Activites

• 1997/12/18 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Decision 1997/831
  • OJ L 348 18.12.1997, p. 0001
• #2050
• 1997/11/27 Council Meeting
• 1997/11/27 End of procedure in Parliament
• 1997/11/27 Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
• 1997/10/02 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0469/1997 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr Josep PONS GRAU (PSE, E), Parliament gave its assent to the conclusion of the Cooperation Agreement between the Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. �

• 1997/10/01 Debate in Parliament
• 1997/09/15 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0273/1997
• 1997/06/26 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1997/05/26 Legislative proposal published
  • 08204/1997 summary

    OBJECTIVE: Conclusion of an Agreement in the field of transport between the Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, including transit, transport by road and rail and combined transport. SUBSTANCE: The Agreement, initialled on 19 June 1996, provides for the development of new transport infrastructure on the north-south axis and on other routes in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and for the multimodal terminals involved. The Community would co-finance this work through a Protocol on financial cooperation which would expire on 31 December 2000 and link the two parties concerned. The new rail and combined transport infrastructures would take into account the protection of the environment, and accompanying measures would encourage the development of combined transport systems. As regards road transport, access for transit traffic would be completely free in both directions from the entry into force of the agreement. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia accepts that vehicles from the Community could travel freely in its territory in accordance with Community standards governing weights and dimensions until 31 December 2002. After this date, vehicles not conforming to Macedonian standards would be more heavily taxed. The Agreement also states that, from 1 January 1999, vehicles travelling from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia through Austria must conform to an ecopoints system, similar to that provided for in Protocol No 9 to Austria's Act of Accession to the European Union, from 1 January 1999. The aim of this system is to ensure that there is no discrimination between heavy goods vehicles from the Community and those from Macedonia. The Agreement lays down standards concerning gas emissions and the level of noise that was acceptable from heavy goods vehicles. Provisions simplifying the formalities involved in the transit of goods and encouraging customs cooperation were also included. The Agreement may, if appropriate, be extended at the request of a Member State or of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. A joint Committee would ensure that the Agreement was properly implemented. This is concluded for the period up to 31 December 2003 and may be tacitly renewed. The legal basis for the adoption of this Agreement is Article 75 of the Treaty establishing the European Community.

• #2003
• 1997/04/29 Council Meeting
• 1996/11/25 Initial legislative proposal published
  • COM(1996)0533 summary

    OBJECTIVE: conclusion of a cooperation agreement between the Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. SUBSTANCE: the purpose of the agreement, which was initialled on 19 June 1996 and authenticated by an exchange of letters - a procedure attributable to a difference between the parties concerning the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - is to promote comprehensive cooperation between the contracting parties and is concluded for an unlimited period. . Like all other agreements of this type, it includes a clause on respect for democratic principles, human rights and the principles of the market economy. . The agreement provides, in particular, that Community assistance and cooperation must contribute to the establishment of good-neighbourly relations between Macedonia and its neighbours in South-Eastern Europe and to the development of regional cooperation and trade. . Where trade is concerned, the agreement comprises a preferential trade regime, based on the autonomous import regime applied to the States which have emerged from the former Yugoslavia. It also includes a protocol defining the additional trade arrangements for certain steel products and a protocol on the rules of origin. . The protocol on financial cooperation forms an integral part of the cooperation agreement and provides for the financing of projects of common interest to the parties (transport infrastructure projects, in particular). The signature of the protocol on financial cooperation (and of the agreement as a whole) is subject to full settlement of Macedonia's debt to the Community. . It also includes an evolutionary clause providing for the possibility of strengthening contractual relations, in due course, when conditions for a possible association have been met. . In institutional terms, the agreement provides for the establishment of a Cooperation Council responsible for attaining the agreement's objectives. It is to have decision-making powers. �

Documents

• Initial legislative proposal published: COM(1996)0533
• Legislative proposal published: 08204/1997
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0273/1997
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0469/1997
• : Decision 1997/831
• : OJ L 348 18.12.1997, p. 0001

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)