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2007/512/EC: Council Decision of 15 February 2007 on the signing, on behalf of the Community, and on the provisional application of the Arrangement between the European Community and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway on the modalities of t


Published: 2007-07-20

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20.7.2007   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 188/17


COUNCIL DECISION

of 15 February 2007

on the signing, on behalf of the Community, and on the provisional application of the Arrangement between the European Community and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway on the modalities of the participation by those States in the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union

(2007/512/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 62(2)(a) and Article 66 in conjunction with the first sentence of the first subparagraph of Article 300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

According to Article 21(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 of 26 October 2004 establishing a European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (1), countries associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis should participate in the Agency. The modalities of their participation are to be determined in further arrangements to be concluded between the Community and those countries.

(2)

Following the authorisation given to the Commission on 7 October 2004, negotiations with the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway for an Arrangement on the modalities of the participation by those States in the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union have been concluded.

(3)

Subject to its conclusion at a later date, the Arrangement initialled on 18 May 2005 should be signed and the attached Joint Declaration approved. The Arrangement should be applied on a provisional basis.

(4)

In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it, or subject to its application. Since this Decision builds upon the Schengen acquis under the provisions of Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark should, in accordance with Article 5 of the said Protocol, decide within a period of six months after the Council has adopted this Decision whether it will implement it in its national law or not.

(5)

This Decision constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom does not take part, in accordance with Council Decision 2000/365/EC of 29 May 2000 concerning the request of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take part in some of the provisions of the Schengen acquis  (2). The United Kingdom is therefore not taking part in its adoption and is not bound by it, or subject to its application.

(6)

This Decision constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen acquis in which Ireland does not take part, in accordance with Council Decision 2002/192/EC of 28 February 2002 concerning Ireland’s request to take part in some of the provisions of the Schengen acquis  (3). Ireland is therefore not taking part in its adoption and is not bound by it, or subject to its application,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The signing of the Arrangement between the European Community and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway on the modalities of the participation by those States in the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union and the Joint Declaration is hereby approved on behalf of the Community, subject to the conclusion of the Arrangement.

The text of the Arrangement and the Joint Declaration is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Arrangement on behalf of the Community, subject to its conclusion.

Article 3

Pending the completion of the procedures for its formal conclusion, the Arrangement shall be applied on a provisional basis in accordance with Article 9(2) thereof (4).

Done at Brussels, 15 February 2007.

For the Council

The President

W. SCHÄUBLE


(1)  OJ L 349, 25.11.2004, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 131, 1.6.2000, p. 43.

(3)  OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 20.

(4)  The date of signature of the Arrangement will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.


ARRANGEMENT

between the European Community and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway on the modalities of the participation by those States in the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY,

represented by the Council of the European Union,

of the one part, and

THE REPUBLIC OF ICELAND, hereinafter referred to as ‘Iceland’, and

THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY, hereinafter referred to as ‘Norway’,

of the other part,

HAVING REGARD to the Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the association of those States with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement),

WHEREAS:

(1)

By Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 (1) (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation) the European Community established the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the Agency).

(2)

The Regulation constitutes a development of the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement.

(3)

The Regulation confirms that countries associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis should participate fully in activities of the Agency, albeit with limited voting rights.

(4)

The Agreement does not address the modalities of the association of Iceland and Norway with the activities of new bodies set up by the European Union in the framework of the further development of the Schengen acquis, and certain aspects of the association with the Agency should be settled in an additional arrangement between the Contracting Parties to the Agreement,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Management Board

1.   Iceland and Norway shall be represented in the Management Board of the Agency, as laid down in Article 21(3) of the Regulation.

2.   They shall have voting rights:

(a)

as regards decisions on specific activities to be carried out at, or in the vicinity of, their external borders. Proposals for such decisions shall require a vote in favour of their adoption by their representative in the Management Board;

(b)

as regards decisions on specific activities under Article 3 (joint operations and pilot projects at external borders), Article 7 (management of technical equipment), Article 8 (support to Member States in circumstances requiring increased technical and operational assistance at external borders) and Article 9(1), first sentence (joint return operations) to be carried out with human resources and/or equipment made available by Iceland and/or Norway;

(c)

as regards decisions on risk analysis (development of the common integrated risk analysis, general and specific risk analysis), directly affecting them, under Article 4;

(d)

as regards decisions on training activities under Article 5, except on establishment of the common core curriculum.

Article 2

Financial contribution

Iceland and Norway shall contribute to the budget of the Agency in accordance with the percentage laid down in Article 12(1) of the Agreement.

Article 3

Protection and confidentiality of data

1.   Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (2) shall apply where personal data are forwarded by the Agency to Icelandic and Norwegian authorities.

2.   Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (3) shall apply to data forwarded by the Icelandic and Norwegian authorities to the Agency.

3.   Iceland and Norway shall respect the rules on confidentiality of documents held by the Agency, as set out in the Rules of Procedure of the Management Board.

Article 4

Legal status

The Agency shall have legal personality under Icelandic and Norwegian law and shall enjoy in Iceland and Norway the most extensive legal capacity accorded to legal persons under Icelandic and Norwegian law. It may, in particular, acquire or dispose of movable and immovable property and may be party to legal proceedings.

Article 5

Liability

The liability of the Agency shall be governed, as provided for in Article 19(1), (3) and (5) of the Regulation.

Article 6

Court of Justice

Iceland and Norway shall recognise the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Communities over the Agency, as provided for in Article 19(2) and (4) of the Regulation.

Article 7

Privileges and immunities

Iceland and Norway shall apply to the Agency and to its staff the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities and applicable rules adopted pursuant to that Protocol.

Article 8

Staff

1.   By way of derogation from Article 12(2)(a) of the Conditions for employment of other servants of the European Communities, nationals of Iceland and Norway enjoying their full rights as citizens may be engaged under contract by the Executive Director of the Agency.

2.   Nationals of Iceland and Norway may not, however, be appointed to the posts of Executive Director or Deputy Executive Director of the Agency.

3.   Nationals of Iceland and Norway may not be elected as Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson of the Management Board.

Article 9

Entry into force

1.   This Arrangement shall enter into force one month following the day on which the Secretary-General of the Council, who shall act as its depositary, has established that all formal requirements concerning the expression of the consent by or on behalf of the Parties to this Arrangement to be bound by it have been fulfilled.

2.   This Arrangement shall apply provisionally as from the day following that of its signature.

Article 10

Validity and termination

1.   This Arrangement shall be concluded for an unlimited period.

2.   This Arrangement shall cease to be in force six months after the Agreement is denounced by Iceland or by Norway or by decision of the Council of the European Union, or is otherwise terminated in accordance with the procedures described in Articles 11 and 16 of the Agreement.

The agreement referred to in Article 17 of the Agreement shall also cover the consequences of termination of this Arrangement.

This Arrangement, as well as the Joint Declaration annexed thereto, shall be drawn up in duplicate in the Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Icelandic and Norwegian languages, each of those texts being equally authentic.

Съставено в Брюксел на първи февруари две хиляди и седма година.

Hecho en Bruselas, el uno de febrero del dos mil siete.

V Bruselu dne prvního února dva tisíce sedm.

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den første februar to tusind og syv.

Geschehen zu Brüssel am ersten Februar zweitausendsieben.

Kahe tuhande seitsmenda aasta veebruarikuu esimesel päeval Brüsselis.

'Εγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, την πρώτη Φεβρουαρίου δύο χιλιάδες επτά.

Done at Brussels on the first day of February in the year two thousand and seven.

Fait à Bruxelles, le premier février deux mille sept.

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì primo febbraio duemilasette.

Briselē, divtūkstoš septītā gada pirmajā februārī.

Priimta du tūkstančiai septintų metų vasario pirmą dieną Briuselyje.

Kelt Brüsszelben, a kettőezer hetedik év február első napján.

Magħmul fi Brussell, fl-ewwel jum ta' Frar tas-sena elfejn u sebgħa.

Gedaan te Brussel, de eerste februari tweeduizend zeven.

Sporządzono w Brukseli, dnia pierwszego lutego roku dwa tysiące siódmego.

Feito em Bruxelas, em um de Fevereiro de dois mil e sete.

Întocmit la Bruxelles, întâi februarie două mii șapte.

V Bruseli prvého februára dvetisícsedem.

V Bruslju, prvega februarja leta dva tisoč sedem.

Tehty Brysselissä ensimmäisenä päivänä helmikuuta vuonna kaksituhattaseitsemän.

Som skedde i Bryssel den första februari tjugohundrasju.

Gjört í Brussel fyrsta dag febrúarmánaðar árið tvö þúsund og sjö.

Utferdiget i Brussel den 1. februar 2007.

За Европейската общност

Por la Comunidad Europea

Za Evropské společenství

For Det Europæiske Fællesskab

Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft

Euroopa Ühenduse nimel

Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα

For the European Community

Pour la Communauté européenne

Per la Comunità europea

Eiropas Kopienas vārdā

Europos bendrijos vardu

az Európai Közösség részéről

Għall-Komunità Ewropea

Voor de Europese Gemeenschap

W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej

Pela Comunidade Europeia

Pentru Comunitatea Europeană

Za Európske spoločenstvo

Za Evropsko skupnost

Euroopan yhteisön puolesta

På Europeiska gemenskapens vägnar

Fyrir hönd Evrópubandalagsins

For Det europeiske fellesskap

image

За Европейската общност

Por la República de Islandia

Za Islandskou republiku

For Republikken Island

Für die Republik Island

Islandi Vabariigi nimel

Για τη Δημοκρατία της Ισλανδίας

For the Republic of Iceland

Pour la République d'Islande

Per la Repubblica d'Islanda

Islandes Republikas vārdā

Islandijos Respublikos vardu

az Izlandi Köztársaság részéről

Għar-Repubblika ta’ l-Iżlanda

Voor de Republiek IJsland

W imieniu Republiki Islandii

Pela República da Islândia

Pentru Republica Islanda

Za Islandskú republiku

Za Republiko Islandijo

Islannin tasavallan puolesta

På Republiken Islands vägnar

Fyrir hönd lýðveldisins Íslands

For Republikken Island

image

За Република Норвегия

Por el Reino de Noruega

Za Norské království

For Kongeriget Norge

Für das Königreich Norwegen

Norra Kuningriigi nimel

Για το Βασίλειο της Νορβηγίας

For the Kingdom of Norway

Pour le Royaume de Norvège

Per il Regno di Norvegia

Norvēģijas Karalistes vārdā

Norvegijos Karalystės vardu

A Norvég Királyság részéről

Għar-Renju tan-Norveġja

Voor het Koninkrijk Noorwegen

W imieniu Królestwa Norwegii

Pelo Reino da Noruega

Pentru Regatul Norvegiei

Za Nórske kráľovstvo

Za Kraljevino Norveško

Norjan kuningaskunnan puolesta

På Konungariket Norges vägnar

Fyrir hönd konungsríkisins Noregs

For Kongeriket Norge

image


(1)  OJ L 349, 25.11.2004, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31.

(3)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

JOINT DECLARATION

by the European Community and the Governments of the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the agreement on the arrangements for the participation by the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway in the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union

The European Community,

the Government of the Republic of Iceland

and

the Government of the Kingdom of Norway,

Having concluded an agreement on the arrangements for the participation by the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway in the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union in accordance with Article 21(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004,

Hereby jointly declare that:

The voting rights provided for in the Agreement are justified by the special relations with Iceland and Norway flowing from the association of these States with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis, as recognised in the Schengen Protocol to the Treaty of Amsterdam.

Those voting rights are of an exceptional nature attributable to the specific nature of Schengen cooperation and the special position of Norway and Iceland.

They may therefore not be regarded as a legal or political precedent for any other field of cooperation between the parties to the Agreement or for the participation of other third countries in other agencies of the Union.

In no circumstances may these voting rights be exercised in respect of decisions of a regulatory or legislative nature.