Decision No 1/2007 of … of the Joint Committee referred to in the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part adopting its Rules of Procedure including the Terms of Reference and Structure of the EC-Albania Working Parties
Date: 2007-04-21
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Albania, European Community, interim agreement (EU), rules of procedure, trade agreement (EU)

L 104/34

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

21.4.2007

DECISION No 1/2007
of …

of the Joint Committee referred to in the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters
between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part
adopting its Rules of Procedure including the Terms of Reference and Structure of the EC-Albania
Working Parties

THE JOINT COMMITTEE,

The Joint Committee may invite non-members to attend its
meetings in order to provide information on particular subjects.

Having regard to the Agreement between the European
Economic Community and the Republic of Albania on trade
cooperation (hereinafter
economic
and
referred to as ‘the Agreement’),
that became effective on 1
December 1992, and in particular to Article 18 thereof,

commercial

and

Having regard to the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-
related matters between the European Community, of the one
part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part (hereinafter
referred to as ‘the Interim Agreement’) that was signed on 12
June 2006, and in particular to Articles 42 and 43 thereof,

Whereas
December 2006,

the Interim Agreement entered into force on 1

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Chairmanship

The Joint Committee shall be chaired alternately by each of the
Parties.

The Member States of
informed about the meetings of the Joint Committee.

the European Community will be

Article 4

Secretariat

An official of the European Commission and an official of the
Republic of Albania shall act jointly as Secretaries of the Joint
Committee.

Article 5

Correspondence

All correspondence to and from the Chairman of the Joint
Committee shall be forwarded to both Secretaries. The two
is circulated,
Secretaries
where appropriate,
to their respective representatives in the
Joint Committee.

shall ensure that correspondence

Article 6

Agenda of the meetings

Article 2

Meetings

The Chairman and the Secretaries shall draw up a pro-
1.
visional agenda for each meeting not later than 15 working
days before the beginning of the meeting.

The Joint Committee shall meet regularly once a year in Brussels
and Tirana alternately. Special meetings of the Joint Committee
may be convened by mutual agreement at the request of either
Party.

Unless otherwise agreed the meetings of the Joint Committee
shall not be public.

Article 3

Delegations

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

The provisional agenda shall
include the items in respect of
which a request for inclusion has been received by the Sec-
retaries not later than 21 working days before the beginning
of the meeting, save that items shall not be written into the pro-
visional 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 Joint Committee at the
beginning of each meeting. Items other than those appearing
on the provisional agenda may be included in the agenda if the
two Parties so agree.

A representative of the European Investment Bank (EIB) may
attend the meetings of the Joint Committee, as an observer,
when matters which concern the EIB appear on the agenda.

The Chairman may,

2.
in agreement with the two Parties,
shorten the time limits specified in paragraph 1 in order to
take account of the requirements of a particular case.

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Article 7

Minutes

Article 9

Languages

Draft minutes of each Joint Committee meeting shall be drawn
indicate the
up by the Party hosting the meeting. They shall
decisions and recommendations taken and the conclusions
adopted. Within the two months following the meeting, the
draft minutes shall be submitted to the Joint Committee for
approval. When approved, the minutes shall be signed by the
Chairman and the two Secretaries and one original copy shall
be filed by each of the Parties. A copy of the minutes shall be
forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 4 of
this Decision.

Article 8

Deliberations

The Joint Committee shall take its decisions and formulate its
recommendations by mutual agreement between the Parties.

During the inter-session period, the Joint Committee may take
decisions or make recommendations by written procedure if
both Parties so agree.

The decisions and recommendations of the Joint Committee
within the meaning of Article 43 of the Interim Agreement
shall be entitled respectively ‘Decision’ and ‘Recommendation’
and followed by a serial number, by the date of their adoption
and by a description of their subject.

The decisions and recommendations of the Joint Committee
shall be signed by the Chairman and authenticated by the
two Secretaries.

The official
official languages of the two Parties.

languages of

the Joint Committee shall be the

Unless otherwise decided, the Joint Committee shall base its
deliberations on documentation prepared in these languages.

Article 10

Expenses

The Community and the Republic of Albania shall each defray
the expenses they incur by reason of their participation in the
meetings of the Joint Committee and of working parties, both
in respect of staff, travelling and subsistence expenditure and of
postal and telecommunications costs.

Expenditure in connection with interpretation, translation and
reproduction of documents at meetings as well as any other
expenditure relating to the material organisation of meetings
shall be borne by the Party hosting the meetings.

Article 11

Working Parties

The Terms of Reference and Structure of the Working Parties
set up to assist the Joint Committee in carrying out its duties
are set out in the Annex to this Decision.

The Working Parties shall be composed of representatives of
both Parties. They shall be chaired alternately by the two Parties,
according to the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Committee.

The Working Parties shall work under the authority of the Joint
Committee, to which they shall report after each one of their
meetings. They shall not take decisions but may make rec-
ommendations to the Joint Committee.

The decisions taken by the Joint Committee shall be published
by the Parties in their respective official publications. Each Party
may decide on the publication of any other act adopted by the
Joint Committee.

The Joint Committee may decide to abolish any existing
Working Parties, modify their Terms of Reference or establish
new Working Parties to assist it in carrying out its duties.

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Official Journal of the European Union

21.4.2007

ANNEX

Terms of Reference and Structure of the EC-Albania Working Parties under the Interim Agreement

1. Composition and Chair

The Working Parties shall be composed of representatives of the European Commission and representatives of the
government of the Republic of Albania (hereinafter referred to as ‘Albania’). They shall be chaired alternately by the
two Parties. The Member States will be informed about the Working Party meetings.

2. Secretariat

An official of the European Commission and an official of the government of Albania shall act jointly as secretaries of
each of the Working Parties.

All communications concerning the Working Parties shall be forwarded to the secretaries of the relevant Working
Party.

3. Meetings

The Working Parties shall meet regularly once a year, and whenever circumstances require, with the agreement of both
Parties. Each meeting of a Working Party shall be held at a time and place agreed by both Parties.

If both Parties agree, the Working Parties may invite experts to their meetings to provide the specific information
requested.

4. Subject matters

The Working Parties shall discuss issues according to the multidisciplinary Working Party structure below.
Im-
plementation of the IA and the European Partnership, preparation for implementation of the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement (SAA), and progress regarding the approximation, implementation and enforcement of legis-
lation shall be assessed in all relevant fields. The Working Parties shall examine any problems that may arise in their
relevant sectors and shall suggest possible steps to be taken.

The Working Parties shall also serve as forums for the further clarification of the acquis communautaire, and shall review
progress made by Albania in conforming to the acquis in line with commitments made in the Interim Agreement.

5. Minutes

Draft minutes of each Working Party meeting shall be established within the two months following the meeting. Once
agreed by both Parties, a copy of the minutes shall be forwarded by the secretary of the Working Party to the secretary
of the Joint Committee.

6. Publicity

Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the working parties shall not be public.

7. Working Party Structure:

1. Working Party on Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation;

2. Working Party on Agriculture and Fisheries;

3. Working Party on Internal Market and Competition;

4. Working Party on Economic and Financial Issues and Statistics;

5. Working Party on Innovation, Information Society and Social Policy;

6. Working Party on Transport, Environment, Energy, and Regional Development.