# Council and Commission Decision of 22 July 2013 establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community within the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council concerning a Decision of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council adopting its rules of procedure (2013/489/EU, Euratom), Article 14: Joint Consultative Committee composed of representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee and of Serbia’s social partners and other civil society organisations


1. A Joint Consultative Committee composed of representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee and of Serbia’s social partners and other civil society organisations is hereby established, entrusted with the task of assisting the Stabilisation and Association Council with a view to promoting dialogue and cooperation between the social partners and other civil society organisations, in the European Union and Serbia. Such dialogue and cooperation shall encompass all relevant aspects of relations between the European Union and Serbia, as they arise in the context of the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Such dialogue and cooperation shall be aimed in particular at:
(a) preparing Serbian social partners and other civil society organisations for activity in the framework of future membership of the European Union;
(b) preparing Serbian social partners and other civil society organisations for their participation in the work of the European Economic and Social Committee after the accession of Serbia;
(c) exchanging information on issues of mutual interest, in particular on up-to-date state of play on the accession process as well as preparation of Serbian social partners and other civil society organisations for this process;
(d) encouraging exchanges of experience, good practices and structured dialogue between a) Serbian social partners and other civil society organisations and b) social partners and other civil society organisations from Member States, including through networking in specific areas where direct contacts and cooperation might prove the most effective way of solving particular problems;
(e) discussing any other relevant matters proposed by any side, as they can arise in the context of implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and in the framework of the Pre-accession strategy.
2. The Joint Consultative Committee referred to in paragraph 1 shall comprise nine representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee and nine representatives of Serbia’s social partners and other civil society organisations. The Joint Consultative Committee may also invite observers.
3. The Joint Consultative Committee referred to in paragraph 1 shall carry out its tasks on the basis of consultation by the Stabilisation and Association Council or, with regard to promoting dialogue between economic and social circles, on its own initiative.
4. Members shall be chosen to ensure that the Joint Consultative Committee referred to in paragraph 1 is as faithful a reflection as possible of the various social partners and other civil society organisations, in both the European Union and Serbia. Official nominations of Serbian members shall be made by the government of Serbia based on proposals from social partners and other civil society organisations. Those proposals shall be based on inclusive and transparent selection procedures among social partners and other civil society organisations.
5. The Joint Consultative Committee referred to in paragraph 1 shall be co-chaired by a member of the European Economic and Social Committee and a representative of Serbia’s social partners and other civil society organisations.
6. The Joint Consultative Committee referred to in paragraph 1 shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.
7. The European Economic and Social Committee, on the one hand, and the Serbian Government, on the other hand, shall each defray the expenses they incur by reason of the participation of their delegates in the meetings of the Joint Consultative Committee and of its working groups with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure.
8. Detailed arrangements on interpretation and translation costs shall be set out in the rules of procedure of the Joint Consultative Committee referred to in paragraph 1. Other expenditure relating to the material organisation of meetings shall be borne by the Party which hosts the meetings.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2013/489/attachment/1/article/14 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2013-489/attachment-1/article-14
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.