Council Joint Action 2007/111/CFSP of 15 February 2007 amending and extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus
Date: 2007-02-15
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Caucasus countries, common foreign and security policy, diplomatic representation, the EU's international role

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Official Journal of the European Union

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COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2007/111/CFSP

of 15 February 2007

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

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union and,
particular, Articles 14, 18(5) and 23(2) thereof,

in

(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;

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

On 20 February 2006, the Council adopted Joint Action
2006/121/CFSP appointing the European Union Special
Representative for the South Caucasus (1).

On 7 June 2006, the Council approved the policy of the
European Union on the security of personnel deployed
outside the European Union in an operational capacity
under Title V of the Treaty on European Union.

On the basis of a review of Joint Action 2006/121/CFSP,
the mandate of the European Union Special Represen-
tative (EUSR) should be amended and extended for a
12-month period.

The EUSR will implement his mandate in the context of
a situation which may deteriorate and could harm the
Common Foreign and Security Policy objectives set out
in Article 11 of the Treaty,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

European Union Special Representative

The mandate of Mr Peter SEMNEBY as the European Union
Special Representative (EUSR)
is
hereby extended until 29 February 2008.

the South Caucasus

for

(b) in accordance with existing mechanisms,

conflicts
settlement of conflicts,
return of refugees and internally displaced persons;

to prevent
to contribute to the peaceful
including through promoting the

in the region,

(c)

to engage
concerning the region;

constructively with main interested actors

(d) to encourage and to support further cooperation between
States of the region, in particular between the States of the
South Caucasus,
energy and
transport issues;

including on economic,

(e)

to enhance the effectiveness and visibility of the European
Union in the region.

The EUSR shall support

2.
General/High Representative (SG/HR) in the region.

the work of

the Secretary-

Article 3

Mandate

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

Article 2

Policy objectives

(a) develop contacts with governments, parliaments,

judiciary

and civil society in the region;

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

(1) OJ L 49, 21.2.2006, p. 14.

(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;

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(c) contribute to the prevention of conflicts and to assist in
for progress on settlement of
creating the conditions
conflicts,
including through recommendations for action
related to civil society and rehabilitation of the territories
without prejudice to the Commission's responsibilities under
the EC Treaty;

(d) contribute to the settlement of conflicts and to facilitate the
implementation of such settlement in close coordination
with the United Nations Secretary-General and his Special
Representative for Georgia, the Group of Friends of the
United Nations Secretary-General for Georgia, the Organi-
sation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and its Minsk
Group, and the conflict resolution mechanism for South
Ossetia;

direction of the SG/HR. 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 the EUSR
with strategic guidance and political input within the framework
of the mandate.

Article 5

Financing

(e)

intensify the European Union's dialogue with the main
interested actors concerning the region;

The financial reference amount

intended to cover the
1.
expenditure related to the mandate of the EUSR in the period
from 1 March 2007 to 29 February 2008 shall be EUR
3 120 000.

(f) assist the Council

in further developing a comprehensive

policy towards the South Caucasus;

(g) through a support team:

— provide the European Union with reporting and a
continued assessment of the border situation and to
facilitate confidence-building between Georgia and the
Russian Federation,
thereby ensuring efficient coop-
eration and liaison with all relevant actors,

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

3.
The management of the expenditure shall be subject to a
contract between the EUSR and the Commission. The expen-
diture shall be eligible as from 1 March 2007.

— assist

the Georgian Border Guard and other relevant
in preparing a
in Tbilisi

institutions

government
comprehensive reform strategy,

— work with the Georgian authorities to increase commu-
including
nication between Tbilisi and the border,
mentoring. This shall be done by working closely with
Regional Border Guard Centres between Tbilisi and the
border (excluding Abkhazia and South Ossetia);

(h) contribute to the implementation of the European Union
human rights policy and Guidelines on Human Rights, in
particular with regard to children and women in conflict
affected areas, especially by monitoring and addressing
developments in this regard.

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

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

Article 6

Constitution of the team

1. Within the limits of his mandate and the corresponding
financial means made available, the EUSR shall be responsible
for constituting his team in consultation with the Presidency,
assisted by the SG/HR, and in full association with the
Commission. The EUSR shall
inform the Presidency and the
Commission of the final composition of his team.

Article 4

Implementation of the mandate

1.
the mandate acting under

The EUSR shall be responsible for the implementation of
the authority and operational

2. Member States and institutions of the European Union
may propose the secondment of staff to work with the EUSR.
The remuneration of personnel who are seconded by a Member
State or an institution of the European Union to the EUSR shall
be covered by the Member State or the institution of
the
European Union concerned respectively.

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All A-type posts which are not covered by secondment
3.
shall be advertised, as appropriate, by the General Secretariat of
the Council and also notified to Member States and institutions
in order to recruit the best-qualified applicants.

(d) ensuring that all agreed recommendations made following
regular security assessments are implemented and providing
the SG/HR, the Council and the Commission with written
reports on their implementation and on other security
issues within the framework of the mid-term and mandate
implementation reports;

The

privileges,

immunities

4.
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.

further

and

Article 7

Security

1.
The EUSR and the members of his team shall respect
security principles and minimum standards established by
Council Decision 2001/264/EC of 19 March 2001 adopting
the Council's
in particular when
managing EU classified information.

regulations (1),

security

in accordance with the policy of the
2.
The EUSR shall,
European Union on the
security of personnel deployed
outside the European Union in an operational capacity under
Title V of the Treaty on European Union, take all reasonably
practicable measures, in conformity with his mandate and the
security situation in his geographical area of responsibility, for
the security of all personnel under his direct authority, notably
by:

(a) establishing a mission-specific

security plan based on
guidance from the General Secretariat of
the Council,
and
including mission-specific physical, organisational
procedural security measures, governing management of
the secure movement of personnel
the
mission area, the management of security incidents and a
mission contingency and evacuation plan;

to, and within,

(e) ensuring, as necessary and within his responsibilities as part
of the chain of command, that a coherent approach is taken
with regard to the security of personnel across all EU
elements present
in a crisis management operation or
operations in his geographical area of responsibility.

Article 8

Reporting

As a rule, the EUSR shall report in person to the SG/HR and to
the PSC and may report also to the relevant Working Group.
Regular written reports shall be circulated to the SG/HR, the
Council and the Commission. On the recommendation of the
SG/HR and the PSC, the EUSR may report to the General Affairs
and External Relations Council.

Article 9

Coordination

the external action of

To ensure the consistency of
the
European Union, the activities of the EUSR shall be coordinated
with those of the SG/HR, the Presidency and the Commission.
and
The EUSR shall provide Member
In the field,
Commission delegations with regular briefings.
the
close liaison shall be maintained with the Presidency,
Commission and Heads of Mission, who shall make best
efforts
the
mandate. The EUSR shall also liaise with other international
and regional actors in the field.

the EUSR in the implementation of

States' missions

to assist

(b) ensuring that all personnel deployed outside the European
Union are covered by high risk insurance as required by the
conditions in the mission area;

Article 10

Review

(c) ensuring that all members of his team to be deployed
including locally contracted
outside the European Union,
personnel, have
security training
received appropriate
before or upon arriving in the mission area, based on the
risk ratings assigned to the mission area by the General
Secretariat of the Council;

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

2005/952/EC (OJ L 346, 29.12.2005, p. 18).

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 the SG/HR, the Council and the Commission with a
progress report before the end of June 2007 and a compre-
hensive mandate implementation report by mid-November
2007. These reports shall form a basis for evaluation of this
Joint Action in the relevant Working Groups and by the PSC. In
the context of overall priorities for deployment, the SG/HR shall
make recommendations to the PSC concerning the Council's
decision on renewal,
the
amendment or
mandate.

termination of

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Article 11

Entry into force

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

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

Article 12

Publication

Done at Brussels, 15 February 2007.

For the Council
The President

W. SCHÄUBLE