Council Joint Action 2007/805/CFSP of 6 December 2007 appointing a European Union Special Representative to the African Union
Date: 2007-12-06
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: African Union, appointment of members, diplomatic representation, political cooperation

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III

(Acts adopted under the EU Treaty)

ACTS ADOPTED UNDER TITLE V OF THE EU TREATY

COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2007/805/CFSP

of 6 December 2007

appointing a European Union Special Representative to the African Union

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

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

(6) Within six months from the entry into force of this Joint
Action, the long-term structures of the EUSR office will
be further elaborated and consolidated, on the basis of a
report prepared by the Presidency in close cooperation
with the SG/HR, the EUSR and the Commission.

Whereas:

(7)

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

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The African Union (AU) has over the past years become
a strategic continental actor and a key international
partner of the European Union (EU).

The EU has on numerous occasions recognised the
important role and achievements of the AU,
including
in the EU Strategy ‘EU and Africa: Towards a Strategic
Partnership’
(hereinafter referred to as the EU Africa
Strategy) adopted at the European Council on 15 and
16 December 2005.

On 14 and 15 December 2006, the European Council
committed itself to strengthening the EU's strategic part-
nership with Africa and, as one concrete measure in the
to
framework of
enhancing the EU presence with the AU in Addis Ababa.

relevant priority actions for 2007,

The appointment of a European Union Special Represen-
tative (EUSR) to the AU, based permanently in Addis
Ababa, has been identified as a suitable measure to
ensure enhanced EU presence with the AU.

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

Appointment

Mr Koen Vervaeke is hereby appointed EUSR to the AU for the
period from 6 December 2007 to 31 December 2008. The
EUSR shall be permanently based in Addis Ababa.

Article 2

Policy objectives

The mandate of the EUSR shall be based on the EU's compre-
hensive policy objectives in support of African efforts to build a
peaceful, democratic and prosperous future as set out in the EU
Africa Strategy. These objectives include:

(5)

The SG/HR has recommended that Mr Koen Vervaeke be
appointed as the EUSR to the AU.

(a) enhancing the EU's political dialogue and broader

re-

lationship with the AU;

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(b) strengthening the EU-AU partnership in all areas outlined in
the EU Africa Strategy, contributing to the development and
implementation of the EU Africa Strategy in partnership
with
of African
ownership and working more closely with African represen-
tatives in multilateral fora in coordination with multilateral
partners;

respecting

the AU,

principle

the

(c) working with, and providing support

to the AU by
supporting institutional development and strengthening
the
EU and AU Institutions,
including through development assistance, to promote:

relationship

between

— peace and security: predict, prevent, manage, mediate
and resolve conflict, support efforts to promote peace
and stability, support post-conflict reconstruction,

— human rights and governance: promote and protect
freedoms and
human rights; promote fundamental
respect for the rule of law; support, through political
dialogue and financial and technical assistance, African
efforts to monitor and improve governance; support
growth of participatory democracy and accountability;
the fight against corruption and organised
support
crime and further promote efforts to address the issue
of children and armed conflict in all its aspects,

— sustainable growth,

regional

integration and trade:
support efforts towards interconnectivity and facilitate
people's access to water and sanitation, energy and
information technology; promote a stable, efficient and
harmonised legal business framework; assist to integrate
Africa into the world trade system, assist African
countries
to comply with EU rules and standards;
support Africa in countering the effects of climate
change,

— investment in people: support efforts in the fields of
gender, health,
food security and education, promote
exchange programmes, networks of universities and
causes of
address
centres of
migration.

excellence,

root

the

Article 3

Mandate

In order to achieve the Common Foreign and Security Policy
(CFSP)/European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) aspects of
the objectives referred to in Article 2, the mandate of the EUSR
shall be to:

(a) strengthen the overall EU influence in, and coordination of,
the Addis Ababa-based dialogue with the AU and its
Commission, on the whole range of CFSP/ESDP issues
covered by the EU-AU relationship;

(b) ensure an appropriate level of political

representation,
reflecting the importance of the EU as a political, financial
and institutional partner of the AU, and the stepchange in
that partnership necessitated by the growing political profile
of the AU on the world stage;

(c) represent, should the Council so decide, EU positions and
policies, when the AU plays a major role in a crisis situation
for which no EUSR has been appointed;

(d) help achieve better coherence, consistency and coordination
of EU policies and actions towards the AU, and contribute
to enhance coordination of the broader partner group and
its relation with the AU;

(e)

follow closely, and report on, all relevant developments at
AU level;

(f) maintain close contact with the AU Commission, other AU
organs, missions of African Sub-regional organisations to
the AU and the missions of the AU Member States to
the AU;

(g) facilitate the relations/cooperation between the AU and
African Subregional organisations, especially in those areas
where the EU is providing support;

(h) offer advice and provide support to the AU upon request in

the areas outlined in the EU Africa Strategy;

(i) offer advice and provide support to the building up of the

AU's crisis management capabilities;

the EU and Africa intend to establish a Joint
Furthermore,
Strategy which shall
further develop and consolidate their
strategic partnership. The AU shall be the key actor in im-
plementing the Joint Strategy.

(j) on the basis of a clear division of tasks, coordinate with,
and support, the actions of EUSRs with mandates in AU
Member States/Regions; and

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(k) maintain close contacts and promote coordination with key
international partners of the AU present in Addis Ababa,
especially the United Nations, but also with non-state actors
on the whole range of the CFSP/ESDP issues covered by the
EU-AU relationship.

assisted by the SG/HR, and in full association with the
Commission. The team shall
include the expertise on specific
policy issues as required by the mandate. The EUSR shall keep
the SG/HR, the Presidency and the Commission informed of the
composition of his team.

Article 4

Implementation of the mandate

The EUSR shall be responsible for the implementation of
1.
the mandate acting under
the authority and operational
direction of the Secretary General/High Representative (SG/HR).

The Political and Security Committee (PSC) shall maintain
2.
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 direction within the
framework of the mandate.

Article 5

Financing

intended to cover the
1.
The financial reference amount
expenditure related to the mandate of
the EUSR in the
period from 6 December 2007 to 31 May 2008 shall be
EUR 1 200 000.

The expenditure financed by the amount stipulated in
2.
paragraph 1 shall be eligible as from 6 December 2007. The
expenditure
shall be managed in accordance with the
procedures and rules applicable to the general budget of the
European Communities with the exception that any pre-
financing shall not remain the property of the Community.

The management of the expenditure shall be subject to a
3.
contract between the EUSR and the Commission. The EUSR
shall be accountable to the Commission for all expenditure.

4.
Expenditure related to the mandate of the EUSR in the
period from 1 June 2008 to 31 December 2008 shall be
covered through a separate Council act providing for the corre-
sponding financial reference amount.

Article 6

Constitution and composition 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,

2. Member States and institutions of the European Union
may propose the secondment of staff to work with the EUSR.
The salary of personnel who are seconded by a Member State or
an institution of the EU to the EUSR shall be covered by the
Member State or
the EU concerned re-
spectively. Experts seconded by Member States to the General
Secretariat of the Council may also be posted to the EUSR.
International contracted staff shall have the nationality of an
EU Member State.

the institution of

3.
All seconded personnel shall remain under the adminis-
trative authority of the sending Member State or EU institution
and shall carry out their duties and act in the interest of the
mandate of the EUSR.

After completion of the initial phase referred to in Article
4.
14, the EUSR's staff will work in principle in a policy section, a
peace and security section, and an administrative section.

Article 7

Privileges and immunities of the EUSR and his staff

The privileges, immunities and further guarantees necessary for
the completion and smooth functioning of the mission of the
EUSR and the members of his staff shall be agreed with the host
party/parties
the
appropriate. Member
Commission shall grant all necessary support to such effect.

States

and

as

Article 8

Security of EU classified information

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 security regulations (1) , in particular when managing
EU classified information.

Article 9

Access to information and logistical support

the Commission and the General Sec-
1. Member States,
retariat of the Council shall ensure that the EUSR is given
access to any relevant information.

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

2007/438/EC (OJ L 164, 26.6.2007, p. 24).

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

2.
appropriate, shall provide logistical support in the region.

Article 10

Security

engaged coherently to attain the EU's policy objectives. The
activities of the EUSR shall be coordinated with those of the
Presidency and the Commission, as well as those of other
EUSRs active in the region as appropriate. The EUSR shall
provide Member States' missions and Commission's delegations
with regular briefings.

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

In the field, close liaison shall be maintained with the
Presidency, Commission and Member States' Heads of Mission
who shall make best efforts to assist the EUSR in the im-
plementation of the mandate. The EUSR shall also liaise with
other international and regional actors in the field.

(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,

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

(c) ensuring that all members of his team to be deployed
including locally contracted personnel,
outside the EU,
have received appropriate security training 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;

(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.

Article 11

Reporting

The EUSR shall regularly provide the SG/HR and the PSC with
oral and written reports. The EUSR shall also report as
necessary to working groups. Regular written reports shall be
circulated through the COREU network. Upon recommendation
of the SG/HR or the PSC, the EUSR may provide General Affairs
and External Relations Council with reports.

Article 13

Review

The implementation of this Joint Action and its consistency
with other contributions from the EU to the region shall be
kept under regular review. The EUSR shall present the SG/HR,
the Council and the Commission with a comprehensive
mandate implementation report before the end of September
2008. This report shall
the
mandate in the relevant working groups and by the PSC. The
SG/HR shall make appropriate recommendations to the PSC in
this context.

form a basis for evaluation of

Article 14

Initial set-up and further build-up

By mid-April 2008 the Presidency,

1.
in close cooperation
with the SG/HR, the EUSR and the Commission, shall report to
the Council on the set-up of the office over the initial period of
the mandate as well as on its further build-up and structuring
until the end of the mandate period as specified in Article 1.
This report shall in particular address the following matters:

— the long-term structures and procedures,

— the system of reporting,

— achieving equivalent conditions for staff performing similar

functions, at all levels.

The report shall be examined by the Council, which shall decide
on the appropriate follow up.

Article 12

Coordination

The EUSR shall promote overall EU political coordination. He
shall help to ensure that all EU instruments in the field are

2.
Before the end of October 2008, the Presidency, in close
cooperation with the SG/HR, the EUSR and the Commission,
shall provide the Council with a comprehensive report on the
future of the office and its organisation.

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

Article 15

Entry into force

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

Article 16

Publication

Done at Brussels, 6 December 2007.

For the Council
The President

A. COSTA