DECISION No 1 OF THE EU-KOREA TRADE COMMITTEE

of 23 December 2011

on the adoption of the rules of procedure of the Trade Committee

(2013/110/EU)

THE TRADE COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part(1) (‘the Agreement’), signed in Brussels on 6 October 2010, and in particular Articles 15.1.3(c) and 15.1.4(f) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The Trade Committee may adopt its own rules of procedure and shall supervise the work of all Specialised Committees, Working Groups and other bodies, with the exception of the Committee on Cultural Cooperation in accordance with Article 3.3 of the Protocol on Cultural Cooperation of the Agreement.

(2) The Trade Committee has the exclusive authority to adopt decisions in the areas covered by the Specialised Committees and Working Groups, unless otherwise specified in the Agreement,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

The rules of procedure of the Trade Committee are established as set out in the Annex.

This Decision shall enter into force on 23 December 2011.

Done on 23 December 2011.

For the Trade Committee

Minister for Trade of the Republic of Korea

Kim JONG-HOON

Commissioner for Trade of the European Commission

Karel DE GUCHT

(1)

OJ L 127, 14.5.2011, p. 6

ANNEX

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE TRADE COMMITTEE

Article 1

Composition and Chair

1. The Trade Committee that is established in accordance with Article 15.1 of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part (‘the Agreement’), shall perform its duties as provided in Article 15.1 of the Agreement and take responsibility for general implementation of the Agreement.

2. As provided for in Article 15.1.1 of the Agreement, the Trade Committee shall be composed of the representatives of the EU Party, on the one hand, and representatives of Korea, on the other hand.

3. The Trade Committee shall be co-chaired by the Minister for Trade of Korea and the Member of the European Commission responsible for Trade. The Chairpersons may arrange to be represented by respective designees as provided in Article 15.1.2 of the Agreement.

Article 2

Representation

1. A Party shall notify the other Party of the list of its members of the Trade Committee. The list shall be administered by the Secretariat of the Trade Committee.

2. A member wishing to be represented by an alternate representative shall notify the Chairpersons of the Trade Committee of the name of his or her alternate representative before the meeting at which he or she is to be so represented. The alternate representative of a member of the Trade Committee shall exercise all the rights of that member.

Article 3

Meetings

1. The Trade Committee shall meet once a year or at the request of either Party. The meetings shall be held in Brussels or Seoul alternately, unless the Parties agree otherwise.

2. By way of exception and if both Parties agree, the meetings of the Trade Committee may be held by video or teleconference.

3. Each meeting of the Trade Committee shall be convened by the Secretariat of the Trade Committee at a date and place agreed by both Parties. The convening notice of the meeting shall be issued by the Secretariat of the Trade Committee to the members of the Trade Committee no later than 28 days prior to the start of the session, unless the Parties agree otherwise.

Article 4

Delegation

The members of the Trade Committee may be accompanied by officials. Before each meeting, the Chairpersons of the Trade Committee shall be informed of the intended composition of the delegations attending the meeting.

Article 5

Observers

The Trade Committee may decide to invite observers on an ad hoc basis.

Article 6

Secretariat

The coordinators designated by the Parties in accordance with Article 15.6 of the Agreement shall jointly act as Secretariat of the Trade Committee.

Article 7

Documents

Where the deliberations of the Trade Committee are based on written supporting documents, such documents shall be numbered and circulated by the Secretariat of the Trade Committee as documents of the Trade Committee.

Article 8

Correspondence

1. Correspondence to the Chairpersons of the Trade Committee shall be forwarded to the Secretariat of the Trade Committee for circulation to the members of the Trade Committee.

2. Correspondence from the Chairpersons of the Trade Committee shall be sent to the recipients by the Secretariat of the Trade Committee and be numbered and circulated, where appropriate, to the other members of the Trade Committee.

Article 9

Agenda for the Meetings

1. A provisional agenda for each meeting shall be drawn up by the Secretariat of the Trade Committee. It shall be forwarded, together with the relevant documents, to the members of the Trade Committee as well as the Chairpersons of the Trade Committee no later than 7 days before the beginning of the meeting.

2. The provisional agenda shall include items in respect of which the Secretariat of the Trade Committee has received a request for inclusion in the agenda by a Party, together with the relevant documents, no later than 14 days before the beginning of the meeting.

3. The agenda shall be adopted by the Trade Committee at the beginning of each meeting. Items other than those appearing on the provisional agenda may be placed on the agenda if the Parties so agree.

4. The Chairpersons of the Trade Committee may, upon agreement, invite experts to attend its meetings in order to provide information on specific subjects.

5. The Chairpersons of the Trade Committee may, upon agreement, reduce the time periods specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 in order to take account of the requirements of a particular case.

Article 10

Minutes

1. Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the Secretariat of the Trade Committee, normally within 21 days from the end of the meeting.

2. The minutes shall, as a general rule, summarise each item on the agenda, specifying where applicable:

(a) the documents submitted to the Trade Committee;

(b) any statement that a member of the Trade Committee has asked to be entered; and

3. The minutes shall also include a list of members of the Trade Committee or their alternate representatives who took part in the meeting, a list of the members of the delegations accompanying them and a list of any observers or experts to the meeting.

4. The minutes shall be approved in writing by both Parties within 28 days of the date of the meeting or by any other date agreed by the Parties. Once approved, two copies of the minutes shall be signed by the Secretariat of the Trade Committee and each of the Parties shall receive one original copy of these authentic documents. Copies of the signed minutes shall be forwarded to the members of the Trade Committee.

Article 11

Reports

The Trade Committee shall report to the Joint Committee of the Framework Agreement on its activities and those of its Specialised Committees, Working Groups and other bodies at each regular meeting of the Joint Committee as provided in Article 15.1.5 of the Agreement.

Article 12

Decisions and Recommendations

1. The Trade Committee shall adopt decisions and recommendations by agreement between the Parties, as provided for in Article 15.4 of the Agreement.

2. In the period between meetings, the Trade Committee may adopt decisions or recommendations by written procedure if both Parties agree. The written procedure shall consist of an exchange of notes between the Chairpersons of the Trade Committee.

3. Where the Trade Committee is empowered under the Agreement to adopt decisions or recommendations, such acts shall be entitled ‘Decision’ or ‘Recommendation’ respectively. The Secretariat of the Trade Committee shall give any decision or recommendation a serial number, the date of adoption and a description of their subject matter. Each decision shall provide for the date of its entry into force.

4. Decisions and recommendations adopted by the Trade Committee shall be authenticated by two authentic copies signed by the Chairpersons of the Trade Committee.

Article 13

Publicity and Confidentiality

1. Unless otherwise decided, the meetings of the Trade Committee shall not be public.

2. When a Party submits information considered as confidential under its laws and regulations to the Trade Committee, Specialised Committees, Working Groups or any other bodies, the other Party shall treat that information as confidential as provided in Article 15.1.7 of the Agreement.

3. Each Party may decide on the publication of the decisions and recommendations of the Trade Committee in its respective official publication.

Article 14

Expenses

1. Each Party shall meet any expenses it incurs as a result of participating in the meetings of the Trade Committee, both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and with regard to postal and telecommunications expenditure.

2. Expenditure in connection with the organisation of meetings and reproduction of documents shall be borne by the Party hosting the meeting.

Article 15

Specialised Committees and Working Groups

1. The Trade Committee shall be assisted in the performance of its duties by the Specialised Committees and Working Groups established under the auspices of the Trade Committee.

2. The Trade Committee shall be informed of the contact points designated by each Specialised Committee and Working Group. All correspondences, documents and communications including the exchange of e-mails between the contact points of each Specialised Committee and Working Group regarding the implementation of the Agreement shall be forwarded to the Secretariat of the Trade Committee simultaneously.

3. The Trade Committee at each regular meeting shall receive reports from each Specialised Committee and Working Group on its activities.

4. Each Specialised Committee and Working Group may establish its own rules of procedure which shall be reported to the Trade Committee.