 
of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the 
European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab 
Republic of Egypt, of the other part 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

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

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

The  Euro-Mediterranean  Agreement  establishing  an  Association  between 
the 
European  Communities  and  their  Member  States,  of  the  one  part,  and  the  Arab 
Republic of Egypt, of the other part, was signed on 25 June 2001 

Article  75  of  that  Agreement  states  that  the  Association  Council  shall  adopt  its  own 
rules of procedure, 

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 

Sole Article 

The position to be adopted by the Community within the Association Council established by 
the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement concluded between the European Communities and their 
Member  States,  of  the  one  part,  and  the  Arab  republic  of  Egypt,  of  the  other  part,  on  the 
implementation  of  Article  75  of  the  Agreement,  shall  be  based  on  the  draft  decision  of  the 
Association Council annexed to this Decision. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

1 

OJ C , , p. . 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
ANNEX I  

Draft 

DECISION OF THE EU/EGYPT ASSOCIATION COUNCIL 

Setting up the Association Council’s rules of procedure 

The EU/Egypt Association Council, 

Having regard to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the 
European Communities and their Member States,  of the one  part, and the Arab  Republic of 
Egypt, of the other part, and in particular Articles 74 to 80 thereof, 

Whereas that Agreement entered into force on 1 June 2004, 

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 

Article1 

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  European  Union,  on  behalf  of  the 
Community  and  its  Member  States,  and  a  representative  of  the  Government  of  the  Arab 
Republic  of  Egypt.  The  first  period  shall  begin  on  the  date  of  the  first  Association  Council 
meeting and end on 31 December 2004. 

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 Council of the European Union at a date agreed by both 
Parties. 

The  meetings  of  the  Association Council shall be jointly convened by the secretaries of the 
Association Council in agreement with the President. 

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. 

EN 

4 

   EN 

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

Article 4 

Delegations 

the  Association  Council  may  be  accompanied  by  officials. 
The  members  of 
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  shall  attend  the  meetings  of  the 
Association  Council  as  an  observer  when  matters  which  concern  the  Bank  appear  on  the 
agenda. 

The  Association  Council  may,  by  agreement  between  the  Parties,  invite  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 European Union and an official of 
the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Brussels shall act jointly as secretaries of the 
Association Council. 

Article 6 

Correspondence 

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

The  two  secretaries  shall  ensure  that  correspondence  is  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  Embassy  of  the 
Arab Republic of Egypt 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 

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

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
Article 8 

Agendas for meetings 

1. The President shall draw up a provisional agenda for each meeting. It shall be forwarded by 
the secretaries of the 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. 

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

Article 10 

Decisions and recommendations 

1.  The  Association  Council  shall  adopt  its  decisions  and  recommendations  by  mutual 
agreement of the Parties. 

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

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
2.  The  decisions  and  recommendations  of  the  Association  Council  within  the  meaning  of 
Article 76 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement shall be entitled respectively "Decision" and 
"Recommendation" followed by a serial number, the date of their adoption and a description 
of their subject. Each decision shall specify the date of its entry into force. 

The  decisions  and  recommendations  of  the  Association  Council  shall  be  signed  by  the 
President and authenticated by the two secretaries. 

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

The  Association  Council  may  decide 
its  decisions  and 
recommendations  in  the  Official  Journal  of  the  European  Union  and  the  Official  Journal  of 
the Arab Republic of Egypt. 

to  order  publication  of 

Article 11 

Languages 

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 Arab Republic of Egypt shall each defray the expenses they incur by 
reason of their participation 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,  translation  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  Arab 
Republic of Egypt. 

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  Commission  of the 
European Communities and of representatives of the members of the Council of the European 
Union,  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  representatives  of  the  Government  of  the  Arab  republic  of 
Egypt, on the other hand. 

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
2.  The  Association  Committee  shall  prepare  the  meetings  and  the  deliberations  of  the 
Association Council, implement the  decisions of the  Association Council where appropriate 
and, in general, ensure continuity of the Association relationship and the proper functioning of 
the  Euro-Mediterranean  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  Euro-Mediterranean Agreement.  It  shall  submit  proposals  or  any 
draft decisions/recommendations to the Association Council for its approval. 

3. In cases where the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement refers 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. 

4. The draft Rules of Procedure of the Association Committee are annexed to this Decision. 

This decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption. 

Done at [...] 

For the Association Council 

The President 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
 
ANNEX 

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE 

Article 1 
Chairmanship 

The Association Committee shall be presided over alternately for periods of 12 months by a 
representative of the Commission of the European Communities on behalf of the Community 
and its Member States and a representative of the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt.  

The first period shall begin on the date of the first Association Council meeting and end on 31 
December 2004. 

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. 

Article 3 
Delegations 

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

Article 4 
Secretariat 

An official of the General Secretariat of the Commission of the European Community and an 
official of the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt 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. 

Article 5 
Publicity 

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

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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. 

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. 

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

Article 7 
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 Association Committee. 

When approved by the Association Committee, the minutes shall be signed by the Chairman 
and  by  the  secretaries  and  filed  by  each  of  the  Parties.  A  copy  of  the  minutes  shall  be 
forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 4. 

Article 8 
Deliberations 

In  the  specific  cases  where  the  Association  Committee  is  empowered  by  the  Association 
Council under the Euro-Mediterranean 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 
1/2004  of  the  Association  Council  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. 

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
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 80 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  Arab 
Republic of Egypt. 

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

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
 
1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

5.0 

FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

BUDGET HEADING: 

DATE:  
APPROPRIATIONS: 

TITLE: 
Community position in the Association Council on the implementation of Article 75 of the Euro-
Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their 
Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part 
LEGAL BASIS: 
Art. 75 of the EU/Egypt Association Agreement 
AIMS: 
Setting up the Association Council’s rules of procedures 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 

12 MONTH 
PERIOD 

CURRENT 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
2004 
(EUR million) 
n/a 

FOLLOWING 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
2005 
(EUR million) 
n/a 

CHARGED TO THE EC BUDGET 

EXPENDITURE 
- 
(REFUNDS/INTERVENTIONS) 
- 
- 

NATIONAL AUTHORITIES 
OTHER 

(EUR million) 
n/a 

5.1  REVENUE 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

OWN RESOURCES OF THE EC  

- 
(LEVIES/CUSTOMS DUTIES) 
NATIONAL 
- 

5.0.1  ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 
5.1.1  ESTIMATED REVENUE 
5.2  METHOD OF CALCULATION: 

2006 
- 
- 

2007 
- 
- 

2008 
- 
- 

6.0  CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED FROM APPROPRIATIONS ENTERED IN THE 

RELEVANT CHAPTER OF THE CURRENT BUDGET? 

6.1  CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED BY TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS OF 

THE CURRENT BUDGET? 

6.2  WILL A SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET BE NECESSARY? 
6.3  WILL APPROPRIATIONS NEED TO BE ENTERED IN FUTURE BUDGETS? 
OBSERVATIONS: 
The meetings of the Association Council will take place in Luxembourg or Brussels and will be organised by 
the Council Secretariat which will take care of logistics and interpretation. 

2009 
- 
- 

YES  

YES  
NO 
NO 

EN 

12 

   EN