Decision

21 October 2021: decision No 1/2021 of the EPA committee set up by the Stepping Stone Economic Partnership Agreement between Côte d'Ivoire and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland adopting its Rules of Procedure

Updated 3 December 2021

THE EPA COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Stepping Stone Economic Partnership Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“the United Kingdom”), of the one part, and Côte d’Ivoire, of the other part (together, “the Parties”), done at London on 15 October 2020 (“the Agreement”),

Whereas Article 73 of the Agreement provides that the EPA Committee is to determine the rules governing its organisation and operation,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The rules of procedure of the EPA Committee are established as set out in the Annex.

Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its signature.

Done in duplicate at London and Abidjan on 5 November 2021. • For the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr Sylla Kalilou • For the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr Max Petrokofsky

ANNEX TO DECISION NO. 1/2021

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE EPA COMMITTEE Set up by the stepping stone economic partnership Agreement between Côte d’Ivoire, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part

Article 1: Composition and Chair

1. The EPA Committee shall be composed of representatives of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the one part, and representatives of Côte d’Ivoire, at ministerial or senior official level, of the other part.
2. Reference to ‘the Parties’ in the rules of procedure is in accordance with the definition provided for in Article 72 of the Agreement.
3. The EPA Committee shall be chaired jointly by a representative of the United Kingdom and by a representative of Côte d’Ivoire.
4. Representatives of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) commissions may be invited by the Parties to attend EPA Committee meetings, in accordance with their internal procedures. The Parties may also decide to invite representatives of civil society and the private sector, as well as experts, on an ad hoc basis, to meetings of the EPA Committee as observers.

Article 2: Meetings

1. The EPA Committee shall meet at regular intervals, not exceeding a period of one year, and shall hold extraordinary meetings whenever circumstances so require, if the Parties so agree.
2. Each meeting of the EPA Committee shall be held at a date and place agreed by the Parties. A meeting of the EPA Committee may be held by technological means if the Parties so agree.
3. When meeting in person, the EPA Committee shall meet alternately in the United Kingdom and Côte d’Ivoire, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties.
4. When out of session, the EPA Committee may address any issue by correspondence.
5. Meetings of the EPA Committee shall be convened by the co-chairs.

Article 3: Delegations

Before each meeting, the co-chairs shall inform the other of the intended composition of the Côte d’Ivoire and of the United Kingdom delegations.

Article 4: Secretariat

Appointed officials of the United Kingdom and of Côte d’Ivoire shall act jointly as the secretariat of the EPA Committee (the ‘secretariat’).

Article 5: Sub-Committees

For the effective performance of its tasks, the EPA Committee may set up under its authority sub-committees responsible for dealing with specific subjects under the Agreement. To this end, the EPA Committee shall determine the composition and tasks of such sub-committees.

Article 6: Documentation

Where the deliberations of the EPA Committee are based on written supporting documents, such documents shall be numbered and circulated by the secretariat as EPA Committee documents.

Article 7: Correspondence

1. All correspondence addressed to the EPA Committee shall be directed to the secretariat.
2. The secretariat shall ensure that correspondence addressed to the EPA Committee is forwarded to the co-chairs and, where appropriate, circulated as EPA Committee documents to the designated correspondents of the Parties provided for in Article 73 of the Agreement (the ‘correspondents’).
3. Correspondence from the co-chairs shall be sent to the correspondents by the secretariat and, where appropriate, circulated as EPA Committee documents.

Article 8: Agendas for meetings

1. A provisional agenda for each meeting shall be drawn up by the secretariat on the basis of proposals made by the Parties. It shall be forwarded by the secretariat to the correspondents no later than 15 days before the start of the meeting.
2. The provisional agenda shall include the items for which a request for inclusion in the agenda has been received by the secretariat no later than 21 days before the start of the meeting, and for which the relevant supporting documents have been received by the secretariat no later than the date of dispatch of that provisional agenda.
3. The agenda shall be adopted by the EPA Committee at the beginning of each meeting. Items other than those listed on the provisional agenda may be placed on the agenda if the Parties so agree.
4. The co-chairs, in agreement with the Parties, may invite experts to attend the EPA Committee’s meetings in order to provide information on specific subjects.
5. With the agreement of the Parties, the secretariat may shorten the time limit specified in paragraph 1 in order to take account of the requirements of a particular case.

Article 9: Minutes

1. Draft minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up by the secretariat as soon as possible following each meeting of the EPA Committee
2. The minutes shall, as a general rule, summarise each item on the agenda, specifying where applicable: (a) all the documents submitted to the EPA Committee; (b) any statement that a member of the EPA Committee has asked to be entered; (c) the decisions adopted, recommendations made, statements agreed upon and conclusions adopted on specific items.
3. The minutes shall also include a list of the persons attending the EPA Committee meeting and a list of the members of the delegations accompanying them.
4. The minutes shall be approved in writing by both Parties within two months of the date of the meeting. Once approved, each of the Parties shall receive an original copy of these authentic documents.

Article 10: Decisions and recommendations

1. The EPA Committee shall adopt its decisions and recommendations by consensus.
2. The EPA Committee may adopt decisions or recommendations by written procedure if both Parties so agree. A written procedure shall consist of an exchange of notes between the Parties.
3. Each decision or recommendation of the EPA Committee shall be entitled, respectively, ‘Decision’ or ‘Recommendation’ followed by a serial number, the date of its adoption and a description of its subject matter. Each decision or recommendation shall indicate the date of its entry into force, which shall be subject to completion of the respective applicable legal requirements and procedures of the Parties.
4. Decisions and recommendations adopted by the EPA Committee shall be authenticated by a representative of the United Kingdom and by a representative of Côte d’Ivoire, and in cases of meetings held by video or teleconference, authenticated in duplicate, each copy being equally authentic. Each Party shall promptly forward a copy of any decision or recommendation signed in accordance with this paragraph to the other Party following the meeting at which that decision or recommendation was adopted.
5. Decisions and recommendations shall be forwarded to the Parties as EPA Committee documents.

Article 11: Public access

1. Unless otherwise decided by the Parties, meetings of the EPA Committee shall not be public.
2. When a Party submits information designated as confidential to the EPA Committee, the other Party shall treat that information as confidential and shall not otherwise use or disclose that information without the specific permission of the Party providing the information, except where this is necessary to comply with legal requirements.
3. The Parties may agree to publish outline agendas or relevant read-outs of the meetings of the Committee.
4. Each Party may decide to publish the decisions of the EPA Committee in its respective official publication.

Article 12: Language regime

1. The working languages of the EPA Committee shall be the official languages of the Agreement, namely, English and French.
2. The EPA Committee shall discuss and adopt decisions and recommendations on the basis of documentation and proposals prepared in the language referred to in paragraph 1.

Article 13: Expenditure

1. Each Party shall meet any expenses it incurs as a result of attending the meetings of the EPA Committee, both with regard to staff, travel and subsistence expenditure as well as with regard to postal and telecommunications expenditure.
2. Expenditure in connection with the organisation of meetings and reproduction of documents shall be borne by the Party hosting the meeting.
3. Expenditure in connection with the provision of interpretation services at meetings and translation of documents into the working language shall be borne by the Party hosting the meeting, taking into account any translation difficulties of the Parties.

Article 14: Amendment of rules of procedure

These rules of procedure may be amended in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 10 hereof.