Council Joint Action 2009/128/CFSP of 16 February 2009 extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the African Great Lakes Region
Date: 2009-02-16
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: East Africa, Southern Africa, common foreign and security policy, diplomatic representation, the EU's international role

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III

(Acts adopted under the EU Treaty)

ACTS ADOPTED UNDER TITLE V OF THE EU TREATY

COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2009/128/CFSP

of 16 February 2009

extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the African Great Lakes
Region

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

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

On 15 February 2007, the Council adopted Joint Action
2007/112/CFSP (1) appointing Mr Roeland VAN DE GEER
for the
European Union Special Representative (EUSR)
African Great Lakes Region.

On 12 February 2008, the Council adopted Joint Action
2008/108/CFSP (2) amending and extending the mandate
of the EUSR until 28 February 2009.

On the basis of a review of Joint Action 2008/108/CFSP,
the mandate of
the EUSR should be extended for a
further 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 Roeland VAN DE GEER as the European
Union Special Representative (EUSR)
for the African Great
Lakes Region is hereby extended until 28 February 2010.

(1) OJ L 46, 16.2.2007, p. 79.
(2) OJ L 38, 13.2.2008, p. 22.

Article 2

Policy objectives

The mandate of
the EUSR shall be based on the policy
objectives of the European Union (EU) regarding the further
stabilisation and consolidation of the post-conflict situation in
the African Great Lakes Region, paying particular attention to
the regional dimension of the developments in the countries
concerned. These objectives, which promote,
in particular,
compliance with the basic norms of democracy and good
governance,
including respect for human rights and the rule
of law, include:

(a) contributing

actively

and effectively

to a
consistent,
sustainable and responsible policy of
the EU in the
African Great Lakes Region, and promoting a coherent
overall EU approach in the region. The EUSR shall
support the work of the Secretary-General/High Representa­
tive (SG/HR) in the region;

(b) ensuring the continued commitment of the EU to the stabil­
isation and reconstruction processes in the region, through
an active presence on the ground and in relevant inter­
national fora, staying in touch with key players and contri­
buting to crisis management;

(c) contributing to the post-transition phase in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC), in particular as regards the
political process of consolidating the new institutions and
framework for political
defining a broader international
consultation and coordination with the new government;

(d) contributing,

in close

cooperation with the United
Nations/MONUC,
to the international support efforts to
pursue a comprehensive Security Sector Reform in the
DRC,
in particular in view of the coordinating role the
EU is ready to assume in this context;

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(e) contributing to appropriate follow-up measures to the Inter­
national Conference of the Great Lakes Region, in particular
by establishing close contacts with the Great Lakes Secre­
tariat and its Executive Secretary as well as with the Troika
of the follow-up mechanism and by promoting good neigh­
bourly relations in the region;

(f) addressing the still considerable problem of armed groups
operating across the borders, which risks destabilising the
countries
internal
in the region and aggravating their
problems;

(g) contributing to the post-conflict stabilisation in Burundi,
Rwanda and Uganda,
in particular through accompanying
peace negotiations with armed groups such as the FNL and
LRA.

Article 3

Mandate

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

(a) establish and maintain close contact with the countries of
the Great Lakes Region, the United Nations, the African
Union, key African countries and main partners of
the
DRC and the EU, as well as regional and sub-regional
third countries and
African organisations, other relevant
other key regional leaders;

(b) advise and report on the possibilities for the EU to support
the stabilisation and consolidation process and on how best
to pursue EU initiatives;

(c) provide advice and assistance for security sector reform

(SSR) in the DRC;

the Great Lakes Region,

(d) contribute to the follow-up to the International Conference
of
in particular by supporting
policies, defined in the region, which pursue the objectives
of non-violence and mutual defence in the resolution of
conflicts as well as, regarding regional cooperation, by
good
promoting human rights
governance,
judicial cooperation, and the fight against
impunity and the illegal exploitation of natural resources;

democratisation,

and

(e) contribute to a better understanding of the role of the EU

among opinion leaders in the region;

(f) contribute, where requested,

to the negotiation and im­
plementation of peace and cease-fire agreements between
the parties and engage with them diplomatically in the
event of non-compliance with the
these
agreements; in the context of the ongoing LRA negotiations,

terms of

such activities should be pursued in close coordination with
the EUSR for Sudan;

(g) contribute to the implementation of the EU human rights
policy and EU Guidelines on human rights, in particular the
EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict, and the EU
policy regarding UN Security Council Resolution 1325
(2000) on Women, Peace and Security, including by moni­
toring and reporting on developments in this regard.

Article 4

Implementation of the mandate

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

1.
the mandate acting under
direction of the 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

The financial reference amount

1.
intended to cover the
expenditure related to the mandate of the EUSR in the period
from 1 March 2009 to 28 February 2010 shall be
EUR 1 425 000.

2.
The expenditure financed by the amount stipulated in
paragraph 1 shall be eligible as from 1 March 2009. The expen­
diture shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and
rules applicable to the general budget of the European Commu­
nities.

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

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,
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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Article 10

Security
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:

(1) OJ L 101, 11.4.2001, p. 1.

(a) establishing a mission-specific

security plan based on
the Council,
guidance from the General Secretariat of
including mission-specific physical, organisational
and
procedural security measures, governing management of
the
the secure movement of personnel
mission area, as well as management of security incidents
and including 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
outside the EU,
including locally contracted personnel,
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 the General
Affairs and External Relations Council with reports.

Article 12

Coordination

1.
The EUSR shall promote coherence between Common
Foreign and Security Policy/European Security and Defence
Policy actors and shall promote overall EU political coordin­
ation. The EUSR shall help to ensure that all EU instruments
in the field are 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
the
Commission’s delegations with regular briefings.

States’ missions

and

In the field, close liaison shall be maintained with the
2.
the Commission and Member States’ Heads of
Presidency,
Mission. They shall make best efforts to assist the EUSR in
the implementation of
the mandate. The EUSR shall also
liaise with other international and regional actors in the field.

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The EUSR shall ensure consistency between the activities
3.
of the EUSEC RD Congo and EUPOL RD Congo missions and
provide the Heads of
these missions with local political
guidance. The EUSR shall contribute to coordination with the
other international players involved in security sector reform in
the DRC. The EUSR and the Civilian Operation Commander
shall consult each other as required.

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 progress report before
the end of June 2009 and a comprehensive mandate implemen­
tation report by mid-November 2009. These reports shall form
this Joint Action in the relevant
a basis for evaluation of
working groups and by the PSC.
In the context of overall
priorities for deployment, the SG/HR shall make recommen­

to the PSC concerning the Council’s decision on

dations
renewal, amendment or termination of the mandate.

Article 14

Entry into force

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

its

Article 15

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

Done at Brussels, 16 February 2009.

For the Council
The President
O. LIŠKA