Article 1 Chairmanship
The office of Chairman of the Cooperation Council shall be held alternately for periods of twelve months by a representative of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and a representative of the European Community, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Community’. However, the first period shall begin on the date of the first Cooperation Council and end on 31 December of the same year.
Article 2 Meetings
1. The Cooperation Council shall meet once a year. Additional meetings may be held if both Parties so agree, at the request of either Party. 2. Each session of the Cooperation Council shall be held at a time and place agreed by both Parties. 3. Unless otherwise agreed the sessions of the Cooperation Council shall not be public.
Article 3 Delegations
Prior to each session, the Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia shall agree on the level of representation of the Cooperation Council. They shall also inform the Chairman of the intended composition of their respective delegations.
Article 4 Secretariat, communications
An official of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and an official of the Commission of the European Communities shall act jointly as Secretaries of the Cooperation Council. All communications to and from the Chairman shall be forwarded to both Secretaries. The two Secretaries shall ensure that communications are forwarded, where appropriate, to their respective representatives in the Cooperation Council.
Article 5 Agenda
1. The Chairman and the Secretaries shall draw up the provisional agenda for each session. The provisional agenda shall consist of those items in respect of which a request for inclusion has reached the Secretaries not less than 21 days before the beginning of the session. The only items which may appear on the provisional agenda shall be those in respect of which the relevant documentation has been forwarded to the Secretaries referred to in Article 4 not later than the date of dispatch of such agenda. The agenda shall be adopted by the Cooperation Council at the beginning of each session. Where both Parties agree, items which do not appear on the provisional agenda may be included. 2. The Chairman may, in agreement with the two Parties, shorten the time limits laid down in paragraph 1 to take account of the requirements of a particular case.
Article 6 Minutes
Minutes shall be taken for each session and shall include the summing up of the proceedings by the Chairman. Upon adoption by the Cooperation Council, the minutes shall be signed by the Chairman and the Secretaries and one original copy filed by each of the Parties.
Article 7 Working parties
1. The working parties established in accordance with Article 36 of the Cooperation Agreement, including their respective terms of reference, are listed in the Annex to these Rules of Procedure. They shall be composed of representatives of both Parties. They shall meet at the request of either Party without prejudice to more specific provisions laid down in their respective terms of reference as annexed to these Rules. 2. The working parties shall work under the authority of the Cooperation Council which shall determine their objectives and the scope of their activities. They shall not take decisions but can make recommendations to the Cooperation Council to which they shall report after each one of their meetings. 3. The Cooperation Council can at any time modify the terms of reference of the working parties and terminate their existence, or establish new working parties.
Article 8 Acts
Decisions adopted by the Cooperation Council within the meaning of Article 33(1) of the Cooperation Agreement shall be signed by the Chairman and the Secretaries. These Decisions, as well as Resolutions, Recommendations or Opinions of the Cooperation Council formulated within the meaning of Article 33(2) of the Cooperation Agreement, shall be followed by a serial number, by the place and date of their adoption and by a description of their subject. Decisions taken by the Cooperation Council shall be published by the Parties in their respective official publications. Each Party may decide, in agreement with the other Party, on the publication of any other act adopted by the Cooperation Council.
Article 9 Languages
The official languages of the Cooperation Council shall be the official languages of the Parties. The Cooperation Council shall normally base its deliberations on documentation prepared in these languages.
Article 10 Expenses
The Community, on the one hand, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the other, shall defray the expenses that they incur as a result of their participation in meetings of the Cooperation Council and of working parties in respect of staff, travelling and subsistence expenses and also of postal and telecommunications costs. Expenditure in connection with interpretation at meetings, translation and reproduction of documents shall be borne by the Community, with the exception of expenditure in connection with interpretation or translation into or from the official language of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which shall be borne by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Other expenditure relating to the material organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party which hosts the meetings.
Article 11 
This Decision shall enter into force on the day on which its is adopted.