PURPOSE: to enable Bulgaria and Romania to accede to the Convention of 26 July 1995 on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2007/543/EC concerning the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention).

CONTENT: the 2005 Bulgarian and Romanian Act of Accession introduced a simplified system for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the conventions (and protocols) concluded by the Member States on the basis of Art. 34 TEU (previously Art. K.3 TEU) or Art. 293 EC. It is indeed no longer necessary, as in the past, to negotiate and conclude specific accession protocols to these conventions (which would have implied ratification by 27 States): Article 3(3) of the Act provides simply that Bulgaria and Romania accede to these conventions and protocols by virtue of the Act of Accession.

Article 3(3) and 3(4) of the Act of Accession provide that, to that effect, the Council shall adopt a decision in order to determine the date on which these conventions shall enter into force for Bulgaria and Romania and to make all the necessary adjustments to these conventions required by reason of the accession of the two new Member States (which would include, in any event, the adoption of the conventions in the Bulgarian and Romanian languages, so that these versions can be "equally authentic").

Annex I to the Act of Accession gives the list of the 7 conventions and protocols concerned in the Justice and Home Affairs area.

The list includes in particular:

the Convention of 26 July 1995, based on Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention), the Protocol of 24 July 1996, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the interpretation, by way of preliminary rulings, by the Court of Justice of the European Communities of the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office, the Protocol of 19 June 1997, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 41 (3) of the Europol Convention, on the privileges and immunities of Europol, the members of its organs, the deputy directors and employees of Europol, the Protocol of 30 November 2000, drawn up on the basis of Article 43(1) of the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention) amending Article 2 and the Annex to that Convention, the Protocol of 28 November 2002 amending the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention) and the Protocol on the privileges and immunities of Europol, the members of its organs, the deputy directors and the employees of Europol, the Protocol of 27 November 2003, drawn up on the basis of Article 43(1) of the Convention on the Establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention), amending that Convention.

The purpose of this Decision, therefore, is to approve Bulgarian and Romanian to accession to the Europol Convention.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 2 August 2007.

The European Parliament adopted the resolution by Genowefa GRABOWSKA (PES, PL) approving the recommendation for a Council decision concerning the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Convention of 26 July 1995, based on Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention).

The committee adopted the report by Genowefa GRABOWSKA (PES, PL) approving unamended, under the consultation procedure, the recommendation for a Council decision concerning the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Convention of 26 July 1995, based on Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention).

PURPOSE: to enable Bulgaria and Romania to accede to the Convention of 26 July 1995 on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: the 2005 Act of accession of Bulgaria and Romania has introduced a simplified system for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the conventions (and protocols) concluded by the Member States on the basis of Art. 34 TEU (previously Art. K.3 TEU) or Art. 293 EC. It is indeed no longer necessary, as in the past, to negotiate and conclude specific accession protocols to these conventions (which would have implied ratification by 27 States): Article 3(3) of the Act provides simply that Bulgaria and Romania accede to these conventions and protocols by virtue of the Act of Accession.

Article 3(3) and 3(4) of the Act of Accession provide that, to that effect, the Council shall adopt a decision in order to determine the date on which these conventions shall enter into force for Bulgaria and Romania and to make all the necessary adjustments to these conventions required by reason of the accession of the two new Member States (which would include, in any event, the adoption of the conventions in the Bulgarian and Romanian languages, so that these versions can be "equally authentic"). The Council shall act on a recommendation of the Commission, after consulting the European Parliament.

Annex I to the Act of Accession gives the list of the 7 conventions and protocols concerned in the Justice and Home Affairs area.

The list includes in particular:

the Convention of 26 July 1995, based on Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention), the Protocol of 24 July 1996, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the interpretation, by way of preliminary rulings, by the Court of Justice of the European Communities of the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office, the Protocol of 19 June 1997, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 41 (3) of the Europol Convention, on the privileges and immunities of Europol, the members of its organs, the deputy directors and employees of Europol, the Protocol of 30 November 2000, drawn up on the basis of Article 43(1) of the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention) amending Article 2 and the Annex to that Convention, the Protocol of 28 November 2002 amending the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention) and the Protocol on the privileges and immunities of Europol, the members of its organs, the deputy directors and the employees of Europol, the Protocol of 27 November 2003, drawn up on the basis of Article 43(1) of the Convention on the Establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention), amending that Convention.

The present draft Commission Recommendation is intended to make the adjustments required by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the aforementioned Convention and Protocols, in accordance with Article 3(4) of the Act of Accession.

PURPOSE: to enable Bulgaria and Romania to accede to the Convention of 26 July 1995 on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: the 2005 Act of accession of Bulgaria and Romania has introduced a simplified system for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the conventions (and protocols) concluded by the Member States on the basis of Art. 34 TEU (previously Art. K.3 TEU) or Art. 293 EC. It is indeed no longer necessary, as in the past, to negotiate and conclude specific accession protocols to these conventions (which would have implied ratification by 27 States): Article 3(3) of the Act provides simply that Bulgaria and Romania accede to these conventions and protocols by virtue of the Act of Accession.

Article 3(3) and 3(4) of the Act of Accession provide that, to that effect, the Council shall adopt a decision in order to determine the date on which these conventions shall enter into force for Bulgaria and Romania and to make all the necessary adjustments to these conventions required by reason of the accession of the two new Member States (which would include, in any event, the adoption of the conventions in the Bulgarian and Romanian languages, so that these versions can be "equally authentic"). The Council shall act on a recommendation of the Commission, after consulting the European Parliament.

Annex I to the Act of Accession gives the list of the 7 conventions and protocols concerned in the Justice and Home Affairs area.

The list includes in particular:

the Convention of 26 July 1995, based on Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention), the Protocol of 24 July 1996, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the interpretation, by way of preliminary rulings, by the Court of Justice of the European Communities of the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office, the Protocol of 19 June 1997, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 41 (3) of the Europol Convention, on the privileges and immunities of Europol, the members of its organs, the deputy directors and employees of Europol, the Protocol of 30 November 2000, drawn up on the basis of Article 43(1) of the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention) amending Article 2 and the Annex to that Convention, the Protocol of 28 November 2002 amending the Convention on the establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention) and the Protocol on the privileges and immunities of Europol, the members of its organs, the deputy directors and the employees of Europol, the Protocol of 27 November 2003, drawn up on the basis of Article 43(1) of the Convention on the Establishment of a European Police Office (Europol Convention), amending that Convention.

The present draft Commission Recommendation is intended to make the adjustments required by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the aforementioned Convention and Protocols, in accordance with Article 3(4) of the Act of Accession.