DECISION No 1 OF THE EU-BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION COUNCIL
of 11 December 2015
adopting its rules of procedure [2016/88]
THE STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,
Having regard to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part (‘the Agreement’), and in particular Articles 115, 116, 118 and 120 thereof,
Whereas the Agreement entered into force on 1 June 2015,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Chairmanship
The Parties shall hold the chairmanship of the Stabilisation and Association Council alternately for a period of 12 months. The first period shall begin on the date of the first Stabilisation and Association Council meeting and end on 31 December of the same year.
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 Chair.
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 Chair 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 Chair 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 Chair 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 Chair 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 European External Action Service, the Permanent Representations of the Member States and the Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union.
Communications from the Chair 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 referred to 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 Chair 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 Chair 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 Chair 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 Chair 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 Association. 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 117 of the 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 Chair and authenticated by the two Secretaries. Decisions and recommendations shall be forwarded to each of the addressees referred to in Article 6. 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 as well as 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 (‘the 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 Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the other, normally at senior civil servant level.
2. The 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 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 Agreement. It shall submit proposals or any draft decisions or recommendations for adoption to the Stabilisation and Association Council.
3. In cases where the Agreement refers to an obligation to consult or a possibility of consultation, such consultation may take place within the Committee. The consultation may continue in the Stabilisation and Association Council if the two Parties so agree.
4. The rules of procedure of the Committee are annexed to this Decision.
Done at Brussels, 11 December 2015.
For the Stabilisation and Association Council
The Chair
F. MOGHERINI
ANNEX
Rules of Procedure of the Stabilisation and Association Committee
Article 1
Chairmanship
The Parties shall hold the chairmanship of the Committee alternately for a period of 12 months. The first period shall begin on the date of the first Stabilisation and Association Council meeting and end on 31 December of the same year.
Article 2
Meetings
The Committee shall meet when circumstances require, with the agreement of both Parties. Each meeting of the Committee shall be held at a time and place agreed by both Parties. Meetings of the Committee shall be convened by the Chair.
Article 3
Delegations
Before each meeting, the Chair 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina shall act jointly as Secretaries of the Committee. All communications to and from the Chair of the Committee provided for in this Decision shall be forwarded to the Secretaries of the Committee and to the Secretaries and the Chair of the Stabilisation and Association Council.
Article 5
Publicity
Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Committee shall not be public.
Article 6
Agendas for meetings
1. The Chair shall draw up a provisional agenda for each meeting. It shall be forwarded by the Secretaries of the Committee to the addressees referred to in Article 4 not later than 30 working days before the beginning of the meeting. The provisional agenda shall include the items in respect of which the Chair has received a request for inclusion on the agenda not later than 35 working 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 Committee may ask experts to attend its meetings in order to provide information on particular subjects. The agenda shall be adopted by the 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 Chair 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 Chair of the conclusions arrived at by the Committee. When approved by the Committee, the minutes shall be signed by the Chair 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 Committee is empowered by the Stabilisation and Association Council under Article 118 of the Agreement to take decisions or 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 Committee may take decisions or make recommendations by written procedure if both Parties so agree. The decisions and recommendations of the Committee shall be signed by the Chair 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 the Committee in its respective official publication.
Article 9
Expenses
The European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina shall each defray the expenses they incur by reason of their participation in the meetings of the 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 as well as other expenditure relating to the organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party hosting the meetings.
Article 10
Subcommittees and special groups
The Committee may create subcommittees or special groups to work under its authority. They shall report to the Committee after each of their meetings. The 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. Those subcommittees and groups shall not have any decision-making powers.
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