Outsider or frontrunner? Recent developments under international and European law on the status of the European union in international organizations and treaty bodies

Common Market Law Review

Volumn 44, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 41-68

  Hoffmeister, Frank ^a,b,c  

^a Commission Legal Service ^*

^b Department of Law ^*

^c FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS   (Belgium)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 34548615010     PISSN: 01650750     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (109)

1. European Security Strategy: A Secure Europe in a Better World, Annex to the Presidency conclusions of December 2003.
2. COM(2003)526 final, The European Union and the United Nations: The choice of multilateralism.
3. In this article the term "European Union" denotes the European Community as supplemented by the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the cooperation on police and criminal matters, as defined in Art. 1(3) TEU. If the entity acts only in the area of the second pillar, the term "second-pillar EU" will be used. Action in the first pillar will be attributed to the European Community (EC).
4. Arts. II (8)-(11) FAO Constitution. See in detail Frid, "The European Economic Community: A member of a Specialized Agency of the United Nations", 4 EJIL (1993), 239 et seq.
5. For an overview see Hoffineister and Kuijper, "The status of the EU at the United Nations: institutional ambiguities and political realities", in Wouters, Hoffineister and Ruys (Eds.), The UN and the EU - an ever stronger partnership (The Hague, 2006), pp. 9-34 (pp. 16 et seq.).
6. For a presentation of the practice in previous decades see Groux and Manin, The European Communities in the international order (Luxembourg, 1984), pp. 41-55 and Sack,
7. "The European Community's membership of international organizations", 32 CML Rev. (1995), 1237-1252.
8. For the practice of the Community and its Member States in the WTO see Koutrakos, EU international relations law (Hart Publishers, 2006), pp. 175-179.
9. See e.g. the agreements on olive oil (O.J. 2005, L 302/46), grain (O.J. 1996, L 21/49), sugar (O.J. 1992, L 379/15), cocoa (O.J. 2002, L 342/1), jute (O.J. 2002, L 112/34).
10. See e.g. the agreements on food aid (O.J. 1999, L 222/41), tin (O.J. 1976, L 222/3), tropical timber (O.J. 1996, L 208/1), coffee (O.J. 2001, L 326/22), lead and zinc (O.J. 2001, L 82/21), nickel (O.J. 2001, L 293/23), copper (O.J. 2001, L 89/39), rubber (O.J. 2002, L 215/13).
11. Council Decision 93/329/EEC of 15 March 1993, O.J. 1993, L 130/1, concerning the conclusion of the Convention on Temporary Admission and accepting its annexes.
12. Council Decision 87/367/EEC of 7 April 1987, O.J. 1987, L 198/1.
13. Council Decision 2003/231/EC of 17 March 2003 concerning the accession of the European Community to the Protocol of Amendment to the International Convention on the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures (Kyoto Convention), O.J. 2003, L 86/21-45.
14. Case 38/75, Douaneagent der NVNederlands Spoorwegen v. Inspecteur der invoerrechten en accijnzen, [1975] ECR 1439, para 21.
15. Council Decision 2003/822/EC of 17 Nov. 2003, O.J. 2003, L 309/14, Annex II and III of that decision contain the declaration of competence and the relevant intra-Community rules on coordination.
16. See Art. 3(4) of the SPS Agreement.
17. See Art. II.8 of the Rules of Procedure of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, available at ftp.fao.org/codex/Publications/ProcManuals/Manual_15. pdf. For further details of the EC's membership in the Codex see Pedersen, "FAO-EU cooperation: an ever stronger partnership", in Wouters, Hoffmeister and Ruys, op. cit. supra note 5, pp. 63-92, at p. 82 et seq.
18. See the critique by Sack, op. cit. supra note 6, 1241, with respect to similar arrangements in certain commodity agreements.
19. O.J. 1998, L 179/1.
20. O.J. 1998, L 189/14.
21. A/RES/60/30.
22. UNGA Resolution 3208 (XXIX), 11 Oct. 1974: "The General Assembly, wishing to promote co-operation between the United Nations and the European Economic Community, requests the Secretary-General to invite the European Economic Community to participate in the sessions and work of the General Assembly in the capacity of observer".
23. The Community is party to the North-West Atlantic Fisheries Organization (O.J. 1978, L 378/2), the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (O.J. 1981, L 277/22); the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (O.J. 1982, L378. p. 28), the International Convention on the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (O.J. 1986, L 162/32) and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (O.J. 2002, L 234/39).
24. O.J. 1995, L 236/24.
25. O.J. 1998, L 190/34.
26. O.J. 2005, L 32/1.
27. Council Decision 81/462/EEC, O.J. 1981, L 171/11 (1979 Geneva Convention on transboundary air pollution);
28. Council Decision 88/540/EEC, O.J. 1988, L 297/8 (Vienna Convention on the Ozone Layer 1985 and Montreal Protocol 1987);
29. Council decision 94/69/EC, O.J. 1994, L 33/11 (Climate Change Convention 1992);
30. Council Decision 2002/358/EC, O.J. 2002, L 130/1 (Kyoto-Protocol 1999);
31. Council Decision 93/98/EEC, O.J. 1993, L 39, p 1 (Basel Convention 1989);
32. Council Decision 93/98/EEC, O.J. 1993, L 39/1 (Convention on Combating Desertification);
33. Council Decision 93/626/EC, O.J. 1993, L 309/1 (Biodiversity Convention 1992);
34. Council Decision 2002/628/EC, O.J. 2002, L 201/48 (Cartagena Protocol 2001).
35. See Smadja, "The European Union and the reform of the United Nations", in Wouters, Hoffmeister and Ruys, op. cit. supra note 5, pp. 363-372, at p. 369.
36. SEC(2002)381 final of 9 April 2002.
37. Case C-476/98, Commission v. Germany, [2002] ECR 1-9855, paras. 103-113 with annotation by Hoffmeister, 98 AJIL (2004), 567-572.
38. Letter from Seamus Brennan, Minister for Transport of Ireland, in his capacity as President of the Council of the European Union to Dr. Assad Kotaite, President of the ICAO Council of 22 April 2004 (unpublished).
39. Letter from ICAO President Dr Assad Kotaite, to Commissioner de Palacio of 27 Oct. 2004 (unpublished); Letter from Commission Vice President Jacques Barrot to ICAO President Dr Assad Kotaite of 7 Feb. 2005 (unpublished).
40. The text of the Vilnius Protocol of 1999 is available at www.otif.org.
41. Council Decision 2004/636/EC of 29 April 2004, O.J. 2004, L 304/209.
42. See the cooperation agreement between Euratom and IAEA of 23 Dec. 1975, O.J. 1975, L 329/1.
43. Case C-29/99, Commission v. Council, [2002] ECR, 1-11221.
44. See Communication from the Commission to the Council of 16 March 2006 on enhancing the status of the European Atomic Energy Community at the International Atomic Energy Community, COM(2006)121 final.
45. Council Decision 98/181/EC, O.J. 1998, L 69/1.
46. Directive 2003/54/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 26 June 2003 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity, O.J. 2003, L 176/37; Directive 2003/55/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 26 June 2003 concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas, O.J. 2003, L 176/57.
47. For more details on the historical background of this organization see its website www. energy-community.org and Hoffmeister, "Die Beziehungen der Europäischen Union zu den Staaten des Westbalkans", in Kadelbach (Ed.), Die Außenbeziehungen der Europäischen Union (Frankfurt, 2006), pp. 132-138.
48. Council Decision of 29 May 2006 on the conclusion by the European Community of the Energy Community Treaty, O.J. 2006, L 198/15.
49. Arts. 43 (2), 55, 83, 89, 95, 133, 175 EC.
50. Art. 95 of the Treaty establishing the Energy Community.
51. Decision No. 11875 (99/1) adopted by the IMF Executive Board on 21 Dec. 1998 granting observer status to the European Central Bank, reviewed by IMF Executive Board Decision of 27 Dec. 2002 (Decision No. 12925).
52. Under Art. IV (3) of the IMF Articles of Agreement, the IMF consults on the exchange rate policies of its members.
53. See Art. 113(4) EC and the conclusions of the Vienna European Council of December 1998. For a detailed discussion of the specificities of EC external representation in the area of monetary policy see Martenczuk, "Die Außenvertretung der Europäischen Gemeinschaft auf dem Gebiet der Währungspolitik"(1999) ZaöRV, 93 et seq. For the practical difficulties of this arrangement
54. see Garnier, Daco and di Mauro, "UN-EU cooperation on financial matters: the role of the European Union at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank", in Wouters, Hoffmeister and Ruys, op. cit. supra note 5, pp. 115-129.
55. Under Art. V Section 8 of the IBRD Articles of Agreement (amended 1989) the IBRDshall cooperate with other public international organizations. Section 4 (b) of the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Council (as of 1980) allows the invitation of observers to its meetings. Similar arrangements apply in the International Development Agency, the International Finance Corporation and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.
56. For more details compare ECJ, Opinion 2/92, [1995] ECR I-525.
57. COM(2005)150.
58. Cyprus, Estonia, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia.
59. Compare Art. 111(4) of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO and its Annex3.
60. Rule 38 of the UNCHR Executive Committee's Rules of procedure, A/AC.96/187/Rev. 5.
61. Council decision 2004/579/EC of 29 April 2004, O.J. 2004, L 261/69 (Convention) and Council decisions 2006/616/EC, 2006/617/EC, 2006/618/EC, 2006/619/EC of 24 July 2006 (Protocols), O.J. 2006, L 262/24-61. On the negotiation history see Rijken and Kronenberger, "The United Nations Convention against transnational crime and the European Union", in Kronenberger (Ed.), The European Union and the International Legal Order: Discord or Harmony? (The Hague, 2001), p. 481, at 491 et seq.
62. ECJ, Opinion 1/03, nyr.
63. Council Decision 2006/719/EC of 5 Oct. 2006 relating to the accession of the European Community to the Hague Conference on Private International Law, O.J. 2006, L 297/1.
64. Arrangement between the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the Commission of the European Economic Community of 18 Aug. 1959; Arrangement between theCommittee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the Commission of the European Atomic Energy Community of 18 Aug. 1959, in Council of Europe (Ed.), Compendium of Texts governing the relations between the Council of Europe and the European Communities, 2nd edition, (Strasburg, 1979), pp. 9 and 17.
65. Exchange of letters between the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe and the President of the Commission of the European Communities on 5 Nov. 1996 supplementing the "Arrangement" between the Council of Europe and the European Community concluded on 16 June 1987, in Council of Europe (Ed.), Compendium of Texts governing the relations between the Council of Europe and the European Communities, 4th ed. (Strasburg, 2001), p. 8.
66. Arrangement between the Council of Europe and the European Community, concluded on 16 June 1987 in: Council of Europe (ed.), op. cit. supra note 56, p. 3.
67. ECJ, Opinion 2/94, [1996] ECR I-1759.
68. Exchange of letters of 7 July 1958, O.J. 1959, 027/521.
69. Exchange of letters of 21 Dec. 1989 and 22 Dec. 1989 between the European Commission and the International Labour Organization, O.J. 1989, C 24/8, renewed by an exchange of letters of 14 May 2001, O.J. 2001, C 165/23.
70. Sack, op. cit. supra note 6, 1239.
71. ECJ, Opinion 2/91, [1993] ECR I-1061, paras. 36-38.
72. Delarue, ' 'ILO-EU cooperation on employment and financial issues", in Wouters, Hoffmeister and Ruys, op. cit. supra note 5, pp. 93-114.
73. WHO: Exchange of letters of 28 April 1982 (O.J. 1982, L 300/20) and of 14 Dec. 2000 (O.J. 2001, C 1/7) between the European Commission and WHO; UNESCO: Exchange of letters of 15 Sept. 1964 between the European Commission and UNESCO.
74. Decision of the World Health Assembly WHA 52.38 of 24 May 1999, para 1 (3).
75. Decision of the World Health Assembly WHA 56.28 of 28 May 2003, para 2.
76. For details of these negotiations see Eggers and Hoffmeister, "UN-EU cooperation on public health: the evolving participation of the European Community at the WHO", in Wouters, Hoffmeister and Ruys , op. cit. supra note 5, pp. 155-170, at pp. 162-168.
77. Decision No. 171 EX/47 of the UNESCO Executive Board, 26 April 2005, para 3.
78. For a discussion of the UNESCO legal framework see Cavicchioli, ' 'The European Community at UNESCO: an exceptionally active observer?", in Wouters, Hoffmeister and Ruys, op. cit. supra note 5, pp. 135-154.
79. Council Decision 2004/513/EC, O.J. 2004, L 213/8 (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control);
80. Council Decision 2006/515/EC, O.J. 2006, L 201/15 (Cultural Diversity Convention).
81. For questions of implementation of the IHR within the Community see COM(2006)552 final, of 26 Sept. 2006.
82. Para 9 of GA resolution 60/180 and Security Council resolution 1645 (2005) establishing the PBC reads: "Decides that representatives of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other institutional donors shall be invited to participate in all meetings of the Commission" (underline and emphasis added).
83. Para 7 (b) of the quoted resolutions reads: "Also decides that country-specific meetings of the Commission, upon invitation of the Organizational Committee ... shall include as members, in addition to members of the Committee, representatives from ..." relevant regional and subregional organizations".
84. For an early analysis of this notion see Dormoy, "Le statut de I'Union européenne dans les organisations internationales" in Dormoy (Ed.) L'Union européenne et les organisations internationales (Brussels 1997), pp. 52-54.
85. ECOSOC Decision 1995/201 of 8 Feb. 1995. The relevant part reads: "(a) The European Community, while not being a member of the Commission on Sustainable Development, shall be entitled to participate fully, within its areas of competence, in the work of the Commission or any subsidiary body thereof, in accordance with the present decision. Such full participation shall include the right to speak and the right of reply, as well as the right to introduce proposals and amendments. Such full participation shall also include the right to raise as a point of order the fact that consultations are continuing among the Community and its member States on a matter on which a final decision is about to be made and for which the Community is the representative on the Commission in accordance with the present decision, provided that the right to raise this point of order shall not include the right to challenge the decision of the Chairman in response to that order.
86. The Community shall not have the right to vote but may submit proposals that shall be put to the vote if any member of the Commission so requests. The participation of the representatives of the Community shall in no case entail an increase in the representation to which the member States of the Community would otherwise be entitled ...."
87. 75a. UNESCO Doc. 171 EX/SR.1-10, Summary of the Records of the 171st session of the Executive Board (18-28 April 2005), pp. 292-293.
88. Resolution 85 (5) of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers of 25 April 1985.
89. See Frid, The relations between the European Community and International Organisations, Legal Theory and Practice (The Hague, 1995), p. 229 et seq.
90. The declaration of competence may also serve as a useful point of reference in the analysis of shared competence for internal purposes. See Case C-459/03, Commission v. Ireland ("Mox Plant"), [2006] ECR I-4635, paras. 104-109.
91. Most recently Cremona, "Community report" in Xenopoulos (Ed.), FIDE 2006 national reports, External relations of the EU and the Member States: Competence, Mixed Agreements, International Responsibility and Effects of International Law (Nicosia 2006), pp. 343-348.
92. Part A, Fifth paragraph of the Luxembourg compromise of 1966, EC Bull. 3-1966.
93. ECJ, Opinion 2/91 of 19 March 1993, [1993] ECR I-1061, at p. 1066.
94. Case C-334/01, Germany v. Council, [2004] ECR I-2081, para 79.
95. Joined Cases 3, 4 & 6/76, Kramer, [1976] ECR 1279, paras. 44-45.
96. Govaere, Cabiau and Vermeersch, "In-Between Seats, The participation of the EU in international organizations", 9 EFA Rev. (2004), 167 at 173-174.
97. Wouters, Hoffmeister and Ruys, "Epilogue: The UN and the EU: The road to partnership", in Wouters, Hoffmeister and Ruys, op. cit. supra note 5, p. 383, at p. 387.
98. Churchill and Ulfstein, ' 'Autonomous institutional arrangements in multilateral environmental agreements", 94 AJIL (2000-4), 623-659, 623 and 625 et seq.
99. MacLeod, Hendry and Hyett, The External Relations of the European Communities: a manual oflaw and practice (Oxford, 1996), p. 102.
100. See Tomuschat, in V.d.Groeben, Thiesing and Ehlermann (Eds.), Kommentar zum EG/EU Vertrag, 5th edition, Art. 228, para 30.
101. nd ed., Art. 300, para 34.
102. Cf. Lensky, "Turkey (including northern Cyprus)", in Blockmans and Lazowski (Eds.), The European Union and its neighbours: A legal appraisal of the EU's policies of stabilisation, partnership and integration (Cambridge, 2006), pp. 283-313, at 292-293.
103. See Corbett, Jacobs and Shackleton (Eds.), The European Parliament, 5th ed. (London, 2004), p. 203 ("the Member States agreed in the Treaty of Maastricht to change the provisions of the EC treaty in order to require Parliament's assent for all important agreements. These were defined as any agreement having a specific institutional framework ...").
104. Sack, "Die Europäische Union in den Internationalen Organisationen - Bedeutung der Beteiligung sowie Aktion und Einfluss von Gemeinschaft und Mitgliedstaaten in diesen Gremien", 5 ZEuS (2001), 280; Kokott, in Streinz (Ed.), EUV/EGV, Art. 300, para 53.
105. Case C-459/03, Commission v. Ireland, (Mox Plant), cited supra note 78, para 175.
106. Opinion 2/91 re Convention No 170 of the ILO, [1993] ECR I-1061, paras. 36-38. For a comprehensive discussion of the duty of co-operation Eeckhout, External Relations of the European Union, Legal and Constitutional Foundations (OUP, 2004), pp. 209-215.
107. Case C-25/94, Commission v. Council (FAO), [1996] ECR I-1459, para 49.
108. Govaere, Cabiau and Vermeersch, op. cit. supra note 84.
109. It will be recalled that the Community is not regarded as an observer in the IMO. Rather, that status is said to have been granted to the Commission only. Hence, Community positions need to be put forward by using an extraordinary technique which is at odds with the institutional structure of the Community.