Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on the participation of New Zealand in the European Union military crisis management operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Operation Althea) - Declarations
Date: 2005-05-04
Institutions: European Union, New Zealand
Subjects: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU military mission, New Zealand, agreement (EU), military intervention, peacekeeping, the EU's international role

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Official Journal of the European Union

20.5.2005

between the European Union and New Zealand on the participation of New Zealand in the
European Union military crisis management operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Operation
Althea)

AGREEMENT

THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU),

of the one part, and

THE GOVERNMENT OF NEW ZEALAND (NEW ZEALAND),

of the other part,

hereinafter referred to as the ‘Parties’,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT:

— the adoption by the Council of the European Union of Joint Action 2004/570/CFSP of 12 July 2004 on the

European Union military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1),

— the invitation to New Zealand to participate in the EU-led operation,

— the successful completion of

the Force Generation process and the recommendation by the EU Operation
Commander and the EU Military Committee to agree on the participation of New Zealand forces in the EU-led
operation,

— Political and Security Committee Decision BiH/1/2004 of 21 September 2004 (2) on the acceptance of New Zealand’s

contribution to the EU military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

— Political and Security Committee Decision BiH/3/2004 of 29 September 2004 on the setting up of the Committee of

Contributors for the EU military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (3),

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Participation in the operation

3.
New Zealand shall ensure that its forces and personnel
participating in the EU military crisis management operation
undertake their mission in conformity with:

1.
New Zealand shall associate itself with Joint Action
2004/570/CFSP of 12 July 2004 on the European Union
military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and with any
the
Joint Action or Decision by which the Council of
European Union decides
to extend the EU military crisis
management operation,
in accordance with the provisions of
this Agreement and any required implementing arrangements.

— Joint Action 2004/570/CFSP and possible

subsequent

amendments,

— the Operation Plan,

— implementing measures.

2.
The contribution of New Zealand to the EU military crisis
management operation is without prejudice to the decision-
making autonomy of the European Union.

(1) OJ L 252, 28.7.2004, p. 10.
(2) OJ L 324, 27.10.2004, p. 20.
(3) OJ L 325, 28.10.2004, p. 64. Decision as amended by Decision

BiH/5/2004 (OJ L 357, 2.12.2004, p. 39).

4.
Forces and personnel seconded to the operation by New
Zealand shall carry out their duties and conduct themselves
solely with the interest of the EU military crisis management
operation in mind.

5.
New Zealand shall inform the EU Operation Commander
in due time of any change to its participation in the operation.

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Article 2

Status of forces

1.
The status of the forces and personnel contributed to the
EU military crisis management operation by New Zealand shall
be governed in accordance with the provisions contained in
paragraph 12 of United Nations Security Council Resolution
1575 (2004) of 22 November 2004.

2.
The status of the forces and personnel contributed to
headquarters or command elements located outside Bosnia
and Herzegovina, shall be governed by arrangements between
the headquarters and command elements concerned and New
Zealand.

3. Without prejudice to the provisions on the status of forces
referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, New Zealand shall
exercise jurisdiction over its forces and personnel participating
in the EU military crisis management operation.

New Zealand shall be responsible for responding to any
4.
claims from, linked to, or concerning the participation of any of
its forces or personnel
in the EU military crisis management
operation. New Zealand shall be responsible for bringing any
action,
its
in accordance with its laws and regu-
forces and personnel,
lations.

in particular legal or disciplinary, against any of

5.
New Zealand undertakes to make a declaration as regards
the waiver of claims against any State participating in the EU
military crisis management operation, and to do so when
signing this Agreement.

6.
The European Union undertakes to ensure that Member
States make a declaration as regards the waiver of claims, for
the participation of New Zealand in the EU military crisis
management operation, and to do so when signing this
Agreement.

Article 3

Classified information

2. Where the EU and New Zealand have concluded an
agreement on security procedures for the exchange of classified
information, the provisions of such an agreement shall apply in
the context of the EU military crisis management operation.

Article 4

Chain of command

All forces and personnel participating in the EU military
the full

1.
crisis management operation shall
command of their national authorities.

remain under

National authorities shall

2.
transfer the operational and
tactical command and/or control of their forces and personnel
to the EU Operation Commander. The EU Operation
Commander is entitled to delegate his authority.

New Zealand shall have the same rights and obligations in
3.
terms of the day-to-day management of the operation as parti-
cipating European Union Member States.

4.
The EU Operation Commander may, following consul-
tations with New Zealand, at any time request the withdrawal
of New Zealand’s contribution.

5.
A Senior Military Representative (SMR) shall be appointed
by New Zealand to represent its national contingent in the EU
military crisis management operation. The SMR shall consult
with the EU Force Commander on all matters affecting the
operation and shall be responsible for day-to-day contingent
discipline.

Article 5

Financial aspects

1.
New Zealand shall assume all the costs associated with its
participation in the operation unless the costs are subject to
common funding as provided for in the legal
instruments
referred to in Article 1(1) of this Agreement, as well as in
Council Decision 2004/197/CFSP of 23 February 2004 estab-
lishing a mechanism to administer
the
common costs of EU operations having military or defence
implications (2).

the financing of

1.
New Zealand shall take appropriate measures to ensure
that EU classified information is protected in accordance with
the European Union Council’s security regulations, contained in
Council Decision 2001/264/EC of 19 March 2001 (1), and in
accordance with further guidance issued by competent autho-
rities, including the EU Operation Commander.

In the case of death, injury, loss or damage to natural or
2.
legal persons from the State(s)
in which the operation is
conducted, New Zealand shall, when its liability has been estab-
lished, pay compensation under the conditions foreseen in the
provisions on status of forces, as referred to in Article 2(1) of
this Agreement.

(1) OJ L 101, 11.4.2001, p. 1. Decision as amended by Decision

2004/194/EC (OJ L 63, 28.2.2004, p. 48).

(2) OJ L 63, 28.2.2004, p. 68.

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Article 6

Arrangements to implement the Agreement

Any necessary technical and administrative arrangements in
pursuance of the implementation of this Agreement shall be
the Council of
concluded between the Secretary-General of
the European Union/High Representative for
the Common
Foreign and Security Policy and the appropriate authorities of
New Zealand.

Article 7

Non-compliance

Article 9

Entry into force

1.
This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of
the first month after the Parties have notified each other of the
completion of
this
purpose.

the internal procedures necessary for

This Agreement shall be provisionally applied from the

2.
date of signature.

This Agreement shall remain in force for the duration of

3.
New Zealand’s contribution to the operation.

Should one of the Parties fail to comply with its obligations laid
down in the previous Articles, the other Party shall have the
right to terminate this Agreement by serving a notice of one
month.

Done at Brussels,
in four copies.

, in the English language

For the European Union

For New Zealand

Article 8

Dispute settlement

Disputes concerning the interpretation or application of this
Agreement shall be settled by diplomatic means between the
Parties.

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DECLARATIONS

referred to in Article 2(5) and (6) of the Agreement

Declaration by the EU Member States:

‘The EU Member States applying EU Joint Action 2004/570/CFSP of 12 July 2004 on the European Union
military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina will endeavour,
legal systems so
permit, to waive on a reciprocal basis, as far as possible, claims against New Zealand for injury, death of
their personnel, or damage to, or loss of, any assets owned by themselves and used by the EU crisis
management operation if such injury, death, damage or loss:
— was caused by personnel from New Zealand in the execution of their duties in connection with the EU

insofar as their internal

crisis management operation, except in case of gross negligence or wilful misconduct, or

— arose from the use of any assets owned by New Zealand, provided that the assets were used in
connection with the operation and except in case of gross negligence or wilful misconduct of EU
crisis management operation personnel from New Zealand using those assets.’

Declaration by New Zealand:

‘New Zealand applying EU Joint Action 2004/570/CFSP of 12 July 2004 on the European Union military
operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina will endeavour, insofar as its internal legal system so permits, to waive
on a reciprocal basis, as far as possible, claims against any other State participating in the EU crisis
management operation for injury, death of its personnel, or damage to, or loss of, any assets owned by
itself and used by the EU crisis management operation if such injury, death, damage or loss:
— was caused by personnel in the execution of their duties in connection with the EU crisis management

operation, except in case of gross negligence or wilful misconduct, or

— arose from the use of any assets owned by States participating in the EU crisis management operation,
provided that the assets were used in connection with the operation and except in case of gross
negligence or wilful misconduct of EU crisis management operation personnel using those assets.’