Attachment

THE EU-SERBIA STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States of the one part, and the Republic of Serbia, 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 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 Union ‘agencies in which applicant countries will be able to participate will be determined on a case-by-case basis’.

Serbia 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 that the Agency should deal with fundamental rights issues within the scope of Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 in Serbia to the extent necessary for its gradual alignment with Union law.

Serbia should therefore be allowed to participate as an observer in the Agency's work and the modalities of such participation should be defined, including provisions relating to the participation in initiatives undertaken by the Agency, to the financial contribution and to staff.

In accordance with point (a) of Article 12(2) and point (a) of Article 82(3) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, laid down in Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68^f3, the Director of the Agency, by way of exception, may authorise the engagement of nationals of Serbia enjoying their full rights as citizens,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: