ANNEXSupplementary provisions
ANNEX Rules of Procedure of the Joint Ministerial Committee Tasks The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) will perform the following tasks: (a) take stock of the state of the relationship on the basis of the annual report submitted by the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC); (b) make recommendations in relation to the work of the JCC including on new areas for future cooperation; (c) take decisions with the approval of the Parties to the Agreement; (d) make recommendations on any disputes arising from the implementation of this Agreement, in accordance with Article 28 of the Agreement. Chair, Composition and Participants 1. The JMC will be co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. 2. Each Party to the Agreement will inform the secretariat of the composition of its delegation, before each meeting of the JMC. 3. The co-chairs may invite experts or representatives of other bodies to the meeting to act as observers or to provide information on a particular subject. Meetings 1. The JMC will meet on an annual basis or as mutually approved as circumstances require. Meetings of the JMC will be held in the European Union and Canada alternately, or in any other location jointly approved by the Co-Chairs, on a date fixed by joint approval. 2. The meetings of the JMC will be held behind closed doors, unless the co-chairs, with approval from the Parties to the Agreement, decide that the meeting will be public. Secretariat 1. A representative of the European External Action Service and a representative of Global Affairs Canada will act jointly as secretaries of the JMC. Relevant communications to and from the co-chairs will be forwarded to the secretaries. 2. The secretariat will ensure regular contacts, including by videoconference, ahead of the JMC meetings to take stock of thematic dialogues that may have taken place prior to the holding of the JMC. The content of these exchanges will feed into the agenda of the JMC's meeting. Agendas for meetings 1. The secretariat of the host Party to the Agreement will draw up a provisional agenda for each meeting. The provisional agenda will be sent, together with any relevant documents, to the Parties to the Agreement at least 15 working days before the beginning of the meeting, unless circumstances do not allow it. 2. The agenda will be approved by the co-chairs and will be adopted by the JMC at the beginning of each meeting. Items other than those appearing on the provisional agenda may be put on the agenda if the co-chairs so decide. Joint Ministerial Declaration The Parties to the Agreement will approve a JMC Declaration at the end of each meeting. This will be made public and may incorporate any recommendations approved by the Parties to the Agreement. Decisions and recommendations 1. The JMC may take decisions or make recommendations in order to attain the objectives of the Agreement. 2. Decisions and recommendations of the JMC will be adopted by joint approval of the Parties to the Agreement and will be communicated on the EU side, to as appropriate, the General Secretariat of the European Commission, the European External Action Service, the Permanent Representations of the Member States to the European Union, the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU and on the Canadian side to the appropriate Canadian authorities. 3. Decisions will be adopted following completion by the Parties to the Agreement of their respective internal procedures in accordance with their laws and regulations. 4. Decisions and recommendations of the JMC will be recorded in two valid copies signed by the co-chairs. 5. In case of urgency, decisions and recommendations can be adopted outside a formal meeting of the JMC by means of a written procedure. Such decisions and recommendations will need to be communicated to the Parties to the Agreement. Expenses 1. Each Party to the Agreement will bear the expenses it incurs as a result of participating in the meetings of the JMC, both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure and to postal and telecommunications expenditure. 2. Each Party to the Agreement will bear the expenses it incurs in connection with interpreting at meetings and translation. 3. The host Party to the Agreement will bear the expenses of organising meetings and reproduction of documents. Confidentiality When a Party to the Agreement submits information designated as confidential to the JMC, the other Party will treat the information as such. Amendment of the Rules of Procedure These Rules of Procedure may be amended in accordance with the provision on Decisions and Recommendations.