CELEX ID: 22015A0411(01)

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Document:
11.4.2015
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 96/3
PROTOCOL
to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Tunisia on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Tunisia in Union programmes
THE EUROPEAN UNION, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Union’,
of the one part, and
THE REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA, hereinafter referred to as ‘Tunisia’,
of the other part,
hereinafter jointly referred to as ‘the Parties’,
Whereas:
(1)
Tunisia has concluded a Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part 
(
1
)
 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Agreement’), which entered into force on 1 March 1998.
(2)
The Brussels European Council of 17 and 18 June 2004 welcomed the European Commission's proposals for a European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and endorsed the Council conclusions of 14 June 2004.
(3)
The Council has since adopted conclusions in favour of this policy on numerous occasions.
(4)
On 5 March 2007 the Council expressed support for the general and comprehensive approach outlined in the European Commission's communication of 4 December 2006, to enable European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries to participate in Community agencies and Community programmes on their merits and where legal bases so allow.
(5)
Tunisia has expressed its wish to participate in a number of Union programmes.
(6)
The specific terms and conditions, including the financial contribution and reporting and evaluation procedures, applicable to Tunisia's participation in any particular Union programme should be determined by agreement between the European Commission, acting on behalf of the Union, and Tunisia,
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
Tunisia shall be allowed to participate in all current and future Union programmes which are opened to the participation of Tunisia, in accordance with the relevant provisions adopting those programmes.
Article 2
Tunisia shall contribute financially to the general budget of the European Union corresponding to the specific Union programmes in which Tunisia participates.
Article 3
Tunisia's representatives shall be allowed to take part, as observers and for those items which concern Tunisia, in the management committees responsible for monitoring the Union programmes to which Tunisia contributes financially.
Article 4
Projects and initiatives submitted by participants from Tunisia shall, as far as possible, be subject to the same conditions, rules and procedures pertaining to the Union programmes concerned as applied to Member States.
Article 5
1.   The specific terms and conditions regarding the participation of Tunisia in each particular Union programme, in particular the financial contribution to be paid as well as reporting and evaluation procedures, shall be determined in a Memorandum of Understanding between the European Commission and the competent authorities of Tunisia on the basis of the criteria established by the programmes concerned.
2.   If Tunisia applies for external assistance of the Union to participate in a given Union programme on the basis of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
(
2
)
 or pursuant to any similar regulation providing for Union external assistance to Tunisia that may be adopted in the future, the conditions governing the use by Tunisia of the Union assistance shall be determined in a financing agreement.
Article 6
1.   Each agreement concluded pursuant to Article 5 shall stipulate, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
(
3
)
, that financial control or audits or other verifications, including administrative investigations, are carried out by, or under the authority of, the European Commission, the European Anti-Fraud Office and the European Court of Auditors.
2.   Detailed provisions shall be made for financial controls and audits, administrative measures, penalties and recoveries that accord the European Commission, the European Anti-Fraud Office and the European Court of Auditors powers equivalent to their powers with regard to beneficiaries or contractors established in the Union.
Article 7
1.   This Protocol shall apply for the period during which the Agreement is in force.
2.   This Protocol shall be signed and approved by the Parties in accordance with their respective procedures.
3.   Either Party may renounce this Protocol by written notification to the other Contracting Party. This Protocol shall cease to apply six months after the date of such notification.
4.   The termination of the Protocol due to the renunciation by either of the Parties shall not affect the checks and controls to be carried out, where necessary, under the Articles 5 and 6.
Article 8
No later than three years after the date of entry into force of this Protocol and every three years thereafter, both Parties may review the implementation of this Protocol on the basis of the actual participation of Tunisia in Union programmes.
Article 9
This Protocol shall apply, on the one hand, to the territory in which the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union is applied under the conditions laid down in that Treaties, on the one hand, and to the territory of Tunisia, on the other.
Article 10
1.   Pending its entry into force, the Parties agree to provisionally apply this Protocol from the date of its signing, subject to completion of the procedures necessary for that purpose.
2.   This Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date on which the Parties notify each other through diplomatic channels of the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force.
Article 11
This Protocol shall form an integral part of the Agreement.
Article 12
This Protocol is drawn up in duplicate in the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Arabic languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.
Съставено в Брюксел на седемнадесети март две хиляди и петнадесета година.
Hecho en Bruselas, el diecisiete de marzo de dos mil quince.
V Bruselu dne sedmnáctého března dva tisíce patnáct.
Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den syttende marts to tusind og femten.
Geschehen zu Brüssel am siebzehnten März zweitausendfünfzehn.
Kahe tuhande viieteistkümnenda aasta märtsikuu seitsmeteistkümnendal päeval Brüsselis.
'Εγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις δέκα εφτά Μαρτίου δύο χιλιάδες δεκαπέντε.
Done at Brussels on the seventeenth day of March in the year two thousand and fifteen.
Fait à Bruxelles, le dix-sept mars deux mille quinze.
Sastavljeno u Bruxellesu sedamnaestog ožujka dvije tisuće petnaeste.
Fatto a Bruxelles, addì diciassette marzo duemilaquindici.
Briselē, divi tūkstoši piecpadsmitā gada septiņpadsmitajā martā.
Priimta du tūkstančiai penkioliktų metų kovo septynioliktą dieną Briuselyje.
Kelt Brüsszelben, a kétezer-tizenötödik év március havának tizenhetedik napján.
Magħmul fi Brussell, fis-sbatax-il jum ta’ Marzu tas-sena elfejn u ħmistax.
Gedaan te Brussel, de zeventiende maart tweeduizend vijftien.
Sporządzono w Brukseli dnia siedemnastego marca roku dwa tysiące piętnastego.
Feito em Bruxelas, em dezassete de março de dois mil e quinze.
Întocmit la Bruxelles la șaptesprezece martie două mii cincisprezece.
V Bruseli sedemnásteho marca dvetisícpätnásť.
V Bruslju, dne sedemnajstega marca leta dva tisoč petnajst.
Tehty Brysselissä seitsemäntenätoista päivänä maaliskuuta vuonna kaksituhattaviisitoista.
Som skedde i Bryssel den sjuttonde mars tjugohundrafemton.
За Европейския съюз
Рог la Unión Europea
Za Evropskou unii
For Den Europæiske Union
Für die Europäische Union
Euroopa Liidu nimel
Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση
For the European Union
Pour l'Union européenne
Za Europsku uniju
Per l'Unione europea
Eiropas Savienības vārdā –
Europos Sąjungos vardu
Az Európai Unió részéről
Għall-Unjoni Ewropea
Voor de Europese Unie
W imieniu Unii Europejskiej
Pela União Europeia
Pentru Uniunea Europeană
Za Európsku úniu
Za Evropsko unijo
Euroopan unionin puolesta
För Europeiska unionen
За Република Тунис
Por la República de Túnez
Za Tuniskou republiku
For Den Tunesiske Republik
Für die Tunesische Republik
Tuneesia Vabariigi nimel
Για τη Δημοκρατία της Τυνησίας
For the Republic of Tunisia
Pour la République tunisienne
Za Republiku Tunis
Per la Repubblica tunisina
Tunisijas Republikas vārdā –
Tuniso Respublikos vardu
A Tunéziai Köztársaság részéről
Ghar-Repubblika tat-Tuneżija
Voor de Republiek Tunesië
W imieniu Republiki Tunezyjskiej
Pela Republica da Tunísia
Pentru Republica Tunisiană
Za Tuniskú republiku
Za republiko tunizijo
Tunisian tasavallan puolesta
För Republiken Tunisien
(
1
)
  
            
OJ L 97, 30.3.1998, p. 2
.
(
2
)
  Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument (
OJ L 77, 15.3.2014, p. 27
).
(
3
)
  Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (
OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1
).

Summary:
Scientific and technological cooperation between the EU and Tunisia
SUMMARY OF:
Agreement on scientific and technical cooperation between the European Community and Tunisia
Decision 2004/127/EC concluding the agreement on scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and Tunisia
Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part, on a framework agreement between the European Union and Tunisia on the general principles for the participation Tunisia in EU programmes
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT, THE DECISION AND THE PROTOCOL?
The agreement establishes general rules for cooperation between the European Community, now the 
European Union
 (EU), and Tunisia, aiming at encouraging, developing and facilitating activities of common interest in the fields of science and technology.
By its decision, the 
Council of the European Union
 approved the agreement on behalf of the European Community.
In view of the Council’s support of the 
European Commission
’s approach to enable 
European neighbourhood policy
 partner countries to participate in 
EU agencies
 and programmes on their merits, and where authorised by the relevant legal bases, the protocol sets out specific terms and conditions, including the financial contribution and reporting and evaluation procedures, applicable to Tunisia’s participation in each particular EU programme.
KEY POINTS
The parties agree to encourage, develop and facilitate cooperative scientific and technological activities between the EU and Tunisia in fields of common interest. Activities carried out under the agreement are based on a set of principles:
promotion of a knowledge-based society for the benefit of the economic and social development of the parties;
mutual benefit based on an overall balance of advantages;
timely exchange of information;
protection of 
intellectual property
 rights.
Cooperation
Tunisian legal entities
1
 can participate in indirect action under the EU framework programme for research and innovation (
Horizon Europe
) contributing to the creation of the 
European research area
.
EU legal entities can participate in Tunisia’s research projects in fields equivalent to those of the framework programme under the same conditions as those applicable to Tunisian legal entities.
Both cooperative forms are subject to terms and conditions established by or referred to in Annexes I and II to the agreement.
Cooperation may also take the following forms and means:
joint meetings;
regular discussions on the guidelines and priorities for research policies and planning in Tunisia and in the EU;
exchanges of views and consultations on cooperation and development prospects;
the timely sharing of information concerning the implementation and results of joint research programmes and projects carried out under this agreement;
visits and exchanges of researchers, engineers and technicians, including for the purposes of research training;
exchanges and sharing of scientific equipment and materials;
regular contacts between Tunisian and EU research programme or project managers;
participation of experts of both parties in thematic seminars, symposiums and workshops;
exchanges of information on practices, laws, regulations and programmes concerning cooperation under this agreement;
reciprocal access to scientific and technical information relevant to this cooperation;
any other arrangement adopted by the EU–Tunisia Joint Scientific and Technical Cooperation Committee.
Under the 
protocol
, Tunisia must contribute financially to the 
EU’s general budget
 corresponding to the specific programmes in which it participates. A memorandum of understanding between the Commission and the Tunisian authorities sets out the specific terms and conditions, in particular the financial contribution and reporting and evaluation procedures, regarding Tunisia’s participation in each programme.
Tunisia participates in the 
Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) initiative
, set up under Decision (EU) 
2017/1324
 (see 
summary
). PRIMA aims to pool the knowledge and financial resources of the EU and the participating states to build research and innovation capacities, and develop knowledge and joint innovative solutions for water and agri-food systems in the Mediterranean area. The EU allocates up to €220 million from the Horizon 2020 programme to PRIMA.
DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE
The agreement entered into force on 
13 April 2004
 and will continue to apply for an indefinite period. It may be terminated at any time by either party with 6 months’ written notice.
BACKGROUND
Relations between the EU and Tunisia are governed principally by the 
Euro-Mediterranean Agreement
 establishing an association between the European Communities and their 
Member States
, of the one part, and the Tunisian Republic, of the other part (see 
summary
). Tunisia was the first country in the southern Mediterranean to sign a scientific and technological agreement with the EU.
For further information, see:
Tunisia
 (European Commission)
Delegation of the European Union to Tunisia
 (European External Action Service)
The Republic of Tunisia joins Horizon Europe, the world’s largest research and innovation programme
 – Press release (European Commission).
KEY TERMS
Legal entities.
 Any natural person or any legal person created under the national law of its place of establishment or under Community law or international law having legal personality and being entitled to have rights and obligations of any kind in its own name.
MAIN DOCUMENTS
Agreement
 on scientific and technical cooperation between the European Community and the Tunisian Republic (OJ L 37, 
10.2.2004
, 
pp. 17–23
).
Council Decision 
2004/127/EC
 of 
22 December 2003
 on the conclusion of the Agreement on scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the Tunisian Republic (OJ L 37, 
10.2.2004
, 
p. 16
).
Protocol
 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Tunisia on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Tunisia in Union programmes (OJ L 96, 
11.4.2015
, 
pp. 3–6
).
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Decision (EU) 
2017/1324
 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
4 July 2017
 on the participation of the Union in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) jointly undertaken by several Member States (OJ L 185, 
18.7.2017
, 
pp. 1–15
).
Euro-Mediterranean Agreement
 establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part – Protocol 
No 1
 on the arrangements applying to imports into the Community of agricultural products originating in Tunisia – Protocol 
No 2
 on the arrangement applying to imports into the Community of fishery products originating in Tunisia – Protocol 
No 3
 on the arrangements applying to imports into Tunisia of agricultural products originating in the Community – Protocol 
No 4
 concerning the definition of originating products and methods of administrative cooperation – Protocol 
No 5
 on mutual assistance in customs matters between the administrative authorities – Joint Declarations – Declarations (OJ L 97, 
30.3.1998
, 
pp. 2–183
).
Successive amendments to this agreement have been incorporated into the original document. This 
consolidated version
 is of documentary value only.
last update 
19.4.2024

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