Paragraph 16 Subcommittees

In accordance with Article 83(1) of the Agreement, the Joint Committee may decide to create a subcommittee in specific areas necessary for the implementation of the Agreement to assist it in the performance of its duties. The Joint Committee may decide to abolish any such subcommittee, and define or amend its rules of procedure. Unless decided otherwise, those subcommittees shall work under the authority of the Joint Committee, to which they shall report after each of their meetings.

Unless provided otherwise by the Agreement or agreed in the Joint Council, these Rules of Procedure shall be applied mutatis mutandis to any subcommittee established by the Agreement or under paragraph 1.

The meetings of the subcommittees may be held as and when the need arises in person, either in Brussels or in Cuba, or, for example, by videoconference. The subcommittees shall be the platform for monitoring progress on approximation in specific areas, discussing certain issues and challenges arising from that process and formulating recommendations and operational conclusions.

The Secretariat of the Joint Committee shall be in copy for all relevant correspondence, documents and communications pertaining to the work of a subcommittee.

Unless agreed otherwise by the Parties within the Joint Council, the subcommittees shall only have the power to make recommendations to the Joint Committee.