Key Benefits:
Original text
(State on 23 October 2001)
The Swiss Federal Council, Government of the Federal Republic of Germany The Government of the French Republic,
Hereinafter called the Parties,
Aware of the long tradition of cross-border activities in the Upper Rhine region and the high stage of development of cross-border cooperation linked to it,
Driven by the desire to support and strengthen even more, using all the resources of their respective domestic law, cross-border cooperation in the Upper Rhine region and thus contributing to the achievement of a Europe close to the Citizens,
In the spirit of the Agreement between the Governments of the Swiss Confederation, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic, signed in Bonn on 22 October 1975 establishing a Commission to study and resolve the Neighborhood problems 1 ,
Desiring to achieve the objectives set out in the European Framework Convention of 21 May 1980 on the cross-border cooperation of local authorities or authorities 2 (Madrid Convention) and to facilitate the application of the Agreement between the Swiss Federal Council, acting on behalf of the cantons of Solothurn, of Basel-City, to local authorities and local public bodies in the Upper Rhine region. Bâle-Campagne, d' Argovie et du Jura, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Government of the French Republic and the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, signed in Karlsruhe on 23 January 1996, on cooperation Cross-border between local authorities and local public bodies 3 (Karlsruhe Agreement),
Have agreed as follows:
(1) The Parties shall establish an Intergovernmental Commission for the Upper Rhine ('the Commission ') responsible for promoting cross-border cooperation.
(2) Nothing in this Agreement shall affect the activity of existing organizations or to be established under international agreements.
(3) This Agreement shall not affect the nature or extent of the powers of the regional authorities in the field of cross-border cooperation, as set out in the respective domestic legal order of the Parties.
The purpose of this Agreement is to provide cross-border cooperation in the following Upper Rhine border regions:
(1) In order to carry out its tasks, the Commission relies on a regional committee called the "Upper Rhine Conference".
(2) The Upper Rhine Conference shall establish its rules of procedure.
(1) The Commission deals primarily with issues relating to cross-border cooperation which cannot be resolved by the Upper Rhine Conference.
(2) The Commission shall make recommendations to the Parties and, where appropriate, prepare draft agreements.
(3) The Commission may, as necessary, in the context of the implementation of the Karlsruhe Agreement, recommend solutions or, where appropriate, revisions to the contractual text, to the Governments of the Parties.
(1) The Commission shall consist of three delegations whose members shall be appointed by the Government of each of the Parties.
(2) Each delegation shall consist of a maximum of eight members, who shall, in part, also be members of the Upper Rhine Conference.
(3) Each delegation may call on experts.
(1) The Commission shall meet in principle once a year in the territory of one of the three Parties. The Commission is endeavor to coordinate its meeting dates with those of the Upper Rhine Conference.
(2) The Commission may set up working groups.
(3) The working languages of the Commission shall be French and German.
(4) The Commission shall establish its rules of procedure.
(1) The Commission shall be kept regularly informed of the work and of the resolutions adopted by the Conference on the Rhine.
(2) The Commission may instruct the Conference of the Upper Rhine to submit proposals and draft agreements.
(1) Each Party shall notify the other Parties of the completion of the necessary internal formalities, as far as it is concerned, at the entry into force of this Agreement.
(2) This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date on which the last Party has notified the other Parties of the completion of the necessary internal formalities, as regards the entry into force of the Agreement.
This Agreement shall be concluded for an indefinite period. Each Party may, however, denounce it by sending to the other Parties a written notice of at least six months, the denunciation taking effect upon the expiration of a calendar year.
This Agreement supersedes the Agreement of 22 October 1975 concluded between the Governments of the Swiss Confederation, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic constituting a Commission to study and resolve the Neighborhood problems 1 .
Done at Basel, on 21 September 2000, in three originals, each in the French and German languages, both texts being equally authentic.
1 Not published to OR.
| States Parties |
Ratification |
Entry into force |
||
| Germany |
April 4 |
2001 |
1 Er June |
2001 |
| France |
8 December |
2000 |
1 Er June |
2001 |
| Switzerland |
4 December |
2000 |
1 Er June |
2001 |
