Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 533/2004 on the establishment of partnerships in the framework of the stabilisation and association process
Date: 2007-11-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Western Balkans, aid policy, association agreement (EU), cooperation policy, economic stabilisation

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 6.11.2007 
COM(2007) 662 final 

2007/0239 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

amending Regulation (EC) No 533/2004 on the establishment of partnerships in the 
framework of the stabilisation and association process 

(presented by the Commission) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

At its meeting of 15-16 December 2005, the European Council decided to grant the status of 
candidate  country  to  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia.  As  a  consequence,  the 
name  of  the  partnership  of  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia,  established  on  the 
basis  of  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  533/2004,  should  be  changed  from  ‘European 
Partnership’  into  ‘Accession  Partnership’,  in  order  to  align  this  with  the  name  of  the 
Partnerships with the two other candidate countries, Croatia and Turkey.  

Indeed,  in  order  to  make  the  instrument  of  the  partnerships  more  understandable,  it  is 
appropriate  to  have  the  same  name  for  the  partnerships  for  those  countries  which  have  the 
same  status  in  the  accession  process.  This  is  in  line  with  the  wording  of  the  2005  Strategy 
Paper on enlargement.  

The  proposal  also  includes  an  amendment  to  take  into  account  the  independence  of 
Montenegro.  

The Commission therefore invites the Council to adopt the attached proposed regulation. 

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2007/0239 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

amending Regulation (EC) No 533/2004 on the establishment of partnerships in the 
framework of the stabilisation and association process 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 
181a (2) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament2, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

1 
2 
3 

Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  533/2004  of  22  March  2004,  as  last  amended,  on  the 
establishment  of  partnerships  in  the  framework  of  the  stabilisation  and  association 
process3  provides  that  partnerships  will  be  established  for  all  the  Western  Balkan 
countries. 

The European Council decided at its meeting in Brussels in December 2005  that the 
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia shall be a candidate country for membership 
of the European Union. 

It  is  therefore  appropriate  to  provide  that  instead  of  a  European  Partnership,  the 
European Union shall implement in its relations with the former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia  an  Accession  Partnership  and  to  amend  Regulation  (EC)  No  533/2004 
accordingly. 

The  State  Union  of  Serbia  and  Montenegro  has  ceased  to  exist.  Therefore,  it  is 
appropriate to amend the Regulation to take into account the fact that Serbia as well as 
Montenegro are now two independent states.  

The  Regulation  covers  Accession  Partnerships  as  well  as  European  Partnerships. 
Therefore, the full text needs to take this into account. 

OJ C , , p. . 
OJ C , , p. . 
OJ  L  86,  24.3.2004,  p.  1.  Regulation  as  amended  by  Regulation  (EC)  NO  269/2006  (OJ  L  47, 
17.2.2006, p. 7). 

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3 

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HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Council Regulation (EC) No 533/2004 is hereby amended as follows: 

Article 1 

1) Article 1 shall be replaced by the following: 

'Article 1 

European  Partnerships  shall  be  established 
to  cover  Albania,  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina,  Montenegro  and  Serbia  including  Kosovo  as  defined  by  the  United 
Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999, (hereinafter referred to 
as the partners). The European Partnerships shall provide a framework covering the 
priorities  resulting  from  the  analysis  of  the  partners'  different  situations,  on  which 
preparations for further integration into the European Union must concentrate in the 
light  of  the  criteria  defined  by  the  European  Council,  and  the  progress  made  in 
implementing  the  stabilisation  and  association  process  including  stabilisation  and 
association agreements, where appropriate, and in particular regional cooperation.' 

2) Article 1a is replaced by the following: 

'Article 1a 

As  part  of  the  stabilisation  and  association  process,  Accession  Partnerships  for 
Croatia  and  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia  shall  be  established.  The 
Accession  Partnerships  shall  provide  a  framework  covering  the  priorities  resulting 
from  the  analysis  of  the  situation  in  each  country,  on  which  preparations  for 
accession  must  concentrate  in  the  light  of  the  Copenhagen  criteria  defined  by  the 
European  Council  and  the  progress  made  in  implementing  the  stabilisation  and 
association  process,  including  the  Stabilisation  and  Association  Agreements 
concluded with those countries4, and in particular regional cooperation.' 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the 
Official Journal of the European Union. 

Article 2 

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

4 

OJ L 84, 20.3.2004, p. 3. (OJ L 26, 28.1.2005, p. 3). 

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