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# 52013PC0215

**Proposal for a COUNCIL AND COMMISSION DECISION establishing the position concerning a Decision of the EU – Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council on its rules of procedure /\* COM/2013/0215 final - 2013/0113 (NLE) \*/**

  

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between
the European Union and its Member States and Serbia, is expected to enter into
force during the first half of 2013, following the completion of its
ratification by all Member States.

The Stabilisation and Association Council established
by Article 119 of the said Agreement supervises the implementation of the
Agreement and examines any major issues arising within its framework and any
other bilateral or international issues of mutual interest.

As provided in Article 120 of the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement, the Stabilisation and Association Council shall
establish its rules of procedure. In conformity with Article 122 of the
Agreement, these rules of procedure determine the duties of the Stabilisation
and Association Committee, which shall assist the Stabilisation and Association
Council in the performance of its duties.

As laid down by Article 3(1) of Council and Commission
Decision of……………..on the conclusion of the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the position to be taken in the
Stabilisation and Association Council will be established by decision of the
Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, or, where appropriate, by
the Commission.

For the information of the Council, the rules of
procedure for the relevant sub-Committees and special groups are provided in a
separate Annex.

The Council is therefore invited to approve the
attached proposal for a Decision on the European Union and Euratom position
concerning a Decision of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council on
its rules of procedure.

2013/0113 (NLE)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL AND COMMISSION DECISION

establishing the position concerning a
Decision of the EU – Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council on its rules
of procedure

THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union, and in particular Article 218, paragraph 9 thereof,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and in particular Article 101 thereof,

Having regard to Council and Commission Decision of ……………..on the conclusion of the Stabilisation
and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member
States, of the one part, and the Republic of Serbia (hereinafter referred to as
“Serbia”), of the other part, and in particular Article 3(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the
European Commission,

Whereas:

Article
119 of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement establishes a Stabilisation
and Association Council.

(1)
Article 120 of said Agreement provides that the
Stabilisation and Association Council shall adopt its own rules of procedures.

(2)
Article 122 of said Agreement provides that the
Stabilisation and Association Council shall be assisted by a Stabilisation and
Association Committee.

(3)
Article 122 of said Agreement provides that the
Stabilisation and Association Council shall, in its rules of procedure,
determine the duties of the Stabilisation and Association Committee and that
the Stabilisation and Association Council may delegate any of its powers to the
Stabilisation and Association Committee,

(4)
Article 124 of the said Agreement provides that
the Stabilisation and Association Council may decide to set up other special
committees or bodies that can assist it in carrying out its duties. It further
provides that the Stabilisation and Association Council shall, in its rules of
procedure, determine the composition and the duties of such committees and
bodies and how they shall function,

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The position to be adopted by the European Union and
the Euratom, within the Stabilisation and Association Council established by
Article 119 of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European
Communities and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Serbia,
of the other part, in relation to the rules of procedures of the said
Stabilisation and Association Council and to the delegation of its powers to
the Stabilisation and Association Committee referred to in Article 122 of the
said Agreement, shall be based on the draft Decision of the Stabilisation and
Association Council, annexed to this Decision. Minor amendments to this draft
Decision may be accepted without further decision by the Council and the
Commission.

Done at Brussels,

For the Commission || For the Council

The President || The President

ANNEX

 to the Council and
Commission decision establishing the position to be adopted in the EU-Serbia
Stabilisation and Association Council on its rules of procedure

Decision
No 1 of the EU – Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council of [date] adopting its rules of procedure

THE Stabilisation
and Association COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Stabilisation and Association
Agreement between the European Communities and its Member States, of the one
part, and the Republic of Serbia (hereinafter referred to as “Serbia”), of the
other part, and in particular Articles 119 and 120 thereof,

Whereas that Agreement entered into force on ……………,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Chairmanship

The Stabilisation and Association Council shall be
chaired over alternately for periods of 12 months by the President of the
Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, on behalf of the European Union
and its Member States and the European Atomic Energy Community, and by a
representative of the Government of Serbia. The first period shall begin on the
date of the first Stabilisation and Association Council meeting and end on 31
December 2013.

Article 2

Meetings

The Stabilisation and Association Council shall meet
at ministerial level once a year. Special sessions of the Stabilisation and
Association Council may be held at the request of either Party, if the Parties
so agree. Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, each session of the
Stabilisation and Association Council shall be held at the usual venue for
meetings of the Council of the European Union at a date agreed by both Parties.
Meetings of the Stabilisation and Association Council shall be jointly convened
by the Secretaries of the Stabilisation and Association Council in agreement
with the Chairman.

Article 3

Representation

The members of the Stabilisation and Association
Council may be represented if unable to attend. If a member wishes to be so
represented, he must notify the Chairman of the name of his representative
before the meeting at which he is to be so represented. The representative of a
member of the Stabilisation and Association Council shall exercise all the
rights of that member.

Article 4

Delegations

The members of the Stabilisation and Association
Council may be accompanied by officials. Before each meeting, the Chairman
shall be informed of the intended composition of the delegation of each Party.
A representative of the European Investment Bank shall attend the meetings of
the Stabilisation and Association Council, as an observer, when matters which
concern the Bank appear on the agenda. The Stabilisation and Association
Council may invite non-members to attend its meetings in order to provide
information on particular subjects.

Article 5

Secretariat

An official of the General Secretariat of the Council
of the European Union and an official of the Mission of Serbia to the European
Union shall act jointly as Secretaries of the Stabilisation and Association
Council.

Article 6

Correspondence

Correspondence addressed to the Stabilisation and
Association Council shall be sent to the Chairman of the Stabilisation and
Association Council at the address of the General Secretariat of the Council of
the European Union.

The two Secretaries shall ensure that correspondence
is forwarded to the Chairman of the Stabilisation and Association Council and,
where appropriate, circulated to other members of the Stabilisation and
Association Council. Correspondence circulated shall be sent to the
Secretariat-General of the Commission, the Permanent Representations of the Member States and the Mission of Serbia to the European Union.

Communications from the Chairman of the Stabilisation
and Association Council shall be sent to the addressees by the two Secretaries
and circulated, where appropriate, to the other members of the Stabilisation
and Association Council at the addresses indicated in the second paragraph.

Article 7

Publicity

Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the
Stabilisation and Association Council shall not be public.

Article 8

Agendas for meetings

1.
The Chairman shall draw up a provisional agenda
for each meeting. It shall be forwarded by the Secretaries of the Stabilisation
and Association Council to the addressees referred to in Article 6 not later
than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting. The provisional agenda shall
include the items in respect of which the Chairman has received a request for
inclusion on the agenda not later than 21 days before the beginning of the
meeting, although items shall not be written into the provisional agenda unless
the supporting documentation has been forwarded to the Secretaries not later
than the date of despatch of the agenda. The agenda shall be adopted by the
Stabilisation and Association Council at the beginning of each meeting. An item
other than those appearing on the provisional agenda may be placed on the
agenda if the two Parties so agree.

2.
The Chairman may, 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.

Article 9

Minutes

Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the
two Secretaries. The minutes shall, as a general rule, indicate in respect of
each item on the agenda:

–
the documentation submitted to the Stabilisation
and Association Council,

–
statements requested for entry by a member of
the Stabilisation and Association Council,

–
the decisions taken and recommendations made,
the statements agreed upon and the conclusions adopted.

The draft minutes shall be submitted to the
Stabilisation and Association Council for approval. When approved, the minutes
shall be signed by the Chairman and the two Secretaries. The minutes shall be
filed in the archives of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European
Union, which will act as depository of the documents of the Stabilisation and
Association Council. A certified copy shall be forwarded to each of the
addressees referred to in Article 6.

Article 10

Decisions and recommendations

1.
The Stabilisation and Association Council shall
take its decisions and make recommendations by common agreement of the Parties.
The Stabilisation and Association Council may take decisions or make
recommendations by written procedure if both Parties so agree.

2.
The decisions and recommendations of the
Stabilisation and Association Council, within the meaning of Article 121 of the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement, shall be entitled respectively
"Decision" and "Recommendation" followed by a serial
number, by the date of their adoption and by a description of their subject
matter. The decisions and recommendations of the Stabilisation and Association
Council shall be signed by the Chairman and authenticated by the two
Secretaries. Decisions and recommendations shall be forwarded to each of the
addressees referred to in Article 6 above. Each Party may decide on the
publication of decisions and recommendations of the Stabilisation and
Association Council in its respective official publication.

Article 11

Languages

The official languages of the Stabilisation and
Association Council shall be the official languages of the two Parties. Unless
otherwise decided, the Stabilisation and Association Council shall base its
deliberations on documentation drawn up in these languages.

Article 12

Expenses

The European Union and Serbia shall each defray the
expenses they incur by reason of their participation in the meetings of the
Stabilisation and Association Council, both with regard to staff, travel and
subsistence expenditure and to postal and telecommunications expenditure.
Expenditure in connection with interpreting at meetings, translation and reproduction
of documents shall be borne by the European Union, with the exception of
expenditure in connection with interpreting or translation into or from the
Serbian language, which shall be borne by Serbia. Other expenditure relating to
the organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party hosting the meetings.

Article 13

Stabilisation and Association Committee

1.
A Stabilisation and Association Committee is
hereby established in order to assist the Stabilisation and Association Council
in carrying out its duties. It shall be composed of representatives of the
Council of the European Union and of representatives of the European
Commission, on the one hand, and of representatives of the Government of Serbia
on the other, normally at senior civil servant level.

2.
The Stabilisation and Association Committee
shall prepare the meetings and the deliberations of the Stabilisation and
Association Council, implement the decisions of the Stabilisation and
Association Council where appropriate and, in general, ensure continuity of the
association relationship and the proper functioning of the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement. It shall consider any matter referred to it by the
Stabilisation and Association Council as well as any other matter which may
arise in the course of the day-to-day implementation of the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement. It shall submit proposals or any draft
decisions/recommendations for adoption to the Stabilisation and Association
Council.

3.
In cases where the Stabilisation and Association
Agreement refers to an obligation to consult or a possibility of consultation,
such consultation may take place within the Stabilisation and Association
Committee. The consultation may continue in the Stabilisation and Association
Council if the two Parties so agree.

4.
The rules of procedure of the Stabilisation and
Association Committee are annexed to this Decision.

Article 14

Joint Consultative Committee with the European
Economic and Social Committee

1.
A Joint Consultative Committee with the European
Economic and Social Committee is hereby established, entrusted with the task of
assisting the Stabilisation and Association Council with a view to promoting
dialogue and cooperation between the social partners and other civil society
organisations, in the European Union and Serbia. Such dialogue and cooperation
shall encompass all relevant aspects of relations between the European Union
and Serbia, as they arise in the context of the implementation of the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Such dialogue and cooperation shall be
aimed in particular at:

a)
Preparing Serbian
social partners and other civil society organisations for activity in the
framework of future membership of the European Union;

b)
Preparing Serbian
social partners and other civil society organisations for their participation
in the work of the European Economic and Social Committee after the accession
of Serbia;

c)
Exchanging information
on issues of mutual interest, in particular on up-to-date state of play on the
accession process as well as preparation of Serbian social partners and other
civil society organisations for this process;

d)
Encouraging exchanges
of experience, good practices and structured dialogue between a) Serbian social
partners and other civil society organisations and b) social partners and other
civil society organisations from Member States, including through networking in
specific areas where direct contacts and cooperation might prove the most
effective way of solving particular problems;

e)
Discussing any other
relevant matters proposed by any side, as they can arise in the context of
implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and in the
framework of the Pre-accession.

2.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the
European Economic and Social Committee shall comprise six representatives of
the European Economic and Social Committee and six representatives of Serbia's social partners and other civil society organisations. Observers can be also
invited to participate.

3.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the European
Economic and Social Committee shall carry out its tasks on the basis of
consultation by the Stabilisation and Association Council or, with regard to
promoting dialogue between economic and social circles, on its own initiative.

4.
Members shall be chosen to ensure that the Joint
Consultative Committee with the European Economic and Social Committee is as
faithful a reflection as possible of the various social partners and other
civil society organisations, in both the European Union and Serbia. Official nominations of Serbian members shall be made by the government of Serbia based on proposals from social partners and other civil society organisations. Those
proposals shall be based on inclusive and transparent selection procedures
among social partners and other civil society organisations.

5.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the
European Economic and Social Committee shall be co-chaired by a member of the
European Economic and Social Committee and a representative of Serbia's social partners and other civil society organisations.

6.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the
European Economic and Social Committee shall adopt its own Rules of Procedure.

7.
The European Economic and Social Committee, on
the one hand, and the Serbian Government, on the other hand, shall each defray
the expenses they incur by reason of the participation of their delegates in
the meetings of the Joint Consultative Committee and of its working groups with
regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure.

8.
Other expenditure relating to the material
organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party which hosts the meetings.

Article 15

Joint Consultative Committee with the
Committee of the Regions of the European Union

1.
A Joint Consultative Committee with the
Committee of the Regions of the European Union is hereby established with the
task of assisting the Stabilisation and Association Council with a view to
promoting dialogue and cooperation between the local and regional authorities
in the European Union and those in Serbia. Such dialogue and cooperation shall
be aimed in particular at:

a)
Preparing Serbian local
and regional authorities for activity in the framework of future membership of
the European Union;

b)
Preparing Serbian local
and regional authorities for their participation in the work of the Committee
of the Regions after the accession of Serbia;

c)
Exchanging information
on current issues of mutual interest, in particular on up-to-date state of play
concerning the accession process and those policy areas where the Treaties provide
that the Committee of Regions shall be consulted as well as preparation of
Serbian local and regional authorities for these policies;

d)
Encouraging
multilateral structured dialogue between a) Serbian local and regional
authorities and b) local and regional authorities from the Member States,
including through networking in specific areas where direct contacts and
cooperation between Serbian local and regional authorities and the local and
regional authorities from Member States might prove the most effective way of
addressing specific topics of mutual interest;

e)
Providing regular
exchange of information on inter-regional cooperation between Serbian local and
regional authorities and local and regional authorities from Member States;

f)
Encouraging exchange of
experience and knowledge in the policy areas where the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union provides that the Committee of Regions shall
be consulted, between a) Serbian local and regional authorities and b) local
and regional authorities from Member States, in particular know-how and
techniques concerning preparation of local and regional development plans or
strategies and most efficient use of the pre-accession and Structural Funds;

g)
Assisting Serbian local
and regional authorities by means of information exchange in particular
implementation of the principle of subsidiarity in all aspects of life on local
and regional level;

h)
Discussing any other
relevant matters proposed by any side, as they can arise in the context of
implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and in the
framework of the Pre-accession talks.

2.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the
Committee of the Regions of the European Union shall comprise [seven]
representatives of the Committee of the Regions, on the one hand, and [seven]
elected representatives of the local and regional authorities of Serbia, on the other hand. An equal number of alternate members shall be appointed.

3.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the
Committee of the Regions of the European Union shall carry out its activities
on the basis of consultation by the Stabilisation and Association Council or,
as concerns the promotion of the dialogue between the local and regional
authorities, on its own initiative.

4.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the
Committee of the Regions of the European Union may make recommendations to the
Stabilisation and Association Council.

5.
Members shall be chosen to ensure that the Joint
Consultative Committee with the Committee of the Regions is a faithful
reflection of the various levels of local and regional authorities in both the
European Union and Serbia. Official nominations of Serbian members shall be
made by the government of Serbia based on proposals from organisations
representing local and regional authorities in Serbia. Those proposals shall be
based on inclusive and transparent selection procedures among representatives
holding local or regional electoral mandates.

6.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the
Committee of the Regions of the European Union shall adopt its own Rules of
Procedure.

7.
The Joint Consultative Committee with the
Committee of the Regions of the European Union shall be co-chaired by a member
of the Committee of the Regions and a representative of the local and regional
authorities of Serbia.

8.
The Committee of the Regions, on the one hand,
and the Government of Serbia, on the other hand, shall each defray the expenses
incurred by reason of the participation of their delegates and supporting staff
in the meetings of the Joint Consultative Committee with the Committee of the
Regions of the European Union, in particular with regard to travel and
subsistence expenditure.

9.
Other expenditure relating to the material
organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party which hosts the meetings.

Done at

                                                                       For
the Stabilisation and Association Council

                                                                       The
Chairman

ANNEX

to

Decision No 1 of the EU – Serbia Stabilisation and
Association Council of [date]

Rules of
Procedure of the Stabilisation and Association Committee

Article 1

Chairmanship

The Stabilisation and Association Committee shall be
chaired over alternately for periods of 12 months by a representative of the
European Commission, on behalf of the European Union and its Member States and the European Atomic Energy Community, and by a representative of the
Government of Serbia. The first period shall begin on the date of the first
Stabilisation and Association Council meeting and end on 31 December 2013.

Article 2

Meetings

The Stabilisation and Association Committee shall meet
when circumstances require, with the agreement of both Parties. Each meeting of
the Stabilisation and Association Committee shall be held at a time and place
agreed by both Parties. Meetings of the Stabilisation and Association Committee
shall be convened by the Chairman.

Article 3

Delegations

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

Article 4

Secretariat

An official of the European Commission and an official
of the Serbian Government shall act jointly as Secretaries of the Stabilisation
and Association Committee. All communications to and from the Chairman of the
Stabilisation and Association Committee provided for in this Decision shall be
forwarded to the Secretaries of the Stabilisation and Association Committee and
to the Secretaries and the Chairman of the Stabilisation and Association
Council.

Article 5

Publicity

Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the
Stabilisation and Association Committee shall not be public.

Article 6

Agendas for meetings

1.
The Chairman shall draw up a provisional agenda
for each meeting. It shall be forwarded by the Secretaries of the Stabilisation
and Association Committee to the addressees referred to in Article 4 not later
than 15 days before the beginning of the meeting. The provisional agenda shall
include the items in respect of which the Chairman has received a request for
inclusion on the agenda not later than 21 days before the beginning of the
meeting, although items shall not be written into the provisional agenda unless
the supporting documentation has been forwarded to the Secretaries not later
than the date of dispatch of the agenda. The Stabilisation and Association
Committee may ask experts to attend its meetings in order to provide
information on particular subjects. The agenda shall be adopted by the
Stabilisation and Association Committee at the beginning of each meeting. An
item other than those appearing on the provisional agenda may be placed on the
agenda if the two Parties so agree.

2.
The Chairman may, 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.

Article 7

Minutes

Minutes shall be taken for each meeting and shall be
based on a summing up by the Chairman of the conclusions arrived at by the
Stabilisation and Association Committee. When approved by the Stabilisation and
Association Committee, the minutes shall be signed by the Chairman and by the
Secretaries and filed by each of the Parties. A copy of the minutes shall be
forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 4.

Article 8

Decisions and recommendations

In the specific cases where the Stabilisation and
Association Committee is empowered by the Stabilisation and Association Council
under Article 122 of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement to take
decisions/make recommendations, these acts shall be entitled respectively
"Decision" and "Recommendation", followed by a serial
number, by the date of their adoption and by a description of their subject
matter. Decisions and recommendations shall be made by common agreement between
the Parties. The Stabilisation and Association Committee may take decisions or
make recommendations by written procedure if both Parties so agree. The decisions
and recommendations of the Stabilisation and Association Committee shall be
signed by the Chairman and authenticated by the two Secretaries and shall be
forwarded to the addressees referred to in Article 4. Each Party may decide on
the publication of the decisions and recommendations of this Stabilisation and
Association Committee in its respective official publication.

Article 9

Expenses

The European Union and Serbia shall each defray the
expenses they incur by reason of their participation in the meetings of the
Stabilisation and Association Committee, both with regard to staff, travel and
subsistence expenditure and to postal and telecommunications expenditure.
Expenditure in connection with interpreting at meetings, translation and
reproduction of documents shall be borne by the European Union, with the
exception of expenditure in connection with interpreting or translation into or
from the Serbian language, which shall be borne by Serbia. Other expenditure
relating to the organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party hosting
the meetings.

Article 10

Subcommittees and special groups

The Stabilisation and Association Committee may create
subcommittees or special groups to work under the authority of the
Stabilisation and Association Committee, to which they shall report after each
of their meetings. The Stabilisation and Association Committee may decide to
abolish any existing subcommittees or groups, lay down or modify their terms of
reference or set up further subcommittees or groups to assist it in carrying
out its duties. These subcommittees and groups shall not have any
decision-making powers.

ANNEX

for the information of the Council only

DRAFT

Decision N° 1/2013

of the EU – Serbia Stabilisation and
Association Committee

of day month 2013

creating subcommittees and special groups

THE Stabilisation and Association committee,

Having
regard to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European
Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Serbia, of
the other part, and in particular Article 123 thereof

Having
regard to its rules of procedure, and in particular Article 10 thereof,

HAS
DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The
subcommittees and special groups listed in Annex I are hereby created. Their
terms of reference are set out in Annex II.

Done
at …………., on day month 2013.

For
the Stabilisation and Association Committee

The
Chairman

ANNEX I

EU – SERBIA STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

Multidisciplinary Subcommittee Structure

Title || Issues || SAA Article

1. Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation || Free Movement of Goods || Art. 18

Industrial Products || Art. 19-23

Commercial questions || Art. 34-48

Standardisation, metrology, accreditation, certification, conformity assessment, and market surveillance || Art. 77

Industrial co-operation || Art. 94

SMEs || Art. 95

Tourism || Art. 96

Customs || Art. 99

Taxation || Art. 100

Rules of origin || Protocol 3

Administrative assistance in customs matters || Protocol 6

2. Agriculture and Fisheries || Agricultural products sensu lato || Art. 24, 26(1) (4), 27(1), 31, 32 and 35

Agricultural products sensu stricto || Art. 26(2)(3) and 27(2)

Fisheries products || Art. 29 and 30

Processed agricultural products || Art. 25, Protocol 1

Wine || Art. 28 and Protocol 2

Protection of geographical indications for agricultural and fishery products and foodstuffs other than wine and spirits || Art. 33

Agriculture and the agro-industrial sector, veterinary and phytosanitary matters || Art. 97

Fisheries co-operation || Art. 98

Food safety ||

3. Internal Market and Competition || Right of establishment || Art. 52-58

Supply of services || Art. 59-61

Other questions related to Title V of the SAA || Art. 65-71

Approximation of legislation and law enforcement || Art. 72

Competition || Art. 73-74, Protocol 5

Intellectual, industrial and commercial property || Art. 75

Public procurement || Art. 76

Banking, insurance and other financial services || Art. 91

Consumer protection || Art. 78

Public health ||

4. Economic and financial issues and statistics || Capital movements and payments || Art. 62-64

Economic policy || Art. 89

Statistical co-operation || Art. 90

Investment promotion and protection || Art. 93

Financial co-operation || Art. 115-118

Audit and financial control || Art. 92

5. Justice, freedom and security || Judiciary and fundamental rights ||

Police and judicial co-operation ||

Rule of law || Art. 80

Data protection || Art. 81

Visa, border control, asylum and migration || Art. 82

Illegal immigration and readmission || Art. 83

Money laundering || Art. 84

Drugs || Art. 85

Counter terrorism || Art. 87

Crime and other illegal activities || Art. 86

6. Research and innovation, information society and social policy || Movement of workers || Art. 49-51

Working conditions and equal opportunities || Art. 79

Social co-operation || Art. 101

Education and training || Art. 102

Cultural co-operation || Art. 103

Information and communication || Art. 107

Co-operation in the audio-visual field || Art. 104

Electronic communications networks and services || Art. 106

Information society || Art. 105

Research and innovation || Art. 112

7. Transport, energy, environment, climate action and regional development[1] || Transport || Art. 52, 55, 61, 108 and Protocol 4

Energy || Art. 109

Nuclear safety || Art. 110

Environment || Art. 111

Climate action || Art. 109 and 111

Regional and local development || Art. 113

Structure of the Special groups

Title || Issues || SAA Article

Special group for reform of public administration || Public administration reform || Title VI Legal approximation, and law enforcement, Art. 72 and Title VII, Justice and Home Affairs, Art. 80, Art. 114

ANNEX II

Terms of Reference of the EU – Serbia Subcommittees and Special Group

Composition and Chair

The
subcommittees and the special group on public administration reform (special
group on PAR) shall be composed of representatives of the European Commission
and representatives of the government of Serbia. They shall be co-chaired by
the two parties. The Member States will be informed and invited to the meetings
of the subcommittees and the special group on PAR.

Secretariat

An
official of the European Commission and an official of the government of Serbia shall act jointly as secretaries of each of the subcommittees and of the special
group on PAR.

All
communications concerning the subcommittees shall be forwarded to the
secretaries of the relevant subcommittee and of the special group on PAR.

Meetings

The
subcommittees and the special group on PAR shall meet whenever circumstances
require, with the agreement of both Parties. Each meeting of a subcommittee or
the special group on PAR shall be held at a time and place agreed by both
Parties.

If
both Parties agree, the subcommittees and the special group on PAR may invite
experts to their meetings to provide the specific information requested.

Subject matters

The
subcommittees shall discuss issues related to the areas of the SAA as listed in
the multidisciplinary subcommittee structure. Progress regarding the alignment,
implementation and enforcement of EU legislation, as well as key issues related
to programming and implementation of relevant IPA projects shall be assessed
under all subject matters. The subcommittees shall examine any problems that
may arise in their relevant sectors and shall suggest possible steps to be
taken.

The
subcommittees shall also serve as fora for the further clarification of the acquis
and shall review progress made by Serbia in conforming to the acquis in
line with commitments taken under the SAA.

The
special group on PAR shall discuss issues related to public administration
reform and suggest possible steps to be taken.

Minutes

Minutes
shall be taken for and agreed after each meeting. A copy of the minutes shall
be forwarded by the secretary of the subcommittee or the special group on PAR
to the Secretary of the Stabilisation and Association Committee.

Publicity

Unless
otherwise decided, the meetings of the subcommittees and of the special group
on PAR shall not be public.

[1]               For the purposes of implementing Protocol 4 to the
SAA, this sub-committee shall act as the special sub-committee mentioned in
Article 21 of this Protocol.

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