Attachment

THE EU-THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

Having regard the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part^f1,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights^f2, and in particular Article 28(2) thereof,

Whereas

The Luxembourg European Council of December 1997 made participation in Union agencies a way of stepping up the pre-accession strategy. The conclusions of that European Council state that the ‘agencies in which applicant countries will be able to participate will be determined on a case-by-case basis’.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia shares the aims and objectives of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (the ‘Agency’) and subscribes to the scope and description of the tasks of the Agency, as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 168/2007.

It is appropriate to enable the participation of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as an observer in the Agency's work and to lay down the modalities of such participation including provisions relating to participation in initiatives undertaken by the Agency, to the financial contribution and to staff.

It is also appropriate that the Agency should deal with fundamental rights issues within the scope of Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the extent necessary for its gradual alignment to Union law.

In accordance with point (a) of Article 12(2) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities provided for in Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68, the Director of the Agency may authorise the engagement of nationals of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia enjoying their full rights as citizens,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: