Annexes to COM(2009)688 - Position to be adopted in the EU - Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Council on its Rules of Procedure

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dossier COM(2009)688 - Position to be adopted in the EU - Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Council on its Rules of Procedure.
document COM(2009)688 EN
date June  8, 2010
ANNEX

Rules of Procedure of the Stabilisation and Association Committee

Article 1

Chairmanship

The Stabilisation and Association Committee shall be presided 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 Montenegro. The first period shall begin on the date of the first Stabilisation and Association Council meeting and end on 31 December 2010.

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 Montenegrin 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 President 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, the date of their adoption and 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 President and authenticated by the two Secretaries and shall be forwarded to the addressees referred to in Article 4 of these rules of procedure. 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 Montenegro 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 official language of Montenegro, which shall be borne by Montenegro. 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.