Pending: 32020D0040

Pending: 32019D1956

27.11.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 306/26
(1) In accordance with Article 12 of Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council(2), electrical equipment which is in conformity with harmonised standards or parts thereof, the references of which have been published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union, is to be presumed to be in conformity with the safety objectives referred to in Article 3 of that Directive and set out in Annex I to that Directive, covered by those harmonised standards or parts thereof.
(2) By letter M/511 of 8 November 2012, the Commission made a request to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (Cenelec) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for providing the first full list of the titles of harmonised standards and for the drafting, revision and the completion of harmonised standards, for electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits in support of Directive 2014/35/EU. The safety objectives referred to in Article 3 of Directive 2014/35/EU and set out in Annex I to that Directive have not changed since the request was made to CEN, Cenelec and ETSI.
(3) On the basis of the request M/511 CEN and Cenelec drafted the following harmonised standards and amendments thereto: EN 60204-1:2018 for electrical equipment of machines; EN 60335-1:2012/A13:2017, EN 60335-2-4:2010/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-15:2016, EN 60335-2-16:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-28:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-29:2004/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-55:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-59:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-74:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-85:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-109:2010/A1:2018 and EN 60335-2-109:2010/A2:2018 for household and similar electrical appliances; EN 60715:2017, EN 60947-2:2017, EN 60947-5-1:2017 and EN 60947-5-5:1997/A2:2017 for low voltage switchgear and controlgear; EN 60898-1:2019, EN 61008-1:2012/A12:2017, EN 62606:2013/A1:2017 and EN 63024:2018 for circuit breakers and similar devices for household and similar applications; EN IEC 61010-2-201:2018 for measuring, control and laboratory equipment; EN IEC 61058-1:2018 for switches for appliances; EN 61643-11:2012/A11:2018 for low voltage surge protective devices; and EN 62560:2012/A11:2019 for lamps and related equipment.
(4) The Commission, together with CEN and Cenelec, has assessed whether these standards and amendments thereto, drafted by CEN and Cenelec, comply with the request M/511.
(5) These standards and amendments thereto satisfy the safety objectives which they aim to cover and which are set out in Directive 2014/35/EU. It is therefore appropriate to publish the references of those standards in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
(6) Several harmonised standards drafted by CEN and Cenelec replace the following harmonised standards, including their amendments, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(3): EN 50557:2011 replaced by EN 63024:2018; EN 60204-1:2006 replaced by EN 60204-1:2018; EN 60335-2-15:2002 replaced by EN 60335-2-15:2016; EN 60715:2001 replaced by EN 60715:2017; EN 60898-1:2003 replaced by EN 60898-1:2019; EN 60947-2:2006 replaced by EN 60947-2:2017; EN 60947-5-1:2004 replaced by EN 60947-5-1:2017; EN 61010-2-201:2013 replaced by EN IEC 61010-2-201:2018; and EN 61058-1:2002 replaced by EN IEC 61058-1:2018.
(7) The amendments drafted by CEN and Cenelec amend the following harmonised standards: EN 60335-1:2012, EN 60335-2-4:2010, EN 60335-2-16:2003, EN 60335-2-28:2003, EN 60335-2-29:2004, EN 60335-2-55:2003, EN 60335-2-59:2003, EN 60335-2-74:2003, EN 60335-2-85:2003, EN 60335-2-109:2010, EN 60947-5-5:1997, EN 61008-1:2012, EN 61643-11:2012 and EN 62560:2012, EN 62606:2013, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(4); as well as EN 60335-2-15:2016 the reference to which is not yet published.
(8) CEN and Cenelec also drafted the following corrigenda: corrigendum EN 60529:1991/AC:2016-12 correcting harmonised standard EN 60529:1991 and corrigendum EN 60529:1991/A2:2013/AC:2019-02 correcting harmonised standard EN 60529:1991/A2:2013 for enclosures, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(5); corrigenda EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-05 and EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-09 correcting harmonised standard EN 60598-2-22:2014 for lamps and related equipment, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(6); corrigendum EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014/AC:2016-06 correcting harmonised standard EN 61008-1:2012/A1 for circuit breakers and similar devices for household and similar applications, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(7); and corrigendum EN 61851-23:2014/AC:2016-06 correcting harmonised standard EN 61851-23:2014 for electrical systems for electric road vehicles, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(8). Due to the fact that these corrigenda introduce technical corrections and in order to ensure correct and consistent application of harmonised standards the references to which previously published, it is appropriate to publish the references of those harmonised standards together with the references of the corrigenda in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
(9) It is therefore necessary to withdraw the references of the standards that are replaced, amended or corrected, from theOfficial Journal of the European Union. In order to give manufacturers sufficient time to prepare for application of the replacing, the amending and the correcting harmonised standards, it is necessary to defer the withdrawal of the harmonised standards that are replaced, amended or corrected.
(10) Compliance with a harmonised standard confers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding essential requirements, including the safety objectives, set out in Union harmonisation legislation from the date of publication of the reference of such standard in theOfficial Journal of the European Union. This Decision should therefore enter into force on the day of its publication,
No Reference of the standard
1. EN 60204-1:2018Safety of machinery – Electrical equipment of machines – Part 1: General requirements IEC 60204-1:2016 (Modified)
2. EN 60335-1:2012Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements IEC 60335-1:2010 (Modified)EN 60335-1:2012/A11:2014EN 60335-1:2012/A13:2017
3. EN 60335-2-4:2010Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-4: Particular requirements for spin extractors IEC 60335-2-4:2008 (Modified)EN 60335-2-4:2010/A1:2015EN 60335-2-4:2010/A11:2018
4. EN 60335-2-15:2016Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-15: Particular requirements for appliances for heating liquids IEC 60335-2-15:2012 (Modified)EN 60335-2-15:2016/A11:2018
5. EN 60335-2-16:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-16: Particular requirements for food waste disposers IEC 60335-2-16:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-16:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-16:2003/A2:2012EN 60335-2-16:2003/A11:2018
6. EN 60335-2-28:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-28: Particular requirements for sewing machines IEC 60335-2-28:2002 (Modified)
EN 60335-2-28:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-28:2003/A11:2018
7. EN 60335-2-29:2004Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-29: Particular requirements for battery chargers IEC 60335-2-29:2002 + A1:2004EN 60335-2-29:2004/A2:2010EN 60335-2-29:2004/A11:2018
8. EN 60335-2-55:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-55: Particularrequirements for electrical appliances for use with aquariums and garden ponds IEC 60335-2-55:2002EN 60335-2-55:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-55:2003/A11:2018
9. EN 60335-2-59:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-59: Particular requirements for insect killers IEC 60335-2-59:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-59:2003/A1:2006EN 60335-2-59:2003/A2:2009EN 60335-2-59:2003/A11:2018
10. EN 60335-2-74:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-74: Particular requirements for portable immersion heaters IEC 60335-2-74:2002EN 60335-2-74:2003/A1:2006EN 60335-2-74:2003/A2:2009EN 60335-2-74:2003/A11:2018
11. EN 60335-2-85:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-85: Particular requirements for fabric steamers IEC 60335-2-85:2002EN 60335-2-85:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-85:2003/A11:2018
12. EN 60335-2-109:2010Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-109: Particular requirements for UV radiation water treatment appliances IEC 60335-2-109:2010EN 60335-2-109:2010/A1:2018EN 60335-2-109:2010/A2:2018
13. EN 60529:1991Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code) IEC 60529:1989EN 60529:1991/AC:1993EN 60529:1991/AC:2016-12EN 60529:1991/A2 :2013/AC:2019-02EN 60529:1991/A1:2000EN 60529:1991/A2:2013
14. EN 60598-2-22:2014Luminaires – Part 2-22: Particular requirements – Luminaires for emergency lighting IEC 60598-2-22:2014EN 60598-2-22/AC:2015EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-05EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-09
15. EN 60715:2017Dimensions of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Standardized mounting on rails for mechanical support of switchgear, controlgear and accessories IEC 60715:2017
16. EN 60898-1:2019Electrical accessories – Circuit-breakers for overcurrent protection for household and similar installations – Part 1: Circuit-breakers for a.c. operation IEC 60898-1:2015 (Modified)
17. EN 60947-2:2017Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers IEC 60947-2:2016
18. EN 60947-5-1:2017Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 5-1: Control circuit devices and switching elements – Electromechanical control circuit devices IEC 60947-5-1:2016
19. EN 60947-5-5:1997Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 5-5: Control circuit devices and switching elements – Electrical emergency stop device with mechanical latching function IEC 60947-5-5:1997EN 60947-5-5:1997/A1:2005EN 60947-5-5:1997/A2:2017EN 60947-5-5:1997/A11:2013
20. EN 61008-1:2012Residual current operated circuit-breakers without integral overcurrent protection for household and similar uses (RCCBs) – Part 1: General rules IEC 61008-1:2010 (Modified)EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014/AC:2016-06EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014EN 61008-1:2012/A2:2014EN 61008-1:2012/A11:2015EN 61008-1:2012/A12:2017
21. EN IEC 61010-2-201:2018Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use – Part 2-201: Particular requirements for control equipment IEC 61010-2-201:2017
22. EN IEC 61058-1:2018Switches for appliances – Part 1: General requirements IEC 61058-1:2016
23. EN 61643-11:2012Low-voltage surge protective devices – Part 11: Surge protective devices connected to low-voltage power systems – Requirements and test methods IEC 61643-11:2011 (Modified)EN 61643-11:2012/A11:2018
24. EN 61851-23:2014Electric vehicle conductive charging system – Part 23: DC electric vehicle charging station IEC 61851-23:2014EN 61851-23:2014/AC:2016-06
25. EN 62560:2012Self-ballasted LED-lamps for general lighting services by voltage > 50 V – Safety specifications IEC 62560:2011 (Modified)EN 62560:2012/AC:2015EN 62560:2012/A1:2015/AC:2015EN 62560:2012/A1:2015EN 62560:2012/A11:2019
26. EN 62606:2013General requirements for arc fault detection devices IEC 62606:2013 (Modified)EN 62606:2013/A1:2017
27. EN 63024:2018Requirements for automatic reclosing devices (ARDs) for circuit-breakers, RCBOs andRCCBs for household and similar uses IEC 63024:2017 (Modified)
No Reference of the standard Date of withdrawal
1. EN 50557:2011Requirements for automatic reclosing devices (ARDs) for circuit breakers-RCBOs-RCCBs for household and similar uses 27 May 2021
2. EN 60204-1:2006Safety of machinery – Electrical equipment of machines – Part 1: General requirements IEC 60204-1:2005 (Modified)EN 60204-1:2006/A1:2009 27 May 2021
3. EN 60335-1:2012Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements IEC 60335-1:2010 (Modified)EN 60335-1:2012/A11:2014 27 May 2021
4. EN 60335-2-4:2010Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-4: Particular requirements for spin extractors IEC 60335-2-4:2008 (Modified)EN 60335-2-4:2010/A1:2015 27 May 2021
5. EN 60335-2-15:2002Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-15: Particular requirements for appliances for heating liquids IEC 60335-2-15:2002EN 60335-2-15:2002/A1:2005EN 60335-2-15:2002/A2:2008EN 60335-2-15:2002/A11:2012 27 May 2021
6. EN 60335-2-16:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-16: Particular requirements for food waste disposers IEC 60335-2-16:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-16:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-16:2003/A2:2012 27 May 2021
7. EN 60335-2-28:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-28: Particular requirements for sewing machines IEC 60335-2-28:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-28:2003/A1:2008 27 May 2021
8. EN 60335-2-29:2004Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-29: Particular requirements for battery chargers IEC 60335-2-29:2002 + A1:2004EN 60335-2-29:2004/A2:2010 27 May 2021
9. EN 60335-2-55:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-55: Particular requirements for electrical appliances for use with aquariums and garden ponds IEC 60335-2-55:2002EN 60335-2-55:2003/A1:2008 27 May 2021
10. EN 60335-2-59:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-59: Particular requirements for insect killers IEC 60335-2-59:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-59:2003/A1:2006EN 60335-2-59:2003/A2:2009 27 May 2021
11. EN 60335-2-74:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-74: Particular requirements for portable immersion heaters IEC 60335-2-74:2002EN 60335-2-74:2003/A1:2006EN 60335-2-74:2003/A2:2009 27 May 2021
12. EN 60335-2-85:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-85: Particular requirements for fabric steamers IEC 60335-2-85:2002EN 60335-2-85:2003/A1:2008 27 May 2021
13. EN 60335-2-109:2010Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-109: Particular requirements for UV radiation water treatment appliances IEC60335-2-109:2010 27 May 2021
14. EN 60529:1991Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code) IEC 60529:1989EN 60529:1991/AC:1993EN 60529:1991/A1:2000EN 60529:1991/A2:2013 27 May 2020
15. EN 60598-2-22:2014Luminaires – Part 2-22: Particular requirements – Luminaires for emergency lighting IEC 60598-2-22:2014EN 60598-2-22/AC:2015 27 May 2020
16. EN 62560:2012Self-ballasted LED-lamps for general lighting services by voltage > 50 V – Safety specifications IEC 62560:2011 (Modified)EN 62560:2012/A1:2015EN 62560:2012/AC:2015EN 62560:2012/A1:2015/AC:2015 27 May 2021
17. EN 60715:2001Dimensions of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Standardized mounting on rails for 27 May 2021
mechanical support of electrical devices in switchgear and controlgear installations IEC 60715:1981 + A1:1995
18. EN 60898-1:2003Electrical accessories – Circuit breakers for overcurrent protection for household and similar installations – Part 1: Circuit-breakers for a.c. operation IEC 60898-1:2002 (Modified)EN 60898-1:2003/A1:2004EN 60898-1:2003/A11:2005EN 60898-1:2003/A13:2012 27 May 2021
19. EN 60947-2:2006Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers IEC 60947-2:2006EN 60947-2:2006/A1:2009EN 60947-2:2006/A2:2013 27 May 2021
20. EN 60947-5-1:2004Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 5-1: Control circuit devices and switching elements – Electromechanical control circuit devices IEC 60947-5-1:2003EN 60947-5-1:2004/A1:2009 27 May 2021
21. EN 60947-5-5:1997Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 5-5: Control circuit devices and switching elements – Electrical emergency stop device with mechanical latching function IEC 60947-5-5:1997EN 60947-5-5:1997/A1:2005EN 60947-5-5:1997/A11:2013 27 May 2021
22. EN 61008-1:2012Residual current operated circuit-breakers without integral overcurrent protection for household and similar uses (RCCBs) – Part 1: General rules IEC 61008-1:2010 (Modified)EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014EN 61008-1:2012/A11:2015EN 61008-1:2012/A2:2014 27 May 2021
23. EN 61010-2-201:2013Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use – Part 2-201: Particular requirements for control equipment IEC 61010-2-201:2013EN 61010-2-201:2013/AC:2013 27 May 2021
24. EN 61058-1:2002Switches for appliances – Part 1: General requirements IEC 61058-1:2000 (Modified) + A1:2001EN 61058-1:2002/A2:2008 27 May 2021
25. EN 61643-11:2012Low-voltage surge protective devices – Part 11: Surge protective devices connected to low voltage power systems – Requirements and test methods IEC 61643-11:2011 (Modified) 27 May 2021
26. EN 61851-23:2014Electric vehicle conductive charging system – Part 23: DC electric vehicle charging station IEC 61851-23:2014 27 May 2020
27. EN 62560:2012Self-ballasted LED-lamps for general lighting services by voltage > 50 V – Safety specifications IEC 62560:2011 (Modified)EN 62560:2012/A1:2015EN 62560:2012/A1:2015/AC:2015 27 May 2021
28. EN 62606:2013General requirements for arc fault detection devices IEC 62606:2013 (Modified) 27 May 2021
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on European standardisation, amending Council Directives 89/686/EEC and 93/15/EEC and Directives 94/9/EC, 94/25/EC, 95/16/EC, 97/23/EC, 98/34/EC, 2004/22/EC, 2007/23/EC, 2009/23/EC and 2009/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decision 87/95/EEC and Decision No 1673/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(1), and in particular Article 10(6) thereof,
(1) In accordance with Article 12 of Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council(2), electrical equipment which is in conformity with harmonised standards or parts thereof, the references of which have been published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union, is to be presumed to be in conformity with the safety objectives referred to in Article 3 of that Directive and set out in Annex I to that Directive, covered by those harmonised standards or parts thereof.
(2) By letter M/511 of 8 November 2012, the Commission made a request to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (Cenelec) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for providing the first full list of the titles of harmonised standards and for the drafting, revision and the completion of harmonised standards, for electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits in support of Directive 2014/35/EU. The safety objectives referred to in Article 3 of Directive 2014/35/EU and set out in Annex I to that Directive have not changed since the request was made to CEN, Cenelec and ETSI.
(3) On the basis of the request M/511 CEN and Cenelec drafted the following harmonised standards and amendments thereto: EN 60204-1:2018 for electrical equipment of machines; EN 60335-1:2012/A13:2017, EN 60335-2-4:2010/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-15:2016, EN 60335-2-16:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-28:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-29:2004/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-55:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-59:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-74:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-85:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-109:2010/A1:2018 and EN 60335-2-109:2010/A2:2018 for household and similar electrical appliances; EN 60715:2017, EN 60947-2:2017, EN 60947-5-1:2017 and EN 60947-5-5:1997/A2:2017 for low voltage switchgear and controlgear; EN 60898-1:2019, EN 61008-1:2012/A12:2017, EN 62606:2013/A1:2017 and EN 63024:2018 for circuit breakers and similar devices for household and similar applications; EN IEC 61010-2-201:2018 for measuring, control and laboratory equipment; EN IEC 61058-1:2018 for switches for appliances; EN 61643-11:2012/A11:2018 for low voltage surge protective devices; and EN 62560:2012/A11:2019 for lamps and related equipment.
(4) The Commission, together with CEN and Cenelec, has assessed whether these standards and amendments thereto, drafted by CEN and Cenelec, comply with the request M/511.
(5) These standards and amendments thereto satisfy the safety objectives which they aim to cover and which are set out in Directive 2014/35/EU. It is therefore appropriate to publish the references of those standards in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
(6) Several harmonised standards drafted by CEN and Cenelec replace the following harmonised standards, including their amendments, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(3): EN 50557:2011 replaced by EN 63024:2018; EN 60204-1:2006 replaced by EN 60204-1:2018; EN 60335-2-15:2002 replaced by EN 60335-2-15:2016; EN 60715:2001 replaced by EN 60715:2017; EN 60898-1:2003 replaced by EN 60898-1:2019; EN 60947-2:2006 replaced by EN 60947-2:2017; EN 60947-5-1:2004 replaced by EN 60947-5-1:2017; EN 61010-2-201:2013 replaced by EN IEC 61010-2-201:2018; and EN 61058-1:2002 replaced by EN IEC 61058-1:2018.
(7) The amendments drafted by CEN and Cenelec amend the following harmonised standards: EN 60335-1:2012, EN 60335-2-4:2010, EN 60335-2-16:2003, EN 60335-2-28:2003, EN 60335-2-29:2004, EN 60335-2-55:2003, EN 60335-2-59:2003, EN 60335-2-74:2003, EN 60335-2-85:2003, EN 60335-2-109:2010, EN 60947-5-5:1997, EN 61008-1:2012, EN 61643-11:2012 and EN 62560:2012, EN 62606:2013, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(4); as well as EN 60335-2-15:2016 the reference to which is not yet published.
(8) CEN and Cenelec also drafted the following corrigenda: corrigendum EN 60529:1991/AC:2016-12 correcting harmonised standard EN 60529:1991 and corrigendum EN 60529:1991/A2:2013/AC:2019-02 correcting harmonised standard EN 60529:1991/A2:2013 for enclosures, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(5); corrigenda EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-05 and EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-09 correcting harmonised standard EN 60598-2-22:2014 for lamps and related equipment, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(6); corrigendum EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014/AC:2016-06 correcting harmonised standard EN 61008-1:2012/A1 for circuit breakers and similar devices for household and similar applications, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(7); and corrigendum EN 61851-23:2014/AC:2016-06 correcting harmonised standard EN 61851-23:2014 for electrical systems for electric road vehicles, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(8). Due to the fact that these corrigenda introduce technical corrections and in order to ensure correct and consistent application of harmonised standards the references to which previously published, it is appropriate to publish the references of those harmonised standards together with the references of the corrigenda in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
(9) It is therefore necessary to withdraw the references of the standards that are replaced, amended or corrected, from theOfficial Journal of the European Union. In order to give manufacturers sufficient time to prepare for application of the replacing, the amending and the correcting harmonised standards, it is necessary to defer the withdrawal of the harmonised standards that are replaced, amended or corrected.
(10) Compliance with a harmonised standard confers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding essential requirements, including the safety objectives, set out in Union harmonisation legislation from the date of publication of the reference of such standard in theOfficial Journal of the European Union. This Decision should therefore enter into force on the day of its publication,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1
The references to harmonised standards for electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits drafted in support of Directive 2014/35/EU,listed in Annex I to this Decision, are hereby published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.

Article 2
The references to harmonised standards for electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits drafted in support of Directive 2014/35/EU, listed in Annex II to this Decision, are hereby withdrawn from theOfficial Journal of the European Unionas from the dates set out in that Annex.

Article 3
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on European standardisation, amending Council Directives 89/686/EEC and 93/15/EEC and Directives 94/9/EC, 94/25/EC, 95/16/EC, 97/23/EC, 98/34/EC, 2004/22/EC, 2007/23/EC, 2009/23/EC and 2009/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decision 87/95/EEC and Decision No 1673/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(1), and in particular Article 10(6) thereof,
(1) In accordance with Article 12 of Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council(2), electrical equipment which is in conformity with harmonised standards or parts thereof, the references of which have been published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union, is to be presumed to be in conformity with the safety objectives referred to in Article 3 of that Directive and set out in Annex I to that Directive, covered by those harmonised standards or parts thereof.
(2) By letter M/511 of 8 November 2012, the Commission made a request to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (Cenelec) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for providing the first full list of the titles of harmonised standards and for the drafting, revision and the completion of harmonised standards, for electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits in support of Directive 2014/35/EU. The safety objectives referred to in Article 3 of Directive 2014/35/EU and set out in Annex I to that Directive have not changed since the request was made to CEN, Cenelec and ETSI.
(3) On the basis of the request M/511 CEN and Cenelec drafted the following harmonised standards and amendments thereto: EN 60204-1:2018 for electrical equipment of machines; EN 60335-1:2012/A13:2017, EN 60335-2-4:2010/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-15:2016, EN 60335-2-16:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-28:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-29:2004/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-55:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-59:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-74:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-85:2003/A11:2018, EN 60335-2-109:2010/A1:2018 and EN 60335-2-109:2010/A2:2018 for household and similar electrical appliances; EN 60715:2017, EN 60947-2:2017, EN 60947-5-1:2017 and EN 60947-5-5:1997/A2:2017 for low voltage switchgear and controlgear; EN 60898-1:2019, EN 61008-1:2012/A12:2017, EN 62606:2013/A1:2017 and EN 63024:2018 for circuit breakers and similar devices for household and similar applications; EN IEC 61010-2-201:2018 for measuring, control and laboratory equipment; EN IEC 61058-1:2018 for switches for appliances; EN 61643-11:2012/A11:2018 for low voltage surge protective devices; and EN 62560:2012/A11:2019 for lamps and related equipment.
(4) The Commission, together with CEN and Cenelec, has assessed whether these standards and amendments thereto, drafted by CEN and Cenelec, comply with the request M/511.
(5) These standards and amendments thereto satisfy the safety objectives which they aim to cover and which are set out in Directive 2014/35/EU. It is therefore appropriate to publish the references of those standards in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
(6) Several harmonised standards drafted by CEN and Cenelec replace the following harmonised standards, including their amendments, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(3): EN 50557:2011 replaced by EN 63024:2018; EN 60204-1:2006 replaced by EN 60204-1:2018; EN 60335-2-15:2002 replaced by EN 60335-2-15:2016; EN 60715:2001 replaced by EN 60715:2017; EN 60898-1:2003 replaced by EN 60898-1:2019; EN 60947-2:2006 replaced by EN 60947-2:2017; EN 60947-5-1:2004 replaced by EN 60947-5-1:2017; EN 61010-2-201:2013 replaced by EN IEC 61010-2-201:2018; and EN 61058-1:2002 replaced by EN IEC 61058-1:2018.
(7) The amendments drafted by CEN and Cenelec amend the following harmonised standards: EN 60335-1:2012, EN 60335-2-4:2010, EN 60335-2-16:2003, EN 60335-2-28:2003, EN 60335-2-29:2004, EN 60335-2-55:2003, EN 60335-2-59:2003, EN 60335-2-74:2003, EN 60335-2-85:2003, EN 60335-2-109:2010, EN 60947-5-5:1997, EN 61008-1:2012, EN 61643-11:2012 and EN 62560:2012, EN 62606:2013, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(4); as well as EN 60335-2-15:2016 the reference to which is not yet published.
(8) CEN and Cenelec also drafted the following corrigenda: corrigendum EN 60529:1991/AC:2016-12 correcting harmonised standard EN 60529:1991 and corrigendum EN 60529:1991/A2:2013/AC:2019-02 correcting harmonised standard EN 60529:1991/A2:2013 for enclosures, the references to which are published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(5); corrigenda EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-05 and EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-09 correcting harmonised standard EN 60598-2-22:2014 for lamps and related equipment, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(6); corrigendum EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014/AC:2016-06 correcting harmonised standard EN 61008-1:2012/A1 for circuit breakers and similar devices for household and similar applications, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(7); and corrigendum EN 61851-23:2014/AC:2016-06 correcting harmonised standard EN 61851-23:2014 for electrical systems for electric road vehicles, the reference to which is published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union(8). Due to the fact that these corrigenda introduce technical corrections and in order to ensure correct and consistent application of harmonised standards the references to which previously published, it is appropriate to publish the references of those harmonised standards together with the references of the corrigenda in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
(9) It is therefore necessary to withdraw the references of the standards that are replaced, amended or corrected, from theOfficial Journal of the European Union. In order to give manufacturers sufficient time to prepare for application of the replacing, the amending and the correcting harmonised standards, it is necessary to defer the withdrawal of the harmonised standards that are replaced, amended or corrected.
(10) Compliance with a harmonised standard confers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding essential requirements, including the safety objectives, set out in Union harmonisation legislation from the date of publication of the reference of such standard in theOfficial Journal of the European Union. This Decision should therefore enter into force on the day of its publication,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
The references to harmonised standards for electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits drafted in support of Directive 2014/35/EU,listed in Annex I to this Decision, are hereby published in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
The references to harmonised standards for electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits drafted in support of Directive 2014/35/EU, listed in Annex II to this Decision, are hereby withdrawn from theOfficial Journal of the European Unionas from the dates set out in that Annex.
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
ANNEX I
No | Reference of the standard
1. | EN 60204-1:2018Safety of machinery – Electrical equipment of machines – Part 1: General requirements IEC 60204-1:2016 (Modified)
2. | EN 60335-1:2012Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements IEC 60335-1:2010 (Modified)EN 60335-1:2012/A11:2014EN 60335-1:2012/A13:2017
3. | EN 60335-2-4:2010Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-4: Particular requirements for spin extractors IEC 60335-2-4:2008 (Modified)EN 60335-2-4:2010/A1:2015EN 60335-2-4:2010/A11:2018
4. | EN 60335-2-15:2016Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-15: Particular requirements for appliances for heating liquids IEC 60335-2-15:2012 (Modified)EN 60335-2-15:2016/A11:2018
5. | EN 60335-2-16:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-16: Particular requirements for food waste disposers IEC 60335-2-16:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-16:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-16:2003/A2:2012EN 60335-2-16:2003/A11:2018
6. | EN 60335-2-28:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-28: Particular requirements for sewing machines IEC 60335-2-28:2002 (Modified)
| EN 60335-2-28:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-28:2003/A11:2018
7. | EN 60335-2-29:2004Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-29: Particular requirements for battery chargers IEC 60335-2-29:2002 + A1:2004EN 60335-2-29:2004/A2:2010EN 60335-2-29:2004/A11:2018
8. | EN 60335-2-55:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-55: Particularrequirements for electrical appliances for use with aquariums and garden ponds IEC 60335-2-55:2002EN 60335-2-55:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-55:2003/A11:2018
9. | EN 60335-2-59:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-59: Particular requirements for insect killers IEC 60335-2-59:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-59:2003/A1:2006EN 60335-2-59:2003/A2:2009EN 60335-2-59:2003/A11:2018
10. | EN 60335-2-74:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-74: Particular requirements for portable immersion heaters IEC 60335-2-74:2002EN 60335-2-74:2003/A1:2006EN 60335-2-74:2003/A2:2009EN 60335-2-74:2003/A11:2018
11. | EN 60335-2-85:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-85: Particular requirements for fabric steamers IEC 60335-2-85:2002EN 60335-2-85:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-85:2003/A11:2018
12. | EN 60335-2-109:2010Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-109: Particular requirements for UV radiation water treatment appliances IEC 60335-2-109:2010EN 60335-2-109:2010/A1:2018EN 60335-2-109:2010/A2:2018
13. | EN 60529:1991Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code) IEC 60529:1989EN 60529:1991/AC:1993EN 60529:1991/AC:2016-12EN 60529:1991/A2 :2013/AC:2019-02EN 60529:1991/A1:2000EN 60529:1991/A2:2013
14. | EN 60598-2-22:2014Luminaires – Part 2-22: Particular requirements – Luminaires for emergency lighting IEC 60598-2-22:2014EN 60598-2-22/AC:2015EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-05EN 60598-2-22:2014/AC:2016-09
15. | EN 60715:2017Dimensions of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Standardized mounting on rails for mechanical support of switchgear, controlgear and accessories IEC 60715:2017
16. | EN 60898-1:2019Electrical accessories – Circuit-breakers for overcurrent protection for household and similar installations – Part 1: Circuit-breakers for a.c. operation IEC 60898-1:2015 (Modified)
17. | EN 60947-2:2017Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers IEC 60947-2:2016
18. | EN 60947-5-1:2017Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 5-1: Control circuit devices and switching elements – Electromechanical control circuit devices IEC 60947-5-1:2016
19. | EN 60947-5-5:1997Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 5-5: Control circuit devices and switching elements – Electrical emergency stop device with mechanical latching function IEC 60947-5-5:1997EN 60947-5-5:1997/A1:2005EN 60947-5-5:1997/A2:2017EN 60947-5-5:1997/A11:2013
20. | EN 61008-1:2012Residual current operated circuit-breakers without integral overcurrent protection for household and similar uses (RCCBs) – Part 1: General rules IEC 61008-1:2010 (Modified)EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014/AC:2016-06EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014EN 61008-1:2012/A2:2014EN 61008-1:2012/A11:2015EN 61008-1:2012/A12:2017
21. | EN IEC 61010-2-201:2018Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use – Part 2-201: Particular requirements for control equipment IEC 61010-2-201:2017
22. | EN IEC 61058-1:2018Switches for appliances – Part 1: General requirements IEC 61058-1:2016
23. | EN 61643-11:2012Low-voltage surge protective devices – Part 11: Surge protective devices connected to low-voltage power systems – Requirements and test methods IEC 61643-11:2011 (Modified)EN 61643-11:2012/A11:2018
24. | EN 61851-23:2014Electric vehicle conductive charging system – Part 23: DC electric vehicle charging station IEC 61851-23:2014EN 61851-23:2014/AC:2016-06
25. | EN 62560:2012Self-ballasted LED-lamps for general lighting services by voltage > 50 V – Safety specifications IEC 62560:2011 (Modified)EN 62560:2012/AC:2015EN 62560:2012/A1:2015/AC:2015EN 62560:2012/A1:2015EN 62560:2012/A11:2019
26. | EN 62606:2013General requirements for arc fault detection devices IEC 62606:2013 (Modified)EN 62606:2013/A1:2017
27. | EN 63024:2018Requirements for automatic reclosing devices (ARDs) for circuit-breakers, RCBOs andRCCBs for household and similar uses IEC 63024:2017 (Modified)
ANNEX II
No | Reference of the standard | Date of withdrawal
1. | EN 50557:2011Requirements for automatic reclosing devices (ARDs) for circuit breakers-RCBOs-RCCBs for household and similar uses | 27 May 2021
2. | EN 60204-1:2006Safety of machinery – Electrical equipment of machines – Part 1: General requirements IEC 60204-1:2005 (Modified)EN 60204-1:2006/A1:2009 | 27 May 2021
3. | EN 60335-1:2012Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements IEC 60335-1:2010 (Modified)EN 60335-1:2012/A11:2014 | 27 May 2021
4. | EN 60335-2-4:2010Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-4: Particular requirements for spin extractors IEC 60335-2-4:2008 (Modified)EN 60335-2-4:2010/A1:2015 | 27 May 2021
5. | EN 60335-2-15:2002Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-15: Particular requirements for appliances for heating liquids IEC 60335-2-15:2002EN 60335-2-15:2002/A1:2005EN 60335-2-15:2002/A2:2008EN 60335-2-15:2002/A11:2012 | 27 May 2021
6. | EN 60335-2-16:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-16: Particular requirements for food waste disposers IEC 60335-2-16:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-16:2003/A1:2008EN 60335-2-16:2003/A2:2012 | 27 May 2021
7. | EN 60335-2-28:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-28: Particular requirements for sewing machines IEC 60335-2-28:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-28:2003/A1:2008 | 27 May 2021
8. | EN 60335-2-29:2004Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-29: Particular requirements for battery chargers IEC 60335-2-29:2002 + A1:2004EN 60335-2-29:2004/A2:2010 | 27 May 2021
9. | EN 60335-2-55:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-55: Particular requirements for electrical appliances for use with aquariums and garden ponds IEC 60335-2-55:2002EN 60335-2-55:2003/A1:2008 | 27 May 2021
10. | EN 60335-2-59:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-59: Particular requirements for insect killers IEC 60335-2-59:2002 (Modified)EN 60335-2-59:2003/A1:2006EN 60335-2-59:2003/A2:2009 | 27 May 2021
11. | EN 60335-2-74:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-74: Particular requirements for portable immersion heaters IEC 60335-2-74:2002EN 60335-2-74:2003/A1:2006EN 60335-2-74:2003/A2:2009 | 27 May 2021
12. | EN 60335-2-85:2003Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-85: Particular requirements for fabric steamers IEC 60335-2-85:2002EN 60335-2-85:2003/A1:2008 | 27 May 2021
13. | EN 60335-2-109:2010Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-109: Particular requirements for UV radiation water treatment appliances IEC60335-2-109:2010 | 27 May 2021
14. | EN 60529:1991Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code) IEC 60529:1989EN 60529:1991/AC:1993EN 60529:1991/A1:2000EN 60529:1991/A2:2013 | 27 May 2020
15. | EN 60598-2-22:2014Luminaires – Part 2-22: Particular requirements – Luminaires for emergency lighting IEC 60598-2-22:2014EN 60598-2-22/AC:2015 | 27 May 2020
16. | EN 62560:2012Self-ballasted LED-lamps for general lighting services by voltage > 50 V – Safety specifications IEC 62560:2011 (Modified)EN 62560:2012/A1:2015EN 62560:2012/AC:2015EN 62560:2012/A1:2015/AC:2015 | 27 May 2021
17. | EN 60715:2001Dimensions of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Standardized mounting on rails for | 27 May 2021
| mechanical support of electrical devices in switchgear and controlgear installations IEC 60715:1981 + A1:1995 |
18. | EN 60898-1:2003Electrical accessories – Circuit breakers for overcurrent protection for household and similar installations – Part 1: Circuit-breakers for a.c. operation IEC 60898-1:2002 (Modified)EN 60898-1:2003/A1:2004EN 60898-1:2003/A11:2005EN 60898-1:2003/A13:2012 | 27 May 2021
19. | EN 60947-2:2006Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers IEC 60947-2:2006EN 60947-2:2006/A1:2009EN 60947-2:2006/A2:2013 | 27 May 2021
20. | EN 60947-5-1:2004Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 5-1: Control circuit devices and switching elements – Electromechanical control circuit devices IEC 60947-5-1:2003EN 60947-5-1:2004/A1:2009 | 27 May 2021
21. | EN 60947-5-5:1997Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 5-5: Control circuit devices and switching elements – Electrical emergency stop device with mechanical latching function IEC 60947-5-5:1997EN 60947-5-5:1997/A1:2005EN 60947-5-5:1997/A11:2013 | 27 May 2021
22. | EN 61008-1:2012Residual current operated circuit-breakers without integral overcurrent protection for household and similar uses (RCCBs) – Part 1: General rules IEC 61008-1:2010 (Modified)EN 61008-1:2012/A1:2014EN 61008-1:2012/A11:2015EN 61008-1:2012/A2:2014 | 27 May 2021
23. | EN 61010-2-201:2013Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use – Part 2-201: Particular requirements for control equipment IEC 61010-2-201:2013EN 61010-2-201:2013/AC:2013 | 27 May 2021
24. | EN 61058-1:2002Switches for appliances – Part 1: General requirements IEC 61058-1:2000 (Modified) + A1:2001EN 61058-1:2002/A2:2008 | 27 May 2021
25. | EN 61643-11:2012Low-voltage surge protective devices – Part 11: Surge protective devices connected to low voltage power systems – Requirements and test methods IEC 61643-11:2011 (Modified) | 27 May 2021
26. | EN 61851-23:2014Electric vehicle conductive charging system – Part 23: DC electric vehicle charging station IEC 61851-23:2014 | 27 May 2020
27. | EN 62560:2012Self-ballasted LED-lamps for general lighting services by voltage > 50 V – Safety specifications IEC 62560:2011 (Modified)EN 62560:2012/A1:2015EN 62560:2012/A1:2015/AC:2015 | 27 May 2021
28. | EN 62606:2013General requirements for arc fault detection devices IEC 62606:2013 (Modified) | 27 May 2021

Pending: 32018D2031

20.12.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 325/50
(1) On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the ‘United Kingdom’) submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification, i.e. from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period.
(2) As announced in the Commission Communication of 13 November 2018‘Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019: a Contingency Action Plan’(2)(‘the Contingency Action Plan’), a withdrawal without an agreement may pose risks to the financial stability of the Union and its Member States. To prevent such risks, it is justified and in the interests of the Union and its Member States to ensure, for a limited period of time, that central counterparties (‘CCPs’) that have already been authorised in the United Kingdom (‘UK CCPs’) may continue to provide clearing services in the Union after 29 March 2019.
(3) Central clearing increases market transparency, mitigates credit risks and reduces the risks of contagion in the event of the default of one or more participants in a CCP. The provision of such services is therefore critical for ensuring financial stability. A disruption in the provision of clearing services could also affect the implementation of central banks' monetary policy where transactions are cleared in the currency issued by a Union central bank. Moreover, financial instruments cleared by CCPs are also essential for financial intermediaries and their clients, e.g. to hedge interest rate risks, and a disruption in the provision of clearing services could therefore also create risks for the real economy of the Union.
(4) As of 31 December 2017, the outstanding notional amount of OTC derivatives is more than EUR 500 trillion worldwide, of which interest rate derivatives represent more than 75 % and foreign exchange derivatives almost 20 %. About 30 % of all OTC derivatives are denominated in euro and other Union currencies. The market for central clearing of OTC derivatives is highly concentrated, in particular the market for central clearing of OTC interest rate derivatives of which about 97 % are cleared in one UK CCP(3).
(5) From 30 March 2019, UK CCPs will be ‘third-country CCPs’ and, as such, may only provide clearing services if they are recognised by the European Securities and Markets Authority (‘ESMA’) in accordance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. In the absence of the recognition of UK CCPs, counterparties established in the Union may not clear OTC derivatives that are subject to the clearing obligation pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 in UK CCPs. That situation may result in temporary challenges for those counterparties to fulfil their clearing obligations, which in turn, may pose risks to the financial stability and the implementation of the monetary policy of the Union and its Member States. As announced in the Contingency Action Plan, it is therefore necessary that, in that exceptional situation, the legal and supervisory arrangements governing UK CCPs are determined as equivalent for a strictly limited period of time and under specific conditions so that those CCPs may continue to provide clearing services in the Union.
(6) In accordance with Article 25(6) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012, three conditions must be fulfilled in order to determine that the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country regarding CCPs authorised therein are equivalent to those laid down in that Regulation.
(7) First, the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country must ensure that CCPs in that third country comply with legally binding requirements which are equivalent to the requirements laid down in Title IV of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. Until 29 March 2019, Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 is directly applicable in the United Kingdom and UK CCPs authorised under Article 14 of that Regulation therefore must comply with its requirements. As part of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the United Kingdom incorporated on 26 June 2018 the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law with effect from the date of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union.
(8) Second, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the third country must ensure that CCPs established in the third country are subject to effective supervision and enforcement on an ongoing basis. Until 29 March 2019, UK CCPs are under the supervision of the Bank of England, as determined by United Kingdom domestic law in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 648/2012(4). As part of the incorporation of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law, the Bank of England remains responsible for the supervision of CCPs and its supervisory and enforcement powers regarding CCPs will remain essentially unchanged.
(9) Third, the legal framework of the third country must provide for an effective equivalent system for the recognition of CCPs authorised under third-country legal regimes. This is ensured by the incorporation of the equivalence system in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law.
(10) The Commission concludes that the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom applicable to UK CCPs on the day after its withdrawal from the Union meet the conditions laid down in Article 25(6) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012.
(11) However, this Decision is based on the legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CCPs on the day after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. Those legal and supervisory arrangements should only be considered equivalent where the requirements applicable to CCPs in United Kingdom domestic law are maintained and continue to be effectively applied and enforced on an ongoing basis. The effective exchange of information and coordination of supervisory activities between ESMA and the Bank of England is therefore an essential condition for maintaining the determination of equivalence.
(12) That exchange of information requires the conclusion of comprehensive and effective cooperation arrangements in accordance with Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. Those cooperation arrangements should also ensure the possibility to share all relevant information with the authorities referred to in Article 25(3) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012, including the European Central Bank and the other members of the European System of Central Banks, for the purpose of consulting those authorities about the recognised status of UK CCPs or where that information is necessary for those authorities to carry out their supervisory tasks.
(13) In the event of the exceptional situation of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement, cooperation arrangements established pursuant to Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 must ensure that ESMA has immediate access, on an ongoing basis, to all information requested by it. That information includes but is not limited to information allowing for the assessment of any material risks posed by UK CCPs to the Union or its Member States, either directly or indirectly. The cooperation arrangements should therefore specify the mechanisms and procedures for the prompt exchange of information related to the clearing activities of UK CCPs with respect to financial instruments denominated in Union currencies, trading venues, clearing participants as well as subsidiaries of Union credit institutions and investment firms; to interoperability arrangements with other CCPs; to own resources; to default funds composition and calibration, to margins, liquid resources and collateral portfolios including haircut calibrations and to stress tests; the prompt notification of any change affecting UK CCPs or the United Kingdom legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CCPs; as well as the mechanism for the prompt notification of ESMA of any developments with regard to UK CCPs that could affect the monetary policy in the Union.
(14) The Commission, in cooperation with ESMA, will monitor any changes introduced in the legal and supervisory arrangements affecting UK CCPs, market developments as well as the effectiveness of supervisory cooperation, including prompt information exchange between ESMA and the Bank of England. The Commission might undertake a review at any time where relevant developments make it necessary for the Commission to re-assess the equivalence granted by this Decision, including where the terms of the cooperation arrangements concluded between ESMA and the Bank of England are not respected or do not allow for an effective assessment of the risk that UK CCPs pose to the Union or its Member States.
(15) In light of the uncertainties surrounding the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the Union, as well as their potential impact on the financial stability of the Union and its Member States and on the integrity of the Single Market, this Decision should expire on 30 March 2020. The assessment contained in this Decision is therefore without prejudice to any future assessment of the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom for CCPs and, as such, should not be relied upon beyond the purposes of this Decision.
(16) This Decision should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should only apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date or the two-year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union has been extended.
(17) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the European Securities Committee,
(a) a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union has entered into force by that date;
(b) a decision has been taken to extend the two year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on OTC derivatives, central counterparties and trade repositories(1)and in particular Article 25(6) thereof,
(1) On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the ‘United Kingdom’) submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification, i.e. from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period.
(2) As announced in the Commission Communication of 13 November 2018‘Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019: a Contingency Action Plan’(2)(‘the Contingency Action Plan’), a withdrawal without an agreement may pose risks to the financial stability of the Union and its Member States. To prevent such risks, it is justified and in the interests of the Union and its Member States to ensure, for a limited period of time, that central counterparties (‘CCPs’) that have already been authorised in the United Kingdom (‘UK CCPs’) may continue to provide clearing services in the Union after 29 March 2019.
(3) Central clearing increases market transparency, mitigates credit risks and reduces the risks of contagion in the event of the default of one or more participants in a CCP. The provision of such services is therefore critical for ensuring financial stability. A disruption in the provision of clearing services could also affect the implementation of central banks’ monetary policy where transactions are cleared in the currency issued by a Union central bank. Moreover, financial instruments cleared by CCPs are also essential for financial intermediaries and their clients, e.g. to hedge interest rate risks, and a disruption in the provision of clearing services could therefore also create risks for the real economy of the Union.
(4) As of 31 December 2017, the outstanding notional amount of OTC derivatives is more than EUR 500 trillion worldwide, of which interest rate derivatives represent more than 75 % and foreign exchange derivatives almost 20 %. About 30 % of all OTC derivatives are denominated in euro and other Union currencies. The market for central clearing of OTC derivatives is highly concentrated, in particular the market for central clearing of OTC interest rate derivatives of which about 97 % are cleared in one UK CCP(3).
(5) From 30 March 2019, UK CCPs will be ‘third-country CCPs’ and, as such, may only provide clearing services if they are recognised by the European Securities and Markets Authority (‘ESMA’) in accordance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. In the absence of the recognition of UK CCPs, counterparties established in the Union may not clear OTC derivatives that are subject to the clearing obligation pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 in UK CCPs. That situation may result in temporary challenges for those counterparties to fulfil their clearing obligations, which in turn, may pose risks to the financial stability and the implementation of the monetary policy of the Union and its Member States. As announced in the Contingency Action Plan, it is therefore necessary that, in that exceptional situation, the legal and supervisory arrangements governing UK CCPs are determined as equivalent for a strictly limited period of time and under specific conditions so that those CCPs may continue to provide clearing services in the Union.
(6) In accordance with Article 25(6) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012, three conditions must be fulfilled in order to determine that the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country regarding CCPs authorised therein are equivalent to those laid down in that Regulation.
(7) First, the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country must ensure that CCPs in that third country comply with legally binding requirements which are equivalent to the requirements laid down in Title IV of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. Until 29 March 2019, Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 is directly applicable in the United Kingdom and UK CCPs authorised under Article 14 of that Regulation therefore must comply with its requirements. As part of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the United Kingdom incorporated on 26 June 2018 the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law with effect from the date of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union.
(8) Second, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the third country must ensure that CCPs established in the third country are subject to effective supervision and enforcement on an ongoing basis. Until 29 March 2019, UK CCPs are under the supervision of the Bank of England, as determined by United Kingdom domestic law in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 648/2012(4). As part of the incorporation of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law, the Bank of England remains responsible for the supervision of CCPs and its supervisory and enforcement powers regarding CCPs will remain essentially unchanged.
(9) Third, the legal framework of the third country must provide for an effective equivalent system for the recognition of CCPs authorised under third-country legal regimes. This is ensured by the incorporation of the equivalence system in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law.
(10) The Commission concludes that the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom applicable to UK CCPs on the day after its withdrawal from the Union meet the conditions laid down in Article 25(6) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012.
(11) However, this Decision is based on the legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CCPs on the day after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. Those legal and supervisory arrangements should only be considered equivalent where the requirements applicable to CCPs in United Kingdom domestic law are maintained and continue to be effectively applied and enforced on an ongoing basis. The effective exchange of information and coordination of supervisory activities between ESMA and the Bank of England is therefore an essential condition for maintaining the determination of equivalence.
(12) That exchange of information requires the conclusion of comprehensive and effective cooperation arrangements in accordance with Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. Those cooperation arrangements should also ensure the possibility to share all relevant information with the authorities referred to in Article 25(3) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012, including the European Central Bank and the other members of the European System of Central Banks, for the purpose of consulting those authorities about the recognised status of UK CCPs or where that information is necessary for those authorities to carry out their supervisory tasks.
(13) In the event of the exceptional situation of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement, cooperation arrangements established pursuant to Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 must ensure that ESMA has immediate access, on an ongoing basis, to all information requested by it. That information includes but is not limited to information allowing for the assessment of any material risks posed by UK CCPs to the Union or its Member States, either directly or indirectly. The cooperation arrangements should therefore specify the mechanisms and procedures for the prompt exchange of information related to the clearing activities of UK CCPs with respect to financial instruments denominated in Union currencies, trading venues, clearing participants as well as subsidiaries of Union credit institutions and investment firms; to interoperability arrangements with other CCPs; to own resources; to default funds composition and calibration, to margins, liquid resources and collateral portfolios including haircut calibrations and to stress tests; the prompt notification of any change affecting UK CCPs or the United Kingdom legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CCPs; as well as the mechanism for the prompt notification of ESMA of any developments with regard to UK CCPs that could affect the monetary policy in the Union.
(14) The Commission, in cooperation with ESMA, will monitor any changes introduced in the legal and supervisory arrangements affecting UK CCPs, market developments as well as the effectiveness of supervisory cooperation, including prompt information exchange between ESMA and the Bank of England. The Commission might undertake a review at any time where relevant developments make it necessary for the Commission to re-assess the equivalence granted by this Decision, including where the terms of the cooperation arrangements concluded between ESMA and the Bank of England are not respected or do not allow for an effective assessment of the risk that UK CCPs pose to the Union or its Member States.
(15) In light of the uncertainties surrounding the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the Union, as well as their potential impact on the financial stability of the Union and its Member States and on the integrity of the Single Market, this Decision should expire on 30 March 2020. The assessment contained in this Decision is therefore without prejudice to any future assessment of the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom for CCPs and, as such, should not be relied upon beyond the purposes of this Decision.
(16) This Decision should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should only apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date or the two-year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union has been extended.
(17) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the European Securities Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1
For the purposes of Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consisting of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 applicable to central counterparties already established and authorised in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shall be considered to be equivalent to the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 648/2012.

Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
However, this Decision shall not apply in any of the following cases:
(a)
a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union has entered into force by that date;
(b)
a decision has been taken to extend the two year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
It shall expire on 30 March 2020.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on OTC derivatives, central counterparties and trade repositories(1)and in particular Article 25(6) thereof,
(1) On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the ‘United Kingdom’) submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification, i.e. from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period.
(2) As announced in the Commission Communication of 13 November 2018‘Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019: a Contingency Action Plan’(2)(‘the Contingency Action Plan’), a withdrawal without an agreement may pose risks to the financial stability of the Union and its Member States. To prevent such risks, it is justified and in the interests of the Union and its Member States to ensure, for a limited period of time, that central counterparties (‘CCPs’) that have already been authorised in the United Kingdom (‘UK CCPs’) may continue to provide clearing services in the Union after 29 March 2019.
(3) Central clearing increases market transparency, mitigates credit risks and reduces the risks of contagion in the event of the default of one or more participants in a CCP. The provision of such services is therefore critical for ensuring financial stability. A disruption in the provision of clearing services could also affect the implementation of central banks’ monetary policy where transactions are cleared in the currency issued by a Union central bank. Moreover, financial instruments cleared by CCPs are also essential for financial intermediaries and their clients, e.g. to hedge interest rate risks, and a disruption in the provision of clearing services could therefore also create risks for the real economy of the Union.
(4) As of 31 December 2017, the outstanding notional amount of OTC derivatives is more than EUR 500 trillion worldwide, of which interest rate derivatives represent more than 75 % and foreign exchange derivatives almost 20 %. About 30 % of all OTC derivatives are denominated in euro and other Union currencies. The market for central clearing of OTC derivatives is highly concentrated, in particular the market for central clearing of OTC interest rate derivatives of which about 97 % are cleared in one UK CCP(3).
(5) From 30 March 2019, UK CCPs will be ‘third-country CCPs’ and, as such, may only provide clearing services if they are recognised by the European Securities and Markets Authority (‘ESMA’) in accordance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. In the absence of the recognition of UK CCPs, counterparties established in the Union may not clear OTC derivatives that are subject to the clearing obligation pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 in UK CCPs. That situation may result in temporary challenges for those counterparties to fulfil their clearing obligations, which in turn, may pose risks to the financial stability and the implementation of the monetary policy of the Union and its Member States. As announced in the Contingency Action Plan, it is therefore necessary that, in that exceptional situation, the legal and supervisory arrangements governing UK CCPs are determined as equivalent for a strictly limited period of time and under specific conditions so that those CCPs may continue to provide clearing services in the Union.
(6) In accordance with Article 25(6) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012, three conditions must be fulfilled in order to determine that the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country regarding CCPs authorised therein are equivalent to those laid down in that Regulation.
(7) First, the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country must ensure that CCPs in that third country comply with legally binding requirements which are equivalent to the requirements laid down in Title IV of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. Until 29 March 2019, Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 is directly applicable in the United Kingdom and UK CCPs authorised under Article 14 of that Regulation therefore must comply with its requirements. As part of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the United Kingdom incorporated on 26 June 2018 the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law with effect from the date of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union.
(8) Second, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the third country must ensure that CCPs established in the third country are subject to effective supervision and enforcement on an ongoing basis. Until 29 March 2019, UK CCPs are under the supervision of the Bank of England, as determined by United Kingdom domestic law in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 648/2012(4). As part of the incorporation of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law, the Bank of England remains responsible for the supervision of CCPs and its supervisory and enforcement powers regarding CCPs will remain essentially unchanged.
(9) Third, the legal framework of the third country must provide for an effective equivalent system for the recognition of CCPs authorised under third-country legal regimes. This is ensured by the incorporation of the equivalence system in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 into United Kingdom domestic law.
(10) The Commission concludes that the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom applicable to UK CCPs on the day after its withdrawal from the Union meet the conditions laid down in Article 25(6) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012.
(11) However, this Decision is based on the legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CCPs on the day after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. Those legal and supervisory arrangements should only be considered equivalent where the requirements applicable to CCPs in United Kingdom domestic law are maintained and continue to be effectively applied and enforced on an ongoing basis. The effective exchange of information and coordination of supervisory activities between ESMA and the Bank of England is therefore an essential condition for maintaining the determination of equivalence.
(12) That exchange of information requires the conclusion of comprehensive and effective cooperation arrangements in accordance with Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. Those cooperation arrangements should also ensure the possibility to share all relevant information with the authorities referred to in Article 25(3) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012, including the European Central Bank and the other members of the European System of Central Banks, for the purpose of consulting those authorities about the recognised status of UK CCPs or where that information is necessary for those authorities to carry out their supervisory tasks.
(13) In the event of the exceptional situation of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement, cooperation arrangements established pursuant to Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 must ensure that ESMA has immediate access, on an ongoing basis, to all information requested by it. That information includes but is not limited to information allowing for the assessment of any material risks posed by UK CCPs to the Union or its Member States, either directly or indirectly. The cooperation arrangements should therefore specify the mechanisms and procedures for the prompt exchange of information related to the clearing activities of UK CCPs with respect to financial instruments denominated in Union currencies, trading venues, clearing participants as well as subsidiaries of Union credit institutions and investment firms; to interoperability arrangements with other CCPs; to own resources; to default funds composition and calibration, to margins, liquid resources and collateral portfolios including haircut calibrations and to stress tests; the prompt notification of any change affecting UK CCPs or the United Kingdom legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CCPs; as well as the mechanism for the prompt notification of ESMA of any developments with regard to UK CCPs that could affect the monetary policy in the Union.
(14) The Commission, in cooperation with ESMA, will monitor any changes introduced in the legal and supervisory arrangements affecting UK CCPs, market developments as well as the effectiveness of supervisory cooperation, including prompt information exchange between ESMA and the Bank of England. The Commission might undertake a review at any time where relevant developments make it necessary for the Commission to re-assess the equivalence granted by this Decision, including where the terms of the cooperation arrangements concluded between ESMA and the Bank of England are not respected or do not allow for an effective assessment of the risk that UK CCPs pose to the Union or its Member States.
(15) In light of the uncertainties surrounding the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the Union, as well as their potential impact on the financial stability of the Union and its Member States and on the integrity of the Single Market, this Decision should expire on 30 March 2020. The assessment contained in this Decision is therefore without prejudice to any future assessment of the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom for CCPs and, as such, should not be relied upon beyond the purposes of this Decision.
(16) This Decision should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should only apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date or the two-year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union has been extended.
(17) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the European Securities Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
For the purposes of Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consisting of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 applicable to central counterparties already established and authorised in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shall be considered to be equivalent to the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 648/2012.
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
However, this Decision shall not apply in any of the following cases:
(a)
a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union has entered into force by that date;
(b)
a decision has been taken to extend the two year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
It shall expire on 30 March 2020.

Pending: 32018D2030

20.12.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 325/47
(1) On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the ‘United Kingdom’) submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification, i.e. from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period.
(2) As announced in the Commission Communication of 13 November 2018‘Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019: a Contingency Action Plan’(2)(‘the Contingency Action Plan’), a withdrawal without an agreement may pose risks in relation to certain services provided to Union operators by central securities depositories (‘CSDs’) that have already been authorised in the United Kingdom (‘UK CSDs’) and that cannot be replaced in the short-term. To prevent such risks, it is justified and in the interests of the Union and its Member States to ensure, for a limited period of time, that UK CSDs may continue to provide services in the Union after 29 March 2019.
(3) CSDs are instrumental to financial markets. The recording of securities in a book-entry system (‘notary services’) and the maintenance of securities accounts at the top tier level (‘central maintenance services’) increase transparency and protect investors, as they ensure the integrity of the issue and prevent undue duplication or reduction of securities. CSDs also operate securities settlement systems, which ensure that securities transactions are settled properly and in a timely manner. These functions are critical in the post-trade clearing and settlement process and as such essential to the financial stability of the Union and its Member States. Securities settlement systems are essential also to monetary policy as they are closely involved in securing collateral for monetary policy operations. Furthermore, market operators in Ireland rely on the services of a UK CSD with respect to corporate securities and exchange traded funds constituted under the domestic law of Ireland.
(4) From 30 March 2019, UK CSDs will be ‘third-country CSDs’ and, as such, may only provide notary and central maintenance services in relation to financial instruments constituted under the law of a Member State if they are recognised by the European Securities and Markets Authority (‘ESMA’) in accordance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. In the absence of the recognition of UK CSDs, Union issuers may not use UK CSDs to record transferable securities constituted under such laws in book-entry form in a CSD as required by Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. That situation may result in temporary challenges for issuers to fulfil their legal obligations. As announced in the Contingency Action Plan, it is therefore necessary that, in that exceptional situation, the legal and supervisory arrangements governing UK CSDs are determined as equivalent for a strictly limited period of time and under specific conditions so that those CSDs may continue to provide notary and maintenance services in the Union.
(5) In accordance with Article 25(9) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014, three conditions must be fulfilled in order to determine that the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country regarding CSDs authorised therein are equivalent to those laid down in that Regulation.
(6) First, the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country must ensure that CSDs in that third country comply with legally binding requirements which are in effect equivalent to the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. Until 29 March 2019, UK CSDs must comply with the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. As part of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the United Kingdom incorporated on 26 June 2018 the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law with effect from the date of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union.
(7) Second, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the third country must ensure that CSDs established in the third country are subject to effective supervision, oversight and enforcement on an ongoing basis. Until 29 March 2019, UK CSDs are under the supervision by the Bank of England, as determined by United Kingdom domestic law in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. As part of the incorporation of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law, the Bank of England remains responsible for the supervision of CSDs and its supervisory, oversight and enforcement powers regarding CSDs will remain essentially unchanged.
(8) Third, the legal framework of the third country must provide for an effective equivalent system for the recognition of CSDs authorised under third-country legal regimes. This is ensured by the incorporation of the equivalence system in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law.
(9) The Commission concludes that the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom applicable to UK CSDs on the day after its withdrawal from the Union meet the conditions laid down in Article 25(9) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014.
(10) However, this Decision is based on the legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CSDs on the day after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. Those legal and supervisory arrangements should only be considered equivalent where the requirements applicable to CSDs in United Kingdom domestic law are maintained and continue to be effectively applied and enforced on an ongoing basis. The effective exchange of information and coordination of supervisory activities between ESMA and the Bank of England is therefore an essential condition for maintaining the determination of equivalence.
(11) That exchange of information requires the conclusion of comprehensive and effective cooperation arrangements in accordance with Article 25(10) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. Those cooperation arrangements should also ensure the possibility to share all relevant information with the authorities referred to in Article 25(5) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014, including the European Central Bank and the other members of the European System of Central Banks, for the purpose of consulting those authorities about the recognised status of UK CSDs or where that information is necessary for those authorities to carry out their supervisory tasks.
(12) In the event of the exceptional situation of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement, and given the importance of UK CSDs to market operators in the Union, cooperation arrangements established pursuant to Article 25(10) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 must ensure that ESMA has immediate access, on an ongoing basis, to all information requested by it. That information includes but is not limited to information allowing for the assessment of any material risks posed by UK CSDs to the Union or its Member States, either directly or indirectly. The cooperation arrangements should therefore specify the mechanism for the exchange of information between ESMA, the competent authorities of the Member States in which a CSD has a branch or provides CSD services (the ‘host Member State’) and the Bank of England, including access to all information regarding UK CSDs that is requested by ESMA and in particular access to information requested by the competent authority in the host Member State in the cases referred to in Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 regarding the periodic reporting on UK CSDs' activities in the host Member State; the communication of the identity of the issuers and participants in the securities settlement system operated by UK CSDs or any other relevant information concerning UK CSDs' activities in the host Member State; as well as the prompt notification of ESMA of any developments with regard to UK CSDs that could affect the monetary policy in the Union and of any changes in the legal and or supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CSDs; the mechanism for prompt notification of ESMA where the Bank of England deems a CSD that it is supervising to infringe the conditions of its authorisation or of other applicable law; and the procedures concerning the coordination of supervisory activities including, where appropriate, on-site inspections.
(13) The Commission, in cooperation with ESMA, will monitor any changes introduced in the legal and supervisory arrangements affecting UK CSDs, market developments as well as the effectiveness of supervisory cooperation, including prompt information exchange between ESMA and the Bank of England. The Commission might undertake a review at any time, where relevant developments make it necessary for the Commission to re-assess the equivalence granted by this Decision, including where the terms of the cooperation arrangements concluded between ESMA and the Bank of England are not respected or do not allow for an effective assessment of the risk that UK CSDs pose to the Union or its Member States.
(14) In light of the uncertainties surrounding the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the Union, as well as their potential impact on the financial stability of the Union and its Member States and on the integrity of the Single Market, this Decision should expire on 30 March 2021. The assessment contained in this Decision is therefore without prejudice to any future assessment of the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom for CSDs and, as such, should not be relied upon beyond the purposes of this Decision.
(15) This Decision should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should only apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date or the two-year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union has been extended.
(16) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the European Securities Committee,
(a) a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union has entered into force by that date;
(b) a decision has been taken to extend the two year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on improving securities settlement in the European Union and on central securities depositories and amending Directives 98/26/EC and 2014/65/EU and Regulation (EU) No 236/2012(1)and in particular Article 25(9) thereof,
(1) On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the ‘United Kingdom’) submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification, i.e. from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period.
(2) As announced in the Commission Communication of 13 November 2018‘Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019: a Contingency Action Plan’(2)(‘the Contingency Action Plan’), a withdrawal without an agreement may pose risks in relation to certain services provided to Union operators by central securities depositories (‘CSDs’) that have already been authorised in the United Kingdom (‘UK CSDs’) and that cannot be replaced in the short-term. To prevent such risks, it is justified and in the interests of the Union and its Member States to ensure, for a limited period of time, that UK CSDs may continue to provide services in the Union after 29 March 2019.
(3) CSDs are instrumental to financial markets. The recording of securities in a book-entry system (‘notary services’) and the maintenance of securities accounts at the top tier level (‘central maintenance services’) increase transparency and protect investors, as they ensure the integrity of the issue and prevent undue duplication or reduction of securities. CSDs also operate securities settlement systems, which ensure that securities transactions are settled properly and in a timely manner. These functions are critical in the post-trade clearing and settlement process and as such essential to the financial stability of the Union and its Member States. Securities settlement systems are essential also to monetary policy as they are closely involved in securing collateral for monetary policy operations. Furthermore, market operators in Ireland rely on the services of a UK CSD with respect to corporate securities and exchange traded funds constituted under the domestic law of Ireland.
(4) From 30 March 2019, UK CSDs will be ‘third-country CSDs’ and, as such, may only provide notary and central maintenance services in relation to financial instruments constituted under the law of a Member State if they are recognised by the European Securities and Markets Authority (‘ESMA’) in accordance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. In the absence of the recognition of UK CSDs, Union issuers may not use UK CSDs to record transferable securities constituted under such laws in book-entry form in a CSD as required by Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. That situation may result in temporary challenges for issuers to fulfil their legal obligations. As announced in the Contingency Action Plan, it is therefore necessary that, in that exceptional situation, the legal and supervisory arrangements governing UK CSDs are determined as equivalent for a strictly limited period of time and under specific conditions so that those CSDs may continue to provide notary and maintenance services in the Union.
(5) In accordance with Article 25(9) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014, three conditions must be fulfilled in order to determine that the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country regarding CSDs authorised therein are equivalent to those laid down in that Regulation.
(6) First, the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country must ensure that CSDs in that third country comply with legally binding requirements which are in effect equivalent to the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. Until 29 March 2019, UK CSDs must comply with the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. As part of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the United Kingdom incorporated on 26 June 2018 the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law with effect from the date of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union.
(7) Second, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the third country must ensure that CSDs established in the third country are subject to effective supervision, oversight and enforcement on an ongoing basis. Until 29 March 2019, UK CSDs are under the supervision by the Bank of England, as determined by United Kingdom domestic law in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. As part of the incorporation of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law, the Bank of England remains responsible for the supervision of CSDs and its supervisory, oversight and enforcement powers regarding CSDs will remain essentially unchanged.
(8) Third, the legal framework of the third country must provide for an effective equivalent system for the recognition of CSDs authorised under third-country legal regimes. This is ensured by the incorporation of the equivalence system in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law.
(9) The Commission concludes that the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom applicable to UK CSDs on the day after its withdrawal from the Union meet the conditions laid down in Article 25(9) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014.
(10) However, this Decision is based on the legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CSDs on the day after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. Those legal and supervisory arrangements should only be considered equivalent where the requirements applicable to CSDs in United Kingdom domestic law are maintained and continue to be effectively applied and enforced on an ongoing basis. The effective exchange of information and coordination of supervisory activities between ESMA and the Bank of England is therefore an essential condition for maintaining the determination of equivalence.
(11) That exchange of information requires the conclusion of comprehensive and effective cooperation arrangements in accordance with Article 25(10) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. Those cooperation arrangements should also ensure the possibility to share all relevant information with the authorities referred to in Article 25(5) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014, including the European Central Bank and the other members of the European System of Central Banks, for the purpose of consulting those authorities about the recognised status of UK CSDs or where that information is necessary for those authorities to carry out their supervisory tasks.
(12) In the event of the exceptional situation of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement, and given the importance of UK CSDs to market operators in the Union, cooperation arrangements established pursuant to Article 25(10) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 must ensure that ESMA has immediate access, on an ongoing basis, to all information requested by it. That information includes but is not limited to information allowing for the assessment of any material risks posed by UK CSDs to the Union or its Member States, either directly or indirectly. The cooperation arrangements should therefore specify the mechanism for the exchange of information between ESMA, the competent authorities of the Member States in which a CSD has a branch or provides CSD services (the ‘host Member State’) and the Bank of England, including access to all information regarding UK CSDs that is requested by ESMA and in particular access to information requested by the competent authority in the host Member State in the cases referred to in Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 regarding the periodic reporting on UK CSDs’ activities in the host Member State; the communication of the identity of the issuers and participants in the securities settlement system operated by UK CSDs or any other relevant information concerning UK CSDs’ activities in the host Member State; as well as the prompt notification of ESMA of any developments with regard to UK CSDs that could affect the monetary policy in the Union and of any changes in the legal and or supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CSDs; the mechanism for prompt notification of ESMA where the Bank of England deems a CSD that it is supervising to infringe the conditions of its authorisation or of other applicable law; and the procedures concerning the coordination of supervisory activities including, where appropriate, on-site inspections.
(13) The Commission, in cooperation with ESMA, will monitor any changes introduced in the legal and supervisory arrangements affecting UK CSDs, market developments as well as the effectiveness of supervisory cooperation, including prompt information exchange between ESMA and the Bank of England. The Commission might undertake a review at any time, where relevant developments make it necessary for the Commission to re-assess the equivalence granted by this Decision, including where the terms of the cooperation arrangements concluded between ESMA and the Bank of England are not respected or do not allow for an effective assessment of the risk that UK CSDs pose to the Union or its Member States.
(14) In light of the uncertainties surrounding the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the Union, as well as their potential impact on the financial stability of the Union and its Member States and on the integrity of the Single Market, this Decision should expire on 30 March 2021. The assessment contained in this Decision is therefore without prejudice to any future assessment of the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom for CSDs and, as such, should not be relied upon beyond the purposes of this Decision.
(15) This Decision should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should only apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date or the two-year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union has been extended.
(16) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the European Securities Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1
For the purposes of Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consisting of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 applicable to central securities depositories already established and authorised in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shall be considered to be equivalent to the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 909/2014.

Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
However, this Decision shall not apply in any of the following cases:
(a)
a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union has entered into force by that date;
(b)
a decision has been taken to extend the two year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
It shall expire on 30 March 2021.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on improving securities settlement in the European Union and on central securities depositories and amending Directives 98/26/EC and 2014/65/EU and Regulation (EU) No 236/2012(1)and in particular Article 25(9) thereof,
(1) On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the ‘United Kingdom’) submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification, i.e. from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period.
(2) As announced in the Commission Communication of 13 November 2018‘Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019: a Contingency Action Plan’(2)(‘the Contingency Action Plan’), a withdrawal without an agreement may pose risks in relation to certain services provided to Union operators by central securities depositories (‘CSDs’) that have already been authorised in the United Kingdom (‘UK CSDs’) and that cannot be replaced in the short-term. To prevent such risks, it is justified and in the interests of the Union and its Member States to ensure, for a limited period of time, that UK CSDs may continue to provide services in the Union after 29 March 2019.
(3) CSDs are instrumental to financial markets. The recording of securities in a book-entry system (‘notary services’) and the maintenance of securities accounts at the top tier level (‘central maintenance services’) increase transparency and protect investors, as they ensure the integrity of the issue and prevent undue duplication or reduction of securities. CSDs also operate securities settlement systems, which ensure that securities transactions are settled properly and in a timely manner. These functions are critical in the post-trade clearing and settlement process and as such essential to the financial stability of the Union and its Member States. Securities settlement systems are essential also to monetary policy as they are closely involved in securing collateral for monetary policy operations. Furthermore, market operators in Ireland rely on the services of a UK CSD with respect to corporate securities and exchange traded funds constituted under the domestic law of Ireland.
(4) From 30 March 2019, UK CSDs will be ‘third-country CSDs’ and, as such, may only provide notary and central maintenance services in relation to financial instruments constituted under the law of a Member State if they are recognised by the European Securities and Markets Authority (‘ESMA’) in accordance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. In the absence of the recognition of UK CSDs, Union issuers may not use UK CSDs to record transferable securities constituted under such laws in book-entry form in a CSD as required by Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. That situation may result in temporary challenges for issuers to fulfil their legal obligations. As announced in the Contingency Action Plan, it is therefore necessary that, in that exceptional situation, the legal and supervisory arrangements governing UK CSDs are determined as equivalent for a strictly limited period of time and under specific conditions so that those CSDs may continue to provide notary and maintenance services in the Union.
(5) In accordance with Article 25(9) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014, three conditions must be fulfilled in order to determine that the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country regarding CSDs authorised therein are equivalent to those laid down in that Regulation.
(6) First, the legal and supervisory arrangements of a third country must ensure that CSDs in that third country comply with legally binding requirements which are in effect equivalent to the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. Until 29 March 2019, UK CSDs must comply with the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. As part of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the United Kingdom incorporated on 26 June 2018 the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law with effect from the date of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union.
(7) Second, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the third country must ensure that CSDs established in the third country are subject to effective supervision, oversight and enforcement on an ongoing basis. Until 29 March 2019, UK CSDs are under the supervision by the Bank of England, as determined by United Kingdom domestic law in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. As part of the incorporation of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law, the Bank of England remains responsible for the supervision of CSDs and its supervisory, oversight and enforcement powers regarding CSDs will remain essentially unchanged.
(8) Third, the legal framework of the third country must provide for an effective equivalent system for the recognition of CSDs authorised under third-country legal regimes. This is ensured by the incorporation of the equivalence system in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 into United Kingdom domestic law.
(9) The Commission concludes that the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom applicable to UK CSDs on the day after its withdrawal from the Union meet the conditions laid down in Article 25(9) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014.
(10) However, this Decision is based on the legal and supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CSDs on the day after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. Those legal and supervisory arrangements should only be considered equivalent where the requirements applicable to CSDs in United Kingdom domestic law are maintained and continue to be effectively applied and enforced on an ongoing basis. The effective exchange of information and coordination of supervisory activities between ESMA and the Bank of England is therefore an essential condition for maintaining the determination of equivalence.
(11) That exchange of information requires the conclusion of comprehensive and effective cooperation arrangements in accordance with Article 25(10) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014. Those cooperation arrangements should also ensure the possibility to share all relevant information with the authorities referred to in Article 25(5) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014, including the European Central Bank and the other members of the European System of Central Banks, for the purpose of consulting those authorities about the recognised status of UK CSDs or where that information is necessary for those authorities to carry out their supervisory tasks.
(12) In the event of the exceptional situation of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement, and given the importance of UK CSDs to market operators in the Union, cooperation arrangements established pursuant to Article 25(10) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 must ensure that ESMA has immediate access, on an ongoing basis, to all information requested by it. That information includes but is not limited to information allowing for the assessment of any material risks posed by UK CSDs to the Union or its Member States, either directly or indirectly. The cooperation arrangements should therefore specify the mechanism for the exchange of information between ESMA, the competent authorities of the Member States in which a CSD has a branch or provides CSD services (the ‘host Member State’) and the Bank of England, including access to all information regarding UK CSDs that is requested by ESMA and in particular access to information requested by the competent authority in the host Member State in the cases referred to in Article 25(7) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 regarding the periodic reporting on UK CSDs’ activities in the host Member State; the communication of the identity of the issuers and participants in the securities settlement system operated by UK CSDs or any other relevant information concerning UK CSDs’ activities in the host Member State; as well as the prompt notification of ESMA of any developments with regard to UK CSDs that could affect the monetary policy in the Union and of any changes in the legal and or supervisory arrangements applicable to UK CSDs; the mechanism for prompt notification of ESMA where the Bank of England deems a CSD that it is supervising to infringe the conditions of its authorisation or of other applicable law; and the procedures concerning the coordination of supervisory activities including, where appropriate, on-site inspections.
(13) The Commission, in cooperation with ESMA, will monitor any changes introduced in the legal and supervisory arrangements affecting UK CSDs, market developments as well as the effectiveness of supervisory cooperation, including prompt information exchange between ESMA and the Bank of England. The Commission might undertake a review at any time, where relevant developments make it necessary for the Commission to re-assess the equivalence granted by this Decision, including where the terms of the cooperation arrangements concluded between ESMA and the Bank of England are not respected or do not allow for an effective assessment of the risk that UK CSDs pose to the Union or its Member States.
(14) In light of the uncertainties surrounding the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the Union, as well as their potential impact on the financial stability of the Union and its Member States and on the integrity of the Single Market, this Decision should expire on 30 March 2021. The assessment contained in this Decision is therefore without prejudice to any future assessment of the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom for CSDs and, as such, should not be relied upon beyond the purposes of this Decision.
(15) This Decision should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should only apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date or the two-year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union has been extended.
(16) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the European Securities Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
For the purposes of Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014, the legal and supervisory arrangements of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consisting of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 applicable to central securities depositories already established and authorised in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shall be considered to be equivalent to the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 909/2014.
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
However, this Decision shall not apply in any of the following cases:
(a)
a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union has entered into force by that date;
(b)
a decision has been taken to extend the two year period referred to in Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
It shall expire on 30 March 2021.

Pending: 32018D2011

18.12.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 322/38
(1) On 19 November 2018, the Council adopted the EU Strategy against illicit Firearms, Small Arms & Light Weapons (‘SALW’) and their Ammunition ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’. The Strategy states that the Union will systematically mainstream gender considerations in the design of new projects relating to the fight against gun violence and SALW control in general, and the sharing of good practices in that regard.
(2) On 3 April 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/633(1)in support of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (‘PoA’). The actions funded under that Decision were implemented by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and included the organisation of a thematic seminar entitled ‘SALW and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including SDG 16 and the gender aspects of SALW control’.
(3) On 28 May 2018, the Council adopted conclusions on a Union position on combatting the illicit trade in SALW, in light of the third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the PoA that was held in June 2018. One of the Union's key objectives for the outcome of the Review Conference is the recognition of the differing impacts of armed violence on women, men, girls and boys, and promote the role of women in implementation of the PoA and gender awareness in SALW control actions as a condition for their effectiveness.
(4) On 30 June 2018, the third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the PoA adopted an outcome document where States stated that they remain gravely concerned about the negative impact of the illicit trade in SALW on the lives of women, men, girls and boys and recognise that eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is a key part of combatting gender-based violence, and that they recognise the need for strengthened participation of women in decision-making and implementation processes relating to the PoA and the International Tracing Instrument and reaffirm the need for States to mainstream gender dimensions in their implementation efforts. The States have also undertaken to encourage mainstreaming gender perspectives into small arms and light weapons policies and programmes, including in the areas of programme design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, taking into account, as appropriate, relevant guidelines and standards. The States have decided to encourage the coordinated implementation of national action plans on SALW with national action plans established under relevant United Nations resolutions and target 16.4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to encourage the collection of data disaggregated by sex on the illicit trade in SALW, including through national reports, and to increase understanding of the gender-specific impacts of the illicit trade in SALW, in particular for the purpose of improving corresponding national policies and programmes.
(5) The UN Security Council has on several occasions called for addressing women's meaningful participation, the prevention of conflict and violence, protection of violence including conflict-related sexual violence and post-conflict relief and recovery.
(6) In his Agenda for Disarmament ‘Securing our Common Future’, that was presented on 24 May 2018, the UN Secretary-General called for all States to incorporate gender perspectives in the development of national legislation and policies on disarmament and arms control, including consideration of the gendered aspects of ownership and of the use and misuse of arms, the differentiated impacts of weapons on women and men, the ways in which gender roles can shape arms control and disarmament policies and practices, and the full and equal participation of women in all decision-making processes related to disarmament and international security,
— operationalise the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) modules on ‘Women, men and the gendered nature of small arms and light weapons’ and on ‘Children, adolescents, youth and small arms and light weapons’;
— develop a training manual to serve as a guidance document and ensure that all actions are executed in accordance with current UN standards;
— train staff and trainers of UN regional centres and secretariat staff of regional and sub-regional organisations on integrating gender perspectives into small arms policies and frameworks to ensure a systematic approach to the issue;
— train national officials in 18 countries on gender-mainstreaming and small arms control;
— promote gender perspectives, gender mainstreaming and women's empowerment in regional initiatives;
— strengthen the small arms control component in the WPS framework as well as the framework itself;
— contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular Goals 16 and 5, as well as converging international policy agendas on gender equality;
— strengthen civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control in partnership with the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and IANSA Women's Network;
— generate sustained impact through effective awareness-raising, advocacy, outreach and partnerships.
— operationalise the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC)(2)modules on ‘Women, men and the gendered nature of small arms and light weapons’ and on ‘Children, adolescents, youth and small arms and light weapons’;
— develop a training manual to serve as a guidance document and ensure that all actions are executed in accordance with current UN standards;
— train staff and trainers of UN regional centres and secretariat staff of regional and sub-regional organisations on integrating gender perspectives into small arms policies and frameworks to ensure a systematic approach to the issue;
— train national officials in 18 countries on gender-mainstreaming and small arms control;
— promote gender perspectives, gender mainstreaming and women's empowerment in regional initiatives;
— strengthen the small arms control component in the WPS framework as well as the framework itself;
— contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular Goals 16 and 5, as well as converging international policy agendas on gender equality;
— strengthen civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control in partnership with the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and IANSA Women's Network;
— generate sustained impact through effective awareness-raising, advocacy, outreach and partnerships.
(a) Translate the two MOSAIC modules from English into Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
(b) In cooperation with key stakeholders and based on the MOSAIC modules and existing trainings and resources, develop a training manual on gender-mainstreaming small arms control which will serve as a practical guidance document for all stakeholders involved in the implementation of all actions under this Decision.
(c) Translate the training manual from English into French, Portuguese and Spanish (working languages of UNODA's regional centres).
(d) Make the training manual and additional material available to wider communities of practitioners, both online and in print.
(a) Together with the UN Women Training Centre, develop an online based training on gender mainstreaming small arms control for UN staff and wider communities of practitioners. The training will reflect the content of relevant MOSAIC modules and converging agendas and will be available in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
(b) In cooperation with UNDP SEESAC, establish a coaching programme for staff at the UN regional centres to raise their awareness and strengthen their capacities for integrating the gender perspective into small arms control through tailored interventions in their regions, in particular in beneficiary countries of the in-country training programmes [3.3.2]. The coaching programme will elaborate the training manual developed under this Decision [3.1.2.b.] and build on UNDP SEESAC's work and experience funded under Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356(4).
(c) Convene a project team workshop following the pilot phase of the in-country training programmes [3.3.2.a]. The workshop will maximise the coordination and cooperation of the project team, vet the training manual before translation and publication, enable exchanges on the implementation of this Decision, in particular on the pilots of the in-country training programmes, and validate required training materials.
(a) Pilot phase: Establish and implement in-country pilot training programmes in six selected countries in coordination with their established national coordinating bodies.
(b) Roll-out phase: Expand – on the basis of the pilots – the in-country training programmes on gender-mainstreaming in small arms control to an additional twelve countries in coordination with their established national coordinating bodies.
— Pilot phase: Two States in each region – Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America/Caribbean;
— Roll-out phase: Four States in each region – Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America/Caribbean.
(a) One-day training in the margins of the Seventh Biennial Meeting of States on the Programme of Action (BMS7) in 2020 for small arms and light weapons desk officers from the secretariats of sub-regional and regional organisations with a view to promoting gender aspects in regional initiatives and enabling the participation of 15 representatives of those organisations to attend BMS7, who would otherwise lack the resources to attend PoA meetings.
(b) Four-day, MOSAIC-based sub-regional workshop in Fiji for Pacific countries to strengthen the role of women in the area of arms control by enhancing the understanding of the gendered impact of armed violence and international arms control instruments, and by building capacities of civil society, parliamentarians and government officials to engage in those issues. (This is a follow-on from two sub-regional workshops held in Southeast Asia and South Asia in 2018, which were funded by UNSCAR).
(c) Three-day, MOSAIC-based regional seminar in Kathmandu to strengthen the role of women in the area of arms control. The seminar brings together civil society representatives, parliamentarians and government officials from Asia and the Pacific, including those who participated in the sub-regional workshop in Fiji [3.4.2.b]. Participants will discuss actions on how to take the issue of gender mainstreaming and small arms control forward in their own national settings. A summary of the discussions, together with additional material, will be published online and in print and will be distributed to participants and relevant stakeholders.
(d) Two-day, MOSAIC-based regional workshop in Peru to present and disseminate good practices on gender-sensitive policies and legal approaches to small arms control, which have been developed by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) since 2017, to senior level decision-makers from small arms control entities and national agencies responsible for preventing, eliminating and punishing violence against women. The workshop promotes the need to strengthen small arms legislation in Latin America and the Caribbean by incorporating restriction of the acquisition of arms and ammunition by those who have been convicted of domestic and/or interpersonal violence.
(a) For selected national and regional focal points under the PoA and civil society small arms experts to participate at one of the annual capital-level WPS Focal Points Network, to discuss synergies between the commitments States have agreed to under the PoA and the WPS agenda and to support the inclusion of small arms control component in UNSCR 1325 (2000) national action plans and gender-perspectives in national action plans for the implementation of the PoA. This includes an exchange on best practices and on progress made in the implementation of gender-sensitive policies and legislation.
(b) Establish a regular dialogue between relevant UN agencies, the Friends of 1325, other diplomatic and policy communities covering UNSCR 1325 (2000) and the broader WPS agenda, diplomats and experts working on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 16, and those diplomats and policy-makers covering disarmament and arms control issues in Geneva and New York, to streamline and harmonise efforts and work. The dialogue will build on the outcomes of previous meetings held in Geneva and New York earlier in 2018.
(a) Strengthen the network of IANSA grass-roots organisations, including its Women's Network, to further civil society engagement and address gender-specific manifestations of the small arms problem from the grass-root to the global level.
(b) Provide small stipends for 30-40 local civil society activities each year on gender-mainstreaming small arms control. This could include events for the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, International Youth Day, Africa Amnesty Month, International Day of Peace, Day of the African Child, International Gun Destruction Day, Wear Orange, International Women's Day, and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence etc.
(c) IANSA will develop and distribute age-appropriate materials for children and teenagers in different languages addressing the frequent linkages between masculinity and violence. IANSA member groups in different countries will use the materials to engage their local communities.
(d) IANSA will develop and distribute accessible outreach materials (for example talking points, flyers etc.) for its members in different languages to promote the issue of gender-mainstreaming in the context of small arms control in different countries and engage locally officials, policymakers, journalists and other civil society actors on the issue.
(e) Lobby for the inclusion of women, youth, and other underrepresented stakeholders (for example health sector, survivors, rural communities) as members of national coordination bodies.
(f) Develop and maintain a more accessible and comprehensive website for IANSA and its Women's Network, to showcase activities of Network members, function as a hub for globally coordinated NGO action, and provide information, materials, contacts, examples and documents relevant to issues such as women's empowerment, gender-mainstreaming, armed violence reduction, small arms controls, masculinity and weapons, and the nexus between Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 16.
(g) Support action-oriented research by local groups to identify strategic points of intervention to reduce arms trafficking and armed violence from a gender perspective and design and implement follow-up actions, based on that research.
(h) Promote and support the implementation of the 2018 Call to Action on Gender and Small Arms Control(5)and the gender-specific outcomes of BMS6 & RevCon3 at the local level.
(i) Ensure that gender perspectives continue to be promoted through civil society advocacy at global small arms and light weapons processes, including BMS7 and BMS8, and contribute to the NGO Working Group on WPS and related processes, to ensure that the arms control dimension is taken into account.
(j) Contribute to actions carried out under this Decision such as the development of the training manual, the implementation of the in-country training programmes by ensuring civil society representation at relevant activities and by engaging civil society at the local and community level in the beneficiary county, and the participation in the sub-regional workshop and regional seminars in Asia and the Pacific.
(a) Organise regular activities during the First Committee of the General Assembly (October) and during the UN Commission on the Status of Women (March) in New York, as part of an intersessional process on gender-mainstreaming small arms control, including forum discussions and side events with senior guest speakers from the UN system, States, research institutes, academia and NGOs. This process takes account of converging international policy agendas and initiatives on gender equality.
(b) In 2021, to organise a one-day event in New York during the ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence’ which promotes gender-mainstreaming in small arms control, including a high-level segment to showcase political commitment to this issue, presentation of practical examples from the ground, including outputs from the activities carried out under this project, and expert panels and discussions to further advance the issue.
(c) Develop a dedicated, authoritative UNODA webpage on gender-mainstreaming in small arms control featuring information and resources generated from the actions supported by this Decision and beyond.
(d) Establish a UN CASA(6)working group on gender and small arms which will be convened by UNODA and which brings together all relevant partners for the implementation of the actions supported by this Decision. IANSA will also be invited to join that working group.
(e) Promote the relevance of gender-mainstreaming through social media and mass media campaigns.
(f) Continuously inform the donor (the Union) about the progress of the implementation of this Decision.
— summary reports of the 18 in-country training programmes on gender-mainstreaming small arms;
— training Manual in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish as well as relevant training materials online and in print;
— online-based training on gender mainstreaming small arms control for UN staff and wider communities of practitioners in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish;
— actionable outcome document of Asia-Pacific workshop for civil society and parliamentarians;
— summary report of civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control;
— translation of MOSAIC modules in Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish;
— a final report at the completion of the project.
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
(1) On 19 November 2018, the Council adopted the EU Strategy against illicit Firearms, Small Arms & Light Weapons (‘SALW’) and their Ammunition ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’. The Strategy states that the Union will systematically mainstream gender considerations in the design of new projects relating to the fight against gun violence and SALW control in general, and the sharing of good practices in that regard.
(2) On 3 April 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/633(1)in support of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (‘PoA’). The actions funded under that Decision were implemented by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and included the organisation of a thematic seminar entitled ‘SALW and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including SDG 16 and the gender aspects of SALW control’.
(3) On 28 May 2018, the Council adopted conclusions on a Union position on combatting the illicit trade in SALW, in light of the third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the PoA that was held in June 2018. One of the Union’s key objectives for the outcome of the Review Conference is the recognition of the differing impacts of armed violence on women, men, girls and boys, and promote the role of women in implementation of the PoA and gender awareness in SALW control actions as a condition for their effectiveness.
(4) On 30 June 2018, the third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the PoA adopted an outcome document where States stated that they remain gravely concerned about the negative impact of the illicit trade in SALW on the lives of women, men, girls and boys and recognise that eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is a key part of combatting gender-based violence, and that they recognise the need for strengthened participation of women in decision-making and implementation processes relating to the PoA and the International Tracing Instrument and reaffirm the need for States to mainstream gender dimensions in their implementation efforts. The States have also undertaken to encourage mainstreaming gender perspectives into small arms and light weapons policies and programmes, including in the areas of programme design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, taking into account, as appropriate, relevant guidelines and standards. The States have decided to encourage the coordinated implementation of national action plans on SALW with national action plans established under relevant United Nations resolutions and target 16.4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to encourage the collection of data disaggregated by sex on the illicit trade in SALW, including through national reports, and to increase understanding of the gender-specific impacts of the illicit trade in SALW, in particular for the purpose of improving corresponding national policies and programmes.
(5) The UN Security Council has on several occasions called for addressing women’s meaningful participation, the prevention of conflict and violence, protection of violence including conflict-related sexual violence and post-conflict relief and recovery.
(6) In his Agenda for Disarmament ‘Securing our Common Future’, that was presented on 24 May 2018, the UN Secretary-General called for all States to incorporate gender perspectives in the development of national legislation and policies on disarmament and arms control, including consideration of the gendered aspects of ownership and of the use and misuse of arms, the differentiated impacts of weapons on women and men, the ways in which gender roles can shape arms control and disarmament policies and practices, and the full and equal participation of women in all decision-making processes related to disarmament and international security,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1
1. The overall objective of this Decision is to contribute to international peace, security, gender equality and sustainable development by enhancing the effectiveness of small arms control measures through the promotion of approaches based on systematic gender analysis, the integration of gender perspectives and women’s empowerment initiatives. This Decision shall support the implementation of the gender-relevant outcomes of the 2018 Third United Nations Conference to review progress made in the implementation of the PoA. This Decision shall also contribute to the broader international policy agenda on gender equality and women’s empowerment in line with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
2. To achieve the objectives set out in paragraph 1, this Decision shall support actions to:
—
operationalise the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) modules on ‘Women, men and the gendered nature of small arms and light weapons’ and on ‘Children, adolescents, youth and small arms and light weapons’;
—
develop a training manual to serve as a guidance document and ensure that all actions are executed in accordance with current UN standards;
—
train staff and trainers of UN regional centres and secretariat staff of regional and sub-regional organisations on integrating gender perspectives into small arms policies and frameworks to ensure a systematic approach to the issue;
—
train national officials in 18 countries on gender-mainstreaming and small arms control;
—
promote gender perspectives, gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment in regional initiatives;
—
strengthen the small arms control component in the WPS framework as well as the framework itself;
—
contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular Goals 16 and 5, as well as converging international policy agendas on gender equality;
—
strengthen civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control in partnership with the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and IANSA Women’s Network;
—
generate sustained impact through effective awareness-raising, advocacy, outreach and partnerships.
3. The direct beneficiaries of this Decision shall be national, regional and global stakeholders responsible for small arms control in countries and regions of focus, namely Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, and Asia and the Pacific.
4. A detailed description of the project is set out in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2
1. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (‘HR’) shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.
2. The technical implementation of the project referred to in Article 1 shall be carried out by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
3. UNODA shall perform its tasks under the responsibility of the HR. For that purpose, the HR shall enter into the necessary arrangements with UNODA.

Article 3
1. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the project financed by the Union referred to in Article 1 shall be EUR 4 375 507,85.
2. The expenditure financed by the reference amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the Union budget.
3. The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure referred to in paragraph 1. For that purpose, it shall conclude the necessary agreement with UNODA. The agreement shall stipulate that UNODA has to ensure visibility of the Union’s contribution, appropriate to its size.
4. The Commission shall endeavour to conclude the agreement referred to in paragraph 3 as soon as possible after the entry into force of this Decision. It shall inform the Council of any difficulties in that process and of the date of conclusion of the agreement.

Article 4
1. The HR shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular quarterly reports prepared by UNODA. Those reports shall form the basis of the evaluation carried out by the Council.
2. The Commission shall report on the financial aspects of the project referred to in Article 1.

Article 5
1. This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
2. This Decision shall expire 36 months after the date of conclusion of the agreement referred to in Article 3(3). However, it shall expire six months after the date of its entry into force if no agreement has been concluded within that period.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
(1) On 19 November 2018, the Council adopted the EU Strategy against illicit Firearms, Small Arms & Light Weapons (‘SALW’) and their Ammunition ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’. The Strategy states that the Union will systematically mainstream gender considerations in the design of new projects relating to the fight against gun violence and SALW control in general, and the sharing of good practices in that regard.
(2) On 3 April 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/633(1)in support of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (‘PoA’). The actions funded under that Decision were implemented by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and included the organisation of a thematic seminar entitled ‘SALW and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including SDG 16 and the gender aspects of SALW control’.
(3) On 28 May 2018, the Council adopted conclusions on a Union position on combatting the illicit trade in SALW, in light of the third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the PoA that was held in June 2018. One of the Union’s key objectives for the outcome of the Review Conference is the recognition of the differing impacts of armed violence on women, men, girls and boys, and promote the role of women in implementation of the PoA and gender awareness in SALW control actions as a condition for their effectiveness.
(4) On 30 June 2018, the third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the PoA adopted an outcome document where States stated that they remain gravely concerned about the negative impact of the illicit trade in SALW on the lives of women, men, girls and boys and recognise that eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is a key part of combatting gender-based violence, and that they recognise the need for strengthened participation of women in decision-making and implementation processes relating to the PoA and the International Tracing Instrument and reaffirm the need for States to mainstream gender dimensions in their implementation efforts. The States have also undertaken to encourage mainstreaming gender perspectives into small arms and light weapons policies and programmes, including in the areas of programme design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, taking into account, as appropriate, relevant guidelines and standards. The States have decided to encourage the coordinated implementation of national action plans on SALW with national action plans established under relevant United Nations resolutions and target 16.4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to encourage the collection of data disaggregated by sex on the illicit trade in SALW, including through national reports, and to increase understanding of the gender-specific impacts of the illicit trade in SALW, in particular for the purpose of improving corresponding national policies and programmes.
(5) The UN Security Council has on several occasions called for addressing women’s meaningful participation, the prevention of conflict and violence, protection of violence including conflict-related sexual violence and post-conflict relief and recovery.
(6) In his Agenda for Disarmament ‘Securing our Common Future’, that was presented on 24 May 2018, the UN Secretary-General called for all States to incorporate gender perspectives in the development of national legislation and policies on disarmament and arms control, including consideration of the gendered aspects of ownership and of the use and misuse of arms, the differentiated impacts of weapons on women and men, the ways in which gender roles can shape arms control and disarmament policies and practices, and the full and equal participation of women in all decision-making processes related to disarmament and international security,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
1. The overall objective of this Decision is to contribute to international peace, security, gender equality and sustainable development by enhancing the effectiveness of small arms control measures through the promotion of approaches based on systematic gender analysis, the integration of gender perspectives and women’s empowerment initiatives. This Decision shall support the implementation of the gender-relevant outcomes of the 2018 Third United Nations Conference to review progress made in the implementation of the PoA. This Decision shall also contribute to the broader international policy agenda on gender equality and women’s empowerment in line with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
2. To achieve the objectives set out in paragraph 1, this Decision shall support actions to:
—
operationalise the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) modules on ‘Women, men and the gendered nature of small arms and light weapons’ and on ‘Children, adolescents, youth and small arms and light weapons’;
—
develop a training manual to serve as a guidance document and ensure that all actions are executed in accordance with current UN standards;
—
train staff and trainers of UN regional centres and secretariat staff of regional and sub-regional organisations on integrating gender perspectives into small arms policies and frameworks to ensure a systematic approach to the issue;
—
train national officials in 18 countries on gender-mainstreaming and small arms control;
—
promote gender perspectives, gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment in regional initiatives;
—
strengthen the small arms control component in the WPS framework as well as the framework itself;
—
contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular Goals 16 and 5, as well as converging international policy agendas on gender equality;
—
strengthen civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control in partnership with the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and IANSA Women’s Network;
—
generate sustained impact through effective awareness-raising, advocacy, outreach and partnerships.
3. The direct beneficiaries of this Decision shall be national, regional and global stakeholders responsible for small arms control in countries and regions of focus, namely Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, and Asia and the Pacific.
4. A detailed description of the project is set out in the Annex to this Decision.
1. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (‘HR’) shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.
2. The technical implementation of the project referred to in Article 1 shall be carried out by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
3. UNODA shall perform its tasks under the responsibility of the HR. For that purpose, the HR shall enter into the necessary arrangements with UNODA.
1. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the project financed by the Union referred to in Article 1 shall be EUR 4 375 507,85.
2. The expenditure financed by the reference amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the Union budget.
3. The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure referred to in paragraph 1. For that purpose, it shall conclude the necessary agreement with UNODA. The agreement shall stipulate that UNODA has to ensure visibility of the Union’s contribution, appropriate to its size.
4. The Commission shall endeavour to conclude the agreement referred to in paragraph 3 as soon as possible after the entry into force of this Decision. It shall inform the Council of any difficulties in that process and of the date of conclusion of the agreement.
1. The HR shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular quarterly reports prepared by UNODA. Those reports shall form the basis of the evaluation carried out by the Council.
2. The Commission shall report on the financial aspects of the project referred to in Article 1.
1. This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
2. This Decision shall expire 36 months after the date of conclusion of the agreement referred to in Article 3(3). However, it shall expire six months after the date of its entry into force if no agreement has been concluded within that period.

1.   RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND

ANNEXThe landmark 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognises the inherent link between peaceful societies and sustainable development. In addition, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, through several UN Security Council resolutions is positioning conflict-prevention, women’s meaningful and equitable participation and sustaining peace at its core. One major impediment to peace and sustainable development worldwide remains the illicit trade in, and the ubiquitous misuse of, small arms. Adequate small arms control is essential for reducing conflict, crime and violence. It is a prerequisite for societal stability and sustainable development.
The United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA) provides the global framework for tackling the small arms problem, committing all States to improving national small arms laws, import/export controls, stockpile management, destruction of surplus, marking and tracing, and to engage in cooperation and assistance. Although progress has been made, much more must be done to strengthen small arms control through the implementation of the Programme of Action and to fulfil the commitments made in the 2030 Agenda.
The unique, deeply societal characteristics of the small arms issue necessitates a comprehensive mainstreaming of gender perspectives in all dimensions of small arms control. To date, gender perspectives have been insufficiently understood, addressed and integrated into policies controlling small arms. And when gender dimensions are not adequately dealt with in legislative and policy frameworks that control small arms, the success and effectiveness of interventions are limited. However, gender-related approaches to necessary small arms control measures are still in their infancy. In recent years, the small arms agenda has converged with broader international policy on gender equality and women’s empowerment, which this Decision will further underpin.
The 2030 Agenda has linked small arms control to the peace, security and development agenda, thereby simultaneously providing an interconnected framework of Goals, which go beyond the security dimension and which highlight that the small arms problem has implications for the realisation of several Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment. In fact, gender equality is reflected in Goal 5, but is also a cross-cutting theme throughout the entire 2030 Agenda. This Decision contributes to gender mainstreaming of and the equitable and meaningful participation of women in all arms control decision-making processes. It also recognises the differing impact of the use and misuse of small arms on men, women, boys and girls and supports actions which are designed to lead to more inclusive, effective and sustainable policy outcomes in small arms control.
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Beijing Declaration form a strong normative basis for connecting the WPS and the small arms agendas. The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty and the recently launched EU-UN Spotlight Initiative have further highlighted the need to focus on this issue. While the proposed actions advance gender-mainstreaming in small arms control, the outcomes will directly contribute to the elimination of all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls. Securing guns and reducing their circulation removes one of the most frequent choice of weapons for domestic and gender-based violence and femicide. Empowering women and breaking down gender stereotypes surrounding weapons will address the root causes of gender-based violence which include patriarchal systems, gender inequitable attitudes and violent aspects of traditional masculinity.
The increasing convergence of the WPS and the small arms control agendas has been illustrated in UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2242 (2015). The actions supported by this Decision will implement the call of the UN Security Council to participate in the design and implementation of efforts related to the prevention, combatting and eradication of the illicit transfer, and the destabilising accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons and the promotion of women as active players in the fight against the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons. This Decision seeks to operationalise those links by supporting concrete actions.
2. OBJECTIVESThe overall objective of this Decision is to contribute to international peace, security, gender equality and sustainable development by enhancing the effectiveness of small arms control measures through the promotion of approaches based upon systematic gender analysis and the integration of gender perspectives. The results of the actions supported by this Decision will contribute to the broader international policy agenda on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
This Decision will support the full and effective implementation of the PoA and the implementation of gender-relevant outcomes of the 2018 Third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the PoA (RevCon3).
This Decision will also contribute to implementation of the United Nations Secretary General’s Agenda for Disarmament(1), which calls for greater efforts to be made towards achieving equal, full and effective participation of women in all decision-making processes related to disarmament, recognises that there is a need to overcome the link between ownership and use of arms and specific expressions of masculinity related to control, power, domination and strength which underpins both structural and physical violence against women, and calls for gender-responsive arms control to reduce violence against women and girls in both public and private spheres. This Decision will also contribute to the Agenda’s call for strengthened partnerships with civil society and youth in order to advance the disarmament and arms control agenda.
To achieve this, this Decision will support actions to:

— | operationalise the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC)(2)modules on ‘Women, men and the gendered nature of small arms and light weapons’ and on ‘Children, adolescents, youth and small arms and light weapons’;
— | develop a training manual to serve as a guidance document and ensure that all actions are executed in accordance with current UN standards;
— | train staff and trainers of UN regional centres and secretariat staff of regional and sub-regional organisations on integrating gender perspectives into small arms policies and frameworks to ensure a systematic approach to the issue;
— | train national officials in 18 countries on gender-mainstreaming and small arms control;
— | promote gender perspectives, gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment in regional initiatives;
— | strengthen the small arms control component in the WPS framework as well as the framework itself;
— | contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular Goals 16 and 5, as well as converging international policy agendas on gender equality;
— | strengthen civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control in partnership with the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and IANSA Women’s Network;
— | generate sustained impact through effective awareness-raising, advocacy, outreach and partnerships.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIONS3.1. Develop a training manual on gender-mainstreaming small arms control3.1.1. ObjectivePursuant to this Decision, a training manual will be developed which will operationalise MOSAIC modules on ‘Women, men and the gendered nature of small arms and light weapons’ and on ‘Children, adolescents, youth and small arms and light weapons’. The manual will serve as a guidance document for all stakeholders involved in the implementation of the actions pursuant to this Decision, in particular for the implementation of the in-country training programmes carried out by UNODA’s regional centres. The training manual will be built on existing tools, information, and expertise where they are available, and will be made publicly available, once vetted, to serve the wider communities of practitioners.
3.1.2. Actions
(a) | Translate the two MOSAIC modules from English into Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
(b) | In cooperation with key stakeholders and based on the MOSAIC modules and existing trainings and resources, develop a training manual on gender-mainstreaming small arms control which will serve as a practical guidance document for all stakeholders involved in the implementation of all actions under this Decision.
(c) | Translate the training manual from English into French, Portuguese and Spanish (working languages of UNODA’s regional centres).
(d) | Make the training manual and additional material available to wider communities of practitioners, both online and in print.3.1.3. Responsibilities of the implementing agencyUNODA will engage a consultant to develop a training manual, in close cooperation with relevant UN entities, in particular the United Nations Development Programme South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (UNDP SEESAC). IANSA will be invited to contribute their expertise to the manual.
3.1.4. TimelineThe translation of the modules and the development of the training manual will be implemented in 2019, followed by the translation and publication of the training manual and other materials.
3.1.5. Expected resultsThe two relevant MOSAIC modules will be made available in Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish on the UNODA website(3)(currently only available in English) and a manual for their operationalisation will be developed and published in French, Portuguese and Spanish. The manual will be vetted by project partners and provided guidance for the implementation of the actions carried out under this Decision. It will also serve wider communities of practitioners and continues to be relevant beyond the timeframe of this Decision.
3.2. Training of UN staff and trainers working on small arms control3.2.1. ObjectivesAn online training will be developed to provide training on gender mainstreaming small arms control to staff of relevant UN departments as well as wider communities of practitioners to ensure the UN system and beyond provides advice and assistance on small arms control which is systematically integrating gender-perspectives. Staff in the regional centres directly involved in the implementation of actions under this Decision, will be coached by a UNDP SEESAC gender and small arms expert to implement actions in line with the guidance provided by the training manual and through a tailored regional lens.
3.2.2. Actions
(a) | Together with the UN Women Training Centre, develop an online based training on gender mainstreaming small arms control for UN staff and wider communities of practitioners. The training will reflect the content of relevant MOSAIC modules and converging agendas and will be available in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
(b) | In cooperation with UNDP SEESAC, establish a coaching programme for staff at the UN regional centres to raise their awareness and strengthen their capacities for integrating the gender perspective into small arms control through tailored interventions in their regions, in particular in beneficiary countries of the in-country training programmes [3.3.2]. The coaching programme will elaborate the training manual developed under this Decision [3.1.2.b.] and build on UNDP SEESAC’s work and experience funded under Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356(4).
(c) | Convene a project team workshop following the pilot phase of the in-country training programmes [3.3.2.a]. The workshop will maximise the coordination and cooperation of the project team, vet the training manual before translation and publication, enable exchanges on the implementation of this Decision, in particular on the pilots of the in-country training programmes, and validate required training materials.3.2.3. TimelineThe online training will be developed in 2019 and will be made available in early 2020. The coaching programme will begin in early 2020, once staff in the regional centres have been recruited and the training manual has been developed. The project team workshop will take place in 2020, following the pilot phase of the national training programmes.
3.2.4. Expected resultsAn online training on gender-mainstreaming small arms control will be made available in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, which will enhance the understanding of the need to include gender-perspectives in small arms control measures. The training will be promoted within the UN system and to wider communities of practitioners and will become mandatory for staff involved in the implementation of this Decision. In addition, staff at the UNODA’s regional centre will be trained on the training manual and developed strategies, through a coaching programme, for its regional application. A project team workshop will be held, which will strengthen coordination and cooperation for the implementation of the actions under this Decision and training materials will be developed, vetted and made publicly available.
3.3. In-country training programmes on gender-mainstreaming small arms control3.3.1. ObjectivesEighteen tailored in-country training programmes on gender-mainstreaming small arms control will be established and implemented through UNODA’s regional centres. The main focus of the programmes is the training of the national coordinating bodies on small arms on the inclusion of gender dimensions in small arms National Action Plans (NAPs) and other relevant policy and legislative frameworks, including on the collection and analysis of sex- and age-disaggregated data. In that regard, where a participating country has an existing National Action Plan on WPS, the need to align both documents will be encouraged.
Additional activities will be tailored to each State and its respective assistance needs and may include: practical mechanisms to ensure meaningful participation of women; a gender analysis as a baseline for national action; a dedicated workshop on the inclusion of gender dimensions in small arms NAPs, making use of the MOSAIC module on establishing NAPs; the design of national monitoring and evaluation tools to review efforts undertaken. Proposed activities may also include a legal review of the national policy framework to cross-reference small arms regulation, including licensing, with provisions regarding countering domestic violence and the training of law enforcement officials and legal operators on their roles and responsibilities under relevant national law regarding the presence and use of small arms in the context of intimate partner and domestic- or family-related violence, sexual violence, small arms related femicides, as well as mainstreaming gender perspectives in criminal investigations and legal proceedings.
3.3.2. Actions
(a) | Pilot phase: Establish and implement in-country pilot training programmes in six selected countries in coordination with their established national coordinating bodies.
(b) | Roll-out phase: Expand – on the basis of the pilots – the in-country training programmes on gender-mainstreaming in small arms control to an additional twelve countries in coordination with their established national coordinating bodies.3.3.3. Selection of beneficiary countriesBeneficiary countries will be selected by the European External Action Service upon recommendation by UNODA, in consultation with its regional centres and IANSA. In principle, highest priority will be given to least developed countries and other developing countries which are severely affected by the small arms problem. States must have a small arms national coordinating body and/or a designated PoA national point of contact. States must have expressed an interest in the proposed activities under this action. Preference should be given to States that have demonstrated a continued commitment to the implementation of the PoA.
Furthermore, a regional balance for the selection of countries will be applied:

— | Pilot phase: Two States in each region – Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America/Caribbean;
— | Roll-out phase: Four States in each region – Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America/Caribbean.3.3.4. Responsibilities of the implementing agencyThe UN Regional Centres for Peace & Disarmament will implement the in-country training programmes in close coordination with UNODA and UN agencies on the ground. Whenever feasible, national gender equality institutions and civil society organisations will be included in the activities. UNDP SEESAC will provide advisory support based on their experience in developing and delivering training on gender and small arms control. IANSA will complement the in-country activities by strengthening civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control through its network at the local and community level [3.6.3].
3.3.5. TimelineThe in-country training programmes will start in 2020 and will be implemented until mid-2022.
3.3.6. Expected resultsThe in-country training programmes on gender-mainstreaming will lead to a shared national understanding of the important role that gender plays in relation to effective small arms control and knowledge on the differing impacts of armed violence on women, men, girls and boys. This newly gained understanding on the importance of the issue to increase the effectiveness and overall quality of small arms control will build consensus amongst national officials involved in relevant policies and their implementation. The consensus will be translated into a national commitment to pursuing gender-sensitive approaches in small arms control policies and legislation. In addition, local communities will be sensitised in the countries. As part of the outcome of the programmes, targets/indicators for progress will be developed by States who will commit to report on those targets/indicators as part of their national reporting efforts under the PoA.
3.4. Regional approaches to gender-mainstreaming small arms control3.4.1. ObjectivesThe illicit trade and misuse of small arms present different problems in different regions, and States have varying levels of financial and material resources at their disposal to respond to those problems. The aim of the regional approaches is to build and/or strengthen expertise on gendered aspects of small arms control amongst government officials, civil society and parliamentarians at the regional and sub-regional level, based on MOSAIC. They will reinforce the need to include gender considerations in regional and sub-regional small arms control initiatives. Regional exchanges on good practices/MOSAIC will strengthen national expertise and further commitments by all States in the region to address the issue of small arms control through a gender-lens.
3.4.2. Actions
(a) | One-day training in the margins of the Seventh Biennial Meeting of States on the Programme of Action (BMS7) in 2020 for small arms and light weapons desk officers from the secretariats of sub-regional and regional organisations with a view to promoting gender aspects in regional initiatives and enabling the participation of 15 representatives of those organisations to attend BMS7, who would otherwise lack the resources to attend PoA meetings.
(b) | Four-day, MOSAIC-based sub-regional workshop in Fiji for Pacific countries to strengthen the role of women in the area of arms control by enhancing the understanding of the gendered impact of armed violence and international arms control instruments, and by building capacities of civil society, parliamentarians and government officials to engage in those issues. (This is a follow-on from two sub-regional workshops held in Southeast Asia and South Asia in 2018, which were funded by UNSCAR).
(c) | Three-day, MOSAIC-based regional seminar in Kathmandu to strengthen the role of women in the area of arms control. The seminar brings together civil society representatives, parliamentarians and government officials from Asia and the Pacific, including those who participated in the sub-regional workshop in Fiji [3.4.2.b]. Participants will discuss actions on how to take the issue of gender mainstreaming and small arms control forward in their own national settings. A summary of the discussions, together with additional material, will be published online and in print and will be distributed to participants and relevant stakeholders.
(d) | Two-day, MOSAIC-based regional workshop in Peru to present and disseminate good practices on gender-sensitive policies and legal approaches to small arms control, which have been developed by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) since 2017, to senior level decision-makers from small arms control entities and national agencies responsible for preventing, eliminating and punishing violence against women. The workshop promotes the need to strengthen small arms legislation in Latin America and the Caribbean by incorporating restriction of the acquisition of arms and ammunition by those who have been convicted of domestic and/or interpersonal violence.3.4.3. TimelineThe training in the margin of BMS7 will take place in mid-2020, regional and sub-regional workshops will take place between late 2019 and the end of 2021.
3.4.4. Implementing partnersUNODA will organise and convene the one-day training in the margins of BMS7 for staff from regional and sub-regional organisations, including the sponsorship of some of those representatives to BMS7. The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, in close cooperation with IANSA, will organise and convene the sub-regional workshop in Fiji and the regional seminar in Kathmandu. UNLIREC will organise and convene the regional workshop in Peru.
3.4.5. Expected resultsSmall arms control experts from the secretariats of regional and sub-regional organisations will be trained on the importance of gender mainstreaming small arms control initiatives and policies in accordance with authoritative global guidance (MOSAIC). They will be equipped with ideas on how to develop gender-sensitive small arms control measures based on the knowledge that the impact of armed violence and armed conflict affects men, women, boys and girls differently. Furthermore, the importance of gender-mainstreaming small arms control will be promoted in the margins of BMS7 through the training. The action will enable the participation of those organisations who would otherwise lack the resources to attend a PoA meeting. The regional and sub-regional workshops will provide a platform for the exchange of good practices on gender-sensitive policies and legal approaches to small arms control in Latin America and the Caribbean and will engage and build capacities of civil society, parliamentarians and government officials from Asia and the Pacific on the issue of the gendered impact of armed violence and international arms control instruments. As a result, policies, frameworks and programmes on small arms control on the regional and national levels will take into account gender-considerations.
3.5. Strengthen the small arms control component in the WPS agenda and the synergies between Goals 5 and 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development3.5.1. ObjectivesThe activities are designed to bring together experts and diplomatic communities working on small arms control, the WPS agenda, and those working on the implementation of Goals 5 and 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to review and harmonise their efforts, in particular with a view to making use of synergies and avoiding duplications.
3.5.2. Actions
(a) | For selected national and regional focal points under the PoA and civil society small arms experts to participate at one of the annual capital-level WPS Focal Points Network, to discuss synergies between the commitments States have agreed to under the PoA and the WPS agenda and to support the inclusion of small arms control component in UNSCR 1325 (2000) national action plans and gender-perspectives in national action plans for the implementation of the PoA. This includes an exchange on best practices and on progress made in the implementation of gender-sensitive policies and legislation.
(b) | Establish a regular dialogue between relevant UN agencies, the Friends of 1325, other diplomatic and policy communities covering UNSCR 1325 (2000) and the broader WPS agenda, diplomats and experts working on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 16, and those diplomats and policy-makers covering disarmament and arms control issues in Geneva and New York, to streamline and harmonise efforts and work. The dialogue will build on the outcomes of previous meetings held in Geneva and New York earlier in 2018.3.5.3. Expected resultsExperts, policy-makers and diplomats working on small arms control, the WPS agenda and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will benefit from a dialogue and an exchange and will begin to coordinate their efforts. As a result, the implementation of all agendas will be strengthened, and a coordinated approach will ensure that synergies are maximised and duplications are avoided.
3.6. Civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control3.6.1. ObjectivesActions are designed to significantly strengthen civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control by addressing the connection between gender specific approaches and impacts, women’s rights, small arms control and armed violence at the local and community level. Civil society involvement in small arms control is key to local ownership, provides invaluable insights into the problem and increases support for control efforts. Civil society organisations specialising in gender will enhance gender-responsive small arms control efforts and strengthen and complement other actions undertaken under this Decision. Between 2019 and 2022, actions will be carried out in States selected for the implementation of the in-country training programmes under this Decision as well as additional countries.
3.6.2. Responsibilities of the implementing agencyAll activities will be undertaken by IANSA and IANSA Women’s Network and will be coordinated with and monitored by UNODA. A representative from IANSA will be part of the project team to facilitate the implementation and coordination of all actions carried out under this Decision.
3.6.3. Actions
(a) | Strengthen the network of IANSA grass-roots organisations, including its Women’s Network, to further civil society engagement and address gender-specific manifestations of the small arms problem from the grass-root to the global level.
(b) | Provide small stipends for 30-40 local civil society activities each year on gender-mainstreaming small arms control. This could include events for the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, International Youth Day, Africa Amnesty Month, International Day of Peace, Day of the African Child, International Gun Destruction Day, Wear Orange, International Women’s Day, and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence etc.
(c) | IANSA will develop and distribute age-appropriate materials for children and teenagers in different languages addressing the frequent linkages between masculinity and violence. IANSA member groups in different countries will use the materials to engage their local communities.
(d) | IANSA will develop and distribute accessible outreach materials (for example talking points, flyers etc.) for its members in different languages to promote the issue of gender-mainstreaming in the context of small arms control in different countries and engage locally officials, policymakers, journalists and other civil society actors on the issue.
(e) | Lobby for the inclusion of women, youth, and other underrepresented stakeholders (for example health sector, survivors, rural communities) as members of national coordination bodies.
(f) | Develop and maintain a more accessible and comprehensive website for IANSA and its Women’s Network, to showcase activities of Network members, function as a hub for globally coordinated NGO action, and provide information, materials, contacts, examples and documents relevant to issues such as women’s empowerment, gender-mainstreaming, armed violence reduction, small arms controls, masculinity and weapons, and the nexus between Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 16.
(g) | Support action-oriented research by local groups to identify strategic points of intervention to reduce arms trafficking and armed violence from a gender perspective and design and implement follow-up actions, based on that research.
(h) | Promote and support the implementation of the 2018 Call to Action on Gender and Small Arms Control(5)and the gender-specific outcomes of BMS6 & RevCon3 at the local level.
(i) | Ensure that gender perspectives continue to be promoted through civil society advocacy at global small arms and light weapons processes, including BMS7 and BMS8, and contribute to the NGO Working Group on WPS and related processes, to ensure that the arms control dimension is taken into account.
(j) | Contribute to actions carried out under this Decision such as the development of the training manual, the implementation of the in-country training programmes by ensuring civil society representation at relevant activities and by engaging civil society at the local and community level in the beneficiary county, and the participation in the sub-regional workshop and regional seminars in Asia and the Pacific.3.6.4. Expected resultsCivil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control will be strengthened and their level of activity to promote the issue will be increased significantly. Support for gender-responsive small arms control efforts will be strengthened at the local level, communities will be sensitised to the relevance of the issue, local research will be undertaken and follow-up actions will be taken at the grass-roots level to address issues pertinent to the use and misuse of small arms. Civil society engagement will also be strengthened in the WPS framework and at the PoA meetings, and gender-specific considerations in the political small arms process will be promoted.
3.7. Partnership, advocacy and outreach3.7.1. ObjectivesAll of the organisations that make up the United Nations system, including funds, programmes and specialised agencies, are mandated to support the achievement of gender equality. Furthermore, organisations of the UN system involved in small arms control will integrate gender considerations into all stages of small arms projects and programmes. To support those undertakings, the actions are designed to bring those issues to the forefront of the attention of the UN as well as wider communities of practitioners. Increased visibility of the issues through advocacy and outreach will also strengthen the impact of the project. The partnership with all relevant stakeholders aims to facilitate coordination and contributes to a streamlined implementation of all actions supported by this Decision.
3.7.2. Actions
(a) | Organise regular activities during the First Committee of the General Assembly (October) and during the UN Commission on the Status of Women (March) in New York, as part of an intersessional process on gender-mainstreaming small arms control, including forum discussions and side events with senior guest speakers from the UN system, States, research institutes, academia and NGOs. This process takes account of converging international policy agendas and initiatives on gender equality.
(b) | In 2021, to organise a one-day event in New York during the ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence’ which promotes gender-mainstreaming in small arms control, including a high-level segment to showcase political commitment to this issue, presentation of practical examples from the ground, including outputs from the activities carried out under this project, and expert panels and discussions to further advance the issue.
(c) | Develop a dedicated, authoritative UNODA webpage on gender-mainstreaming in small arms control featuring information and resources generated from the actions supported by this Decision and beyond.
(d) | Establish a UN CASA(6)working group on gender and small arms which will be convened by UNODA and which brings together all relevant partners for the implementation of the actions supported by this Decision. IANSA will also be invited to join that working group.
(e) | Promote the relevance of gender-mainstreaming through social media and mass media campaigns.
(f) | Continuously inform the donor (the Union) about the progress of the implementation of this Decision.3.7.3. Expected resultsA regular discourse on the gendered approaches to small arms control will be established and the issues, as well as outputs of the actions carried out under this Decision, will be frequently promoted. A website will be established as a comprehensive source including information on gender mainstreaming small arms control and outputs developed under this Decision. Regular meetings of the CASA working group on gender and small arms will take place and the implementation of the actions will be coordinated throughout the project implementation period.
4. DELIVERABLESThe implementing agency will produce and submit the following deliverables to the Union:

— | summary reports of the 18 in-country training programmes on gender-mainstreaming small arms;
— | training Manual in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish as well as relevant training materials online and in print;
— | online-based training on gender mainstreaming small arms control for UN staff and wider communities of practitioners in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish;
— | actionable outcome document of Asia-Pacific workshop for civil society and parliamentarians;
— | summary report of civil society engagement on gender-mainstreaming small arms control;
— | translation of MOSAIC modules in Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish;
— | a final report at the completion of the project.5. PARTNERSThe actions under this Decision are designed to build on existing tools, information, instruments and expertise where they are available. The small arms coordination mechanism within the UN, CASA(7), will serve as a platform for coordination, in particular with UN Women, UNDP SEESAC, and DPKO as well as the UN Offices of the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, for Sexual Violence in Conflict, and on Violence against Children. UNODA will closely coordinate the implementation of this Decision with the donor (the Union) as well as IANSA.
6. BENEFICIARIESThe direct beneficiaries of this Decision will be national institutions responsible for small arms control in countries and regions of focus, namely Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, and Asia and the Pacific. The general population of the beneficiary countries, at risk from the widespread availability of small arms, will benefit indirectly as the risk decreases. Additionally, this Decision supports UN system partners and staff working on small arms control in the secretariats of regional and sub-regional organisations. Local communities will benefit as well as civil society organisations, in particular members of IANSA. Also benefitting are diplomatic communities in New York and Geneva as well as in capitals working on the WPS agenda and the implementation of Goals 5 and 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Actions will have to be fully in line with national priorities of States and must be endorsed by the relevant national authorities. Actions will be designed to benefit more than one target group.
7. DURATIONTaking into consideration the global scope of the actions supported by this Decision, the number of partners, beneficiaries and planned actions, the timeframe for implementation is 36 months.
8. COMMUNICATION AND UNION VISIBILITYUNODA will take all appropriate measures to ensure proper visibility of the Union’s contribution to the action. Such measures will be carried out in accordance with the Commission’s Communication and Visibility Manual for European Union External Actions. UNODA will support the dissemination of information and outputs of the proposed activities to the broadest possible audience. Furthermore, outreach will be undertaken in the framework of all relevant actions through media engagement, side events and web tools. UNODA will ensure that beneficiaries of the actions are aware of the role of the Union in the action and raise awareness of how the Union and the UN are working together to strengthen small arms control by fostering a gender-sensitive approach to the small arms problem.
UNODA and IANSA will make use of the widest possible range of communication tools, including a webpage, written press releases, selected social media tools, side events and informal briefings. The implementation of all actions will be tracked through monitoring and evaluation tools, including participant surveys and regular meetings of the respective working group.

(1)
‘Securing our Common Future. An Agenda for Disarmament’, May 2018, https://front.un-arm.org/documents/SG+disarmament+agenda_1.pdf
(2) www.un.org/disarmament/mosaic
(3) https://www.un.org/disarmament/mosaic
(4) Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356 of 19 December 2016 in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe in the framework of the EU Strategy to combat illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition (OJ L 348, 21.12.2016, p. 60).
(5) https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/bb4a5b_8c8bd0e981b54b6e8b01da205c10d4a3.pdf
(6) http://www.un-arm.org/PoAISS/CASA.aspx
(7) http://www.un-arm.org/PoAISS/CASA.aspx

Pending: 32018D2010

18.12.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 322/27
(1) On 19 November 2018, the Council adopted the EU Strategy against Illicit Firearms, Small Arms & Light Weapons and their Ammunition entitled ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’ (‘the EU SALW Strategy’), which sets the guidelines for Union action in the field of small arms and light weapons (‘SALW’).
(2) The EU SALW Strategy notes that the Union will look for synergy with the relevant American states and regional organisations to reduce the illicit proliferation and trafficking of SALW, with a view to reducing armed violence and criminal activity.
(3) Latin America and the Caribbean have been identified as regions seriously affected by proliferation and excessive accumulation of SALW.
(4) At the 2016 Sixth Biennial Meeting of States on the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects (‘the Programme of Action’), which was adopted on 20 July 2001, all UN Member States reaffirmed their commitment to prevent the illicit trafficking of SALW. States welcomed the progress made with regard to the strengthening of sub-regional and regional cooperation and committed to establish or strengthen, where appropriate, such cooperation, coordination and information-sharing mechanisms, including the sharing of best practices, in order to support the implementation of the Programme of Action.
(5) The Organization of American States (OAS) is the Secretariat for the Inter-American Convention against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials (CIFTA) and is coordinating and implementing regional initiatives combatting illicit SALW in the Americas.
(6) The Union wishes to finance a project on reducing the threat of the illicit spread and trafficking of SALW and their ammunitions in Latin America and the Caribbean,
— Strengthen physical security and management systems for national military and other institutional stockpiles through improved site security measures and inventory control,
— Reinforce national capabilities for destruction of seized, excess or unsafe SALW and ammunition,
— Enhance national SALW marking and tracing capacity and foment regional cooperation on tracing confiscated weapons and ammunition,
— Improve SALW transfer mechanisms through national legislation, border controls, and regional coordination, and
— Promote socially responsible behaviours in selected communities, targeting groups that are severely affected by armed violence, including the use of turn-in campaigns or other strategies designed to reduce local incidence of violent crimes.
— Strengthen physical security and management systems for national military and other institutional stockpiles through improved site security measures and inventory control;
— Reinforce national capabilities for destruction of seized, excess or unsafe SALW and ammunition;
— Enhance national SALW marking and tracing capacity and foment regional cooperation on tracing confiscated weapons and ammunition;
— Improve SALW transfer mechanisms through national legislation, border controls, and regional coordination; and
— Promote socially responsible behaviours in selected communities, targeting groups that are severely affected by armed violence, including the use of turn-in campaigns or other strategies designed to reduce local incidence of violent crimes.
— International Ammunition Technical Guidelines;
— OAS Firearms Standards: Marking and Recordkeeping; and
— United Nations Department of Disarmament Affairs Destruction Handbook: Small Arms, Light Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives.
— United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), including regional and national offices, where applicable: Global Firearms Programme, in particular transit and brokering controls;
— Central American Program on Small Arms and Light Weapons Control (CASAC) of the Central American Integration System (SICA): Promotion of regional initiatives for Central America through participation in regional workshops and follow-up on earlier EEAS-funded SALW projects;
— CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS): Coordination with the Regional Integrated Ballistic Information Network (RIBIN);
— INTERPOL: Technical assistance in SALW training (iARMS);
— United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF): Technical expertise in SALW tracing (e-Trace);
— Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Technical cooperation for development of training on SALW identification and classification;
— Conflict Armament Research: Coordination and technical assistance for tracing SALW through the I-Trace initiative;
— Civil society organisations dedicated to prevention of crime and violence, including Central American Network for Peacebuilding and Human Security (REDCEPAZ – Red Centroamericana para la Construcción de la Paz y Seguridad Humana), Institute for Teaching for Sustainable Development (IEPADES – Instituto de Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Sostenible – Guatemala), Interpeace (Central America), Violence Prevention Alliance (Jamaica), and the North Coast Empowerment Group (Trinidad and Tobago).
— Activity 1.1: Assess PSSM situation of national institutions in at least nine OAS Member States.
— Activity 1.2: Develop SALW and ammunition inventory control software and make software and training available to key all OAS Member States through CIFTA.
— Activity 1.3: Provide training to key national authorities on PSSM best practices, including inventory control and SALW identification and classification during workshops in conjunction with CIFTA events.
— Nine national-level assessments of physical security and stockpile management capabilities and needs completed.
— Inventory control software developed and distributed to a minimum of nine OAS Member States.
— Two workshops on PSSM best practices conducted with a total of 60 national personnel from 15 OAS Member States trained.
— Activity 2.1: Provide training and technical assistance for, as well as monitoring of, the destruction of confiscated, excess and unwanted SALW and ammunition to at least eight OAS Member States.
— Activity 2.2: Coordinate with the Government of Spain to provide advanced explosive ordnance disposal training to 60 technicians from OAS Member States at the Spanish Army Engineer Academy in Madrid.
— At least 200 national staff from eight OAS Member States trained on safe destruction of SALW, ammunition and explosives
— Destruction of 300 tons of munitions and 30 000 SALW.
— At least 60 national technicians trained in explosive ordnance disposal to level 3 of CEN Workshop standards.
— Activity 3.1: Conduct at least one maintenance and training assistance visit to 18 OAS Member States that previously received SALW marking equipment and training through the OAS.
— Activity 3.2: Provide a limited number of additional SALW marking equipment to OAS Member States requesting machines and computer equipment to enhance their marking and recordkeeping capabilities.
— Activity 3.3: Introduce SALW marking equipment and provide training to three OAS Member States that did not previously receive assistance.
— Activity 3.4: Consolidate data from SALW seized by national authorities and destroyed during Activity 2.1 in order to trace source and transit countries and analyse illicit trafficking patterns.
— Two hundred national technicians from 18 OAS Member States trained in the use of SALW marking and recordkeeping equipment.
— Damaged marking machines repaired or new machines provided to OAS Member States to ensure that each of the 25 states that participated in the original OAS SALW marking project have at least one operational machine.
— At least one SALW marking machine and recordkeeping software and equipment are provided to three OAS Member States that did not participate in the original OAS SALW marking project.
— SALW identification data for approximately 30 000 seized SALW from OAS Member State inventories is provided to Conflict Armament Research for use and analysis by the I-trace initiative, as well as to international law enforcement agencies for individual firearms tracing through INTERPOL's iARMS and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms e-Trace systems.
— Activity 4.1: Conduct a regional workshop in the context of CIFTA to develop a mechanism for cross-border and regional communications and communication to notify neighbouring countries about and facilitate tracking of legal arms transfers.
— Activity 4.2: Establish a virtual coordination network for information-sharing about illicit arms trafficking and manufacturing activities.
— Activity 4.3: Provide legal assistance on national SALW control legislation to OAS Member States requesting support.
— A standardized format for reporting tracking of legal arms transfers within the Americas is coordinated and approved by the CIFTA States Parties.
— A virtual platform for pre-transfer notification of arms transfers (modelled on PEN-online system for precursor chemicals) is developed and operational.
— Five OAS Member States provided with legal assistance for development of national SALW, ammunition, and/or explosives control.
— Activity 5.1: Coordinate and conduct diagnostic assessments of armed violence patterns and issues in selected communities of three OAS Member States (one per country) to identify populations suffering a high index of crime using SALW where prevention efforts are likely to reduce the levels of violence, and the existing State and civil society services available to assist crime and violence victims.
— Activity 5.2: Provide training courses to health care providers, social workers, justice and public security officials to better their capacities to assist victims of inter-partner violence and other forms of armed violence and provide training courses on non-violent conflict resolution techniques to community leaders, in particular, and male leaders to prevent recidivism among offenders.
— Activity 5.3: Conduct community capacity building workshops on violence prevention, directed at augmenting protective factors among populations identified as most vulnerable to violence and gun related violence in the three selected communities.
— Activity 5.4: Evaluate the effectiveness of prevention interventions of the project.
— Three local assessments conducted [Assessment including the local patterns of gun violence, existing vulnerable populations, number of inter partner violence that use firearms as mechanism of violence and crime, local assistance and protection services provided to victims of violence and armed violence and a list of recommendations for decision makers within the three selected communities conducted].
— Three community networks strengthened to provide factors to confront risk of gun violence.
— Three hundred state and civil society care providers and officials trained to improve capabilities for prevention and mitigation of armed violence.
— Selected interventions targeting groups most vulnerable to gun violence within one community of each three selected beneficiary country implemented and evaluated.
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
(1) On 19 November 2018, the Council adopted the EU Strategy against Illicit Firearms, Small Arms & Light Weapons and their Ammunition entitled ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’ (‘the EU SALW Strategy’), which sets the guidelines for Union action in the field of small arms and light weapons (‘SALW’).
(2) The EU SALW Strategy notes that the Union will look for synergy with the relevant American states and regional organisations to reduce the illicit proliferation and trafficking of SALW, with a view to reducing armed violence and criminal activity.
(3) Latin America and the Caribbean have been identified as regions seriously affected by proliferation and excessive accumulation of SALW.
(4) At the 2016 Sixth Biennial Meeting of States on the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects (‘the Programme of Action’), which was adopted on 20 July 2001, all UN Member States reaffirmed their commitment to prevent the illicit trafficking of SALW. States welcomed the progress made with regard to the strengthening of sub-regional and regional cooperation and committed to establish or strengthen, where appropriate, such cooperation, coordination and information-sharing mechanisms, including the sharing of best practices, in order to support the implementation of the Programme of Action.
(5) The Organization of American States (OAS) is the Secretariat for the Inter-American Convention against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials (CIFTA) and is coordinating and implementing regional initiatives combatting illicit SALW in the Americas.
(6) The Union wishes to finance a project on reducing the threat of the illicit spread and trafficking of SALW and their ammunitions in Latin America and the Caribbean,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1
With a view to the implementation of the EU Strategy against Illicit Firearms, Small Arms &Light Weapons and their Ammunition entitled ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’ (‘the EU SALW Strategy’), and to the promotion of peace and security, the OAS project on reducing the threat of the illicit spread and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition in Latin America and the Caribbean to be supported by the Union shall have the following specific objectives:
—
Strengthen physical security and management systems for national military and other institutional stockpiles through improved site security measures and inventory control,
—
Reinforce national capabilities for destruction of seized, excess or unsafe SALW and ammunition,
—
Enhance national SALW marking and tracing capacity and foment regional cooperation on tracing confiscated weapons and ammunition,
—
Improve SALW transfer mechanisms through national legislation, border controls, and regional coordination, and
—
Promote socially responsible behaviours in selected communities, targeting groups that are severely affected by armed violence, including the use of turn-in campaigns or other strategies designed to reduce local incidence of violent crimes.
The Union shall finance the project, a detailed description of which is set out in the Annex.

Article 2
1. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (The High Representative) shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision.
2. The technical implementation of the project referred to in Article 1 shall be carried out by the OAS.
3. The OAS shall perform its tasks under the responsibility of the High Representative. For that purpose, the High Representative shall enter into the necessary arrangements with the OAS.

Article 3
1. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the project financed by the Union referred to in Article 1 shall be EUR 3 000 000. The programme shall be fully financed by the Union, with contributions in-kind by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain and the beneficiary.
2. The expenditure financed by the reference amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the Union budget.
3. The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure referred to in paragraph 1. For that purpose, it shall conclude the necessary agreement with the OAS. The agreement shall stipulate that OAS has to ensure the visibility of the Union’s contribution, appropriate to its size.
4. The Commission shall endeavour to conclude the agreement referred to in paragraph 3 as soon as possible after the entry into force of this Decision. It shall inform the Council of any difficulties in that process and of the date of conclusion of the agreement.

Article 4
1. The High Representative shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular quarterly reports prepared by the OAS. Those reports shall form the basis of the evaluation carried out by the Council.
2. The Commission shall report on the financial aspects of the project referred to in Article 1.

Article 5
1. This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
2. This Decision shall expire 36 months after the date of conclusion of the agreement referred to in Article 3(3) or, if no agreement has been concluded within that period, six months after the date of its entry into force.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
(1) On 19 November 2018, the Council adopted the EU Strategy against Illicit Firearms, Small Arms & Light Weapons and their Ammunition entitled ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’ (‘the EU SALW Strategy’), which sets the guidelines for Union action in the field of small arms and light weapons (‘SALW’).
(2) The EU SALW Strategy notes that the Union will look for synergy with the relevant American states and regional organisations to reduce the illicit proliferation and trafficking of SALW, with a view to reducing armed violence and criminal activity.
(3) Latin America and the Caribbean have been identified as regions seriously affected by proliferation and excessive accumulation of SALW.
(4) At the 2016 Sixth Biennial Meeting of States on the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects (‘the Programme of Action’), which was adopted on 20 July 2001, all UN Member States reaffirmed their commitment to prevent the illicit trafficking of SALW. States welcomed the progress made with regard to the strengthening of sub-regional and regional cooperation and committed to establish or strengthen, where appropriate, such cooperation, coordination and information-sharing mechanisms, including the sharing of best practices, in order to support the implementation of the Programme of Action.
(5) The Organization of American States (OAS) is the Secretariat for the Inter-American Convention against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials (CIFTA) and is coordinating and implementing regional initiatives combatting illicit SALW in the Americas.
(6) The Union wishes to finance a project on reducing the threat of the illicit spread and trafficking of SALW and their ammunitions in Latin America and the Caribbean,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
With a view to the implementation of the EU Strategy against Illicit Firearms, Small Arms &Light Weapons and their Ammunition entitled ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’ (‘the EU SALW Strategy’), and to the promotion of peace and security, the OAS project on reducing the threat of the illicit spread and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition in Latin America and the Caribbean to be supported by the Union shall have the following specific objectives:
—
Strengthen physical security and management systems for national military and other institutional stockpiles through improved site security measures and inventory control,
—
Reinforce national capabilities for destruction of seized, excess or unsafe SALW and ammunition,
—
Enhance national SALW marking and tracing capacity and foment regional cooperation on tracing confiscated weapons and ammunition,
—
Improve SALW transfer mechanisms through national legislation, border controls, and regional coordination, and
—
Promote socially responsible behaviours in selected communities, targeting groups that are severely affected by armed violence, including the use of turn-in campaigns or other strategies designed to reduce local incidence of violent crimes.
The Union shall finance the project, a detailed description of which is set out in the Annex.
1. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (The High Representative) shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision.
2. The technical implementation of the project referred to in Article 1 shall be carried out by the OAS.
3. The OAS shall perform its tasks under the responsibility of the High Representative. For that purpose, the High Representative shall enter into the necessary arrangements with the OAS.
1. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the project financed by the Union referred to in Article 1 shall be EUR 3 000 000. The programme shall be fully financed by the Union, with contributions in-kind by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain and the beneficiary.
2. The expenditure financed by the reference amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the Union budget.
3. The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure referred to in paragraph 1. For that purpose, it shall conclude the necessary agreement with the OAS. The agreement shall stipulate that OAS has to ensure the visibility of the Union’s contribution, appropriate to its size.
4. The Commission shall endeavour to conclude the agreement referred to in paragraph 3 as soon as possible after the entry into force of this Decision. It shall inform the Council of any difficulties in that process and of the date of conclusion of the agreement.
1. The High Representative shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular quarterly reports prepared by the OAS. Those reports shall form the basis of the evaluation carried out by the Council.
2. The Commission shall report on the financial aspects of the project referred to in Article 1.
1. This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
2. This Decision shall expire 36 months after the date of conclusion of the agreement referred to in Article 3(3) or, if no agreement has been concluded within that period, six months after the date of its entry into force.

PROJECT ON COUNTERING ILLICIT PROLIFERATION AND TRAFFICKING OF SMALL ARMS, LIGHT WEAPONS (SALW) AND AMMUNITION AND THEIR IMPACT IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE EU STRATEGY AGAINST ILLICIT FIREARMS, SMALL ARMS & LIGHT WEAPONS AND THEIR AMMUNITION ‘SECURING ARMS, PROTECTING CITIZENS’

ANNEX1. Introduction and objectives1.1. IntroductionThe proliferation of illicit small arms, light weapons and ammunition is one of the principal factors contributing to high levels of violence and instability in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Almost half of all homicide victims are aged 15-29 and the use of firearms is particularly prevalent in the region, where two thirds (66 %) of homicides are committed with guns. Statistics compiled by Small Arms Survey for its publicationGlobal Burden of Armed Violence, 2015further reveal that the ten nations with the highest rates of SALW-related deaths between 2010 and 2015 were all American states, with each having a firearms-homicide rate of more than 20 per 100 000 of population.
The governments of Latin America and the Caribbean have rejected the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of arms through their support of several international instruments, including the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials (CIFTA), the United Nations Program of Action for Small Arms and Light Weapons, and the International Tracing Instrument. However, military and other security forces retain large stockpiles of SALW and ammunition that are often poorly secured or have loose accountability. Each year, security forces in the region seize thousands of illegal SALW and tons of ammunition. Some of the seized material has been traced to military stocks both from within and outside the region, as well-funded criminal enterprises, including drug trafficking organisations, transnational gangs, and international arms traffickers have overwhelmed national interdiction capabilities.
Not only the proliferation of small arms, but also the availability of firearms to the general population has been shown to augment the risk of gun violence. The Global Status Report on Violence, 2014, of the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals through cross-sectional studies across participating countries that gun availability is, in fact, a risk factor for homicide. The report also notes that firearms in general are highly prevalent in the Americas, and the predominant weapon used in violent encounters. Another of the report’s findings is that ease of access to firearms and other weapons and excessive alcohol use are also strongly associated with multiple types of violence.
Another issue to consider is that gun availability affects men and women differently. The widespread availability of guns contributes to the number of threats using this type of weapon, as well as to the fatality rate of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the homes of battered women. According to the United Nations Department of Disarmament Affairs, a disproportionate percentage of the owners and users of small arms are men, both in conflict and non-conflict situations. Most incidents involving male-on-female reveal the use of guns as intimidation or deadly weapon. When a gun was used, IPV victims were less likely to have visible injuries. At the same time, they were more likely to be frightened. Guns are mostly used to threaten the partner (69,1 %), and when using this kind of weapon, offenders are less likely to punch or kick a victim, for example.
The use of any type of weapon is associated with a wide range of violent behaviour with outcomes for the victims that go beyond physical injuries. Threats and intimidation generate psychological effects and traumas and many of the victims avoid reporting this violence to the authorities because they fear retaliation. Professionals, such as health care providers, social workers and public security officers require training to be able to respond to violent situations involving the use of SALW.
Community engagement and the creation of a community support network may better assist victims of gun related crimes and help preventing violent behaviours that may trigger especially to intentional homicides. An active community contributes to building up trust, transparency, communication and commitment in its efforts.
Since 2009, the Department of Public Security (DPS) of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) (‘OAS-DPS’) has supported the efforts of OAS Member States to control the flow of illegal SALW and ammunition and to manage institutional stockpiles through the Program of Assistance for Control of Arms and Munitions (PACAM). PACAM has implemented projects in cooperation with most of the 34 active OAS Member States, under the provisions of CIFTA. These activities have resulted in the marking of over 290 000 firearms and the destruction of another 60 000 weapons and over 1 700 tons of munitions throughout the region.
Although meaningful results have been attained in SALW marking, physical security and management of stockpiles, significant asymmetries in national capabilities persist, particularly among the countries of Central America and the Caribbean. Systematic implementation of stockpile management protocols remains incomplete in nearly all of the countries of the region, and demand for technical assistance, advice and cooperation has increased because of the successful execution of earlier PACAM activities and the increased confidence developed among national authorities in the role of the OAS in this field.
During execution of previous PACAM projects, as well as during recent CIFTA meetings, several OAS Member States have requested technical assistance in the areas in which the proposed project is intended to focus. Countries requesting support for improving physical security and stockpile management capabilities include Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Dominica. Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama have asked for support for the destruction of excess, obsolete or confiscated SALW and ammunition. Meanwhile, the demand of training and assistance with marking and tracing of SALW has been high, with Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Uruguay and Paraguay requesting help.
This project will also include a prevention component comprised of cross-sector and community-focused collaborative interventions aimed at reducing risk factors related to violence having the previously mentioned professionals and the community as direct beneficiaries and offenders and its victims as indirect targets.
The prevention component will be carried out within one selected community of the three selected countries. The interventions may need to be adapted in order to meet the needs of specific populations, methods of community engagement, and the distinct setting of challenges and opportunities for conducting collaborative gun violence prevention initiatives in diverse communities. While the countries of focus for these efforts have not been specifically identified, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Jamaica are likely candidates for project support because of their very high levels of violent crime and associated firearms use.
1.2. ObjectivesThrough this three-year project, the DPS aims to strengthen the capacity of the governments of OAS Member States to control and reduce the illicit proliferation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional munitions in the region, and to strengthen the capacity of selected communities to prevent armed violence. Technical assistance and cooperation with Member States that support the overall aim of the project will be based upon the following objectives to:

— | Strengthen physical security and management systems for national military and other institutional stockpiles through improved site security measures and inventory control;
— | Reinforce national capabilities for destruction of seized, excess or unsafe SALW and ammunition;
— | Enhance national SALW marking and tracing capacity and foment regional cooperation on tracing confiscated weapons and ammunition;
— | Improve SALW transfer mechanisms through national legislation, border controls, and regional coordination; and
— | Promote socially responsible behaviours in selected communities, targeting groups that are severely affected by armed violence, including the use of turn-in campaigns or other strategies designed to reduce local incidence of violent crimes.2. Selection of implementing agency and coordination with other relevant funding initiatives2.1. Implementing Agency – the Organization of American States (OAS)The OAS plays a pivotal role in the regional framework to prevent the illicit proliferation of small arms, light weapons, ammunition and explosives in Latin American and the Caribbean. In 1997, the region became the first in the world to adopt a regional instrument for the control of these weapons with the signing of the CIFTA. By providing the Technical Secretariat for the CIFTA, the OAS holds a unique position in coordination of efforts across the Western Hemisphere that seek to combat the uncontrolled spread of illicit small arms, light weapons and munitions as a necessary step for enhancing citizen security and reducing armed violence. In this role, the OAS-DPS has implemented projects and programs to support OAS Member States in fulfilling their obligations to ensure the security of national firearms stockpiles, to implement legislative measures to establish the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of firearms as criminal offenses under domestic law, to require firearms marking, and to exchange information with other CIFTA signatories with respect to tracing information and patterns of illicit trafficking. Since 2007, OAS projects supported by international donors have provided training, technical assistance and equipment to 29 countries in the region, resulting in the marking of nearly 300 000 firearms, destruction of another 65 000 excess or confiscated guns, and elimination of over 1 700 tons of excess, expired or unsafe munitions. No other regional or subregional organisation covering all of the Americas has the political influence, technical expertise or geographical reach to be able to support and assist all 35 American states.
(Cuba remains the only inactive OAS Member State, and its future status is subject to a process of dialogue that could be initiated at the request of the Government of Cuba, and in accordance with the practices, purposes, and principles of the OAS).
In addition, the OAS-DPS has been entrusted by the OAS Member States the responsibility to draft a Hemispheric Plan of Action to prevent and reduce homicides. One of the plan’s objectives is to reduce the availability of and access to arms. Two of DPS’s instruments to implement the plan are the Inter-American Program and Network for the Prevention of Violence and Crime. The prevention component of this project will be implemented following the Program and Network guidelines, youth leadership, consideration of the three levels of prevention, based on scientific evidence, inter-sectoral coordination, social participation through community empowerment, encouragement of international cooperation, promotion of a culture of peace, and gender and human rights perspectives.
2.2. Coordination with Other Relevant Funding InitiativesAs a general practice, OAS-DPS coordinates its activities with other agencies and organisations receiving funds from both the same and different donor governments and international bodies. In the case of organisations receiving support from the Union for work related to the activities proposed under this project, the Global Firearms Program of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is directly relevant to the project. The focal point for this coordination will be both the UNODC regional office in Mexico and country offices in which specific project activities will be conducted. Given the ongoing work of UNODC in this area, project activities will be aligned with the pillars of the Global Firearms Program.
With respect to legislative and policy development, OAS-DPS will continue to work in this area through the CIFTA by way of its annual Consultative Committee meetings and through special working groups that have developed and continue to refine model legislation for the States Parties. Objective 4 of this proposal is to improve SALW transfer mechanisms through national legislation, border controls, and regional coordination, with emphasis on legal mechanisms. Activities will include a regional workshop to develop mechanisms for legal cross-border transfers and their tracking, development of a virtual coordination network for information-sharing on legal transfers and illicit trafficking, and legal assistance to specific states. The legislative tools already developed by UNODC will be important in guiding the work of the OAS project in this area, UNODC advice and experiences will be sought out during the development process of these regional frameworks, including invitations to UNODC representatives to participate in workshops and to comment during the work on a virtual coordination network.
On preventive and security measures, OAS-DPS will contact UNODC to arrange discussions to share experiences on firearms marking and tracing projects and experiences. Since this has been an area of emphasis in previous OAS projects, an interchange of experiences early in the project, in the context of CIFTA Consultative Committee meetings could be facilitated through attendance of UNODC staff at these meetings.
Data collection and analysis, another pillar of the Global Firearms Program, will offer an important opportunity for OAS to share information gathered during project activities with UNODC. In that regard, OAS-DPS intends to contact the main UNODC office in Vienna, as well as its liaison office in New York and its regional office in Mexico, to coordinate ways that we can share information from project activities that will assist in their analysis of global trafficking patterns and trends.
3. Project description3.1. DescriptionThe general aim of this project is to strengthen the capacity of the governments of OAS Member States to control and reduce the illicit proliferation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional munitions throughout Latin American and the Caribbean and to reduce the impact of SALW on vulnerable populations and communities within the region. Building on previous activities carried out by the OAS-DPS through its Program of Assistance for Control of Arms and Munitions (PACAM), project activities will focus on securing institutional stockpiles of small arms, light weapons and ammunition through physical security and stockpile management measures, preventing illicit trafficking of weapons and ammunition across international borders within the region, and identifying and tracing small arms, light weapons and ammunition that are seized by government authorities to determine their sources. During execution of the project, the OAS will train national agencies responsible for physical security and stockpile management and provide equipment and software for national inventory control.
Stockpile management efforts will also include assistance to governments in destroying confiscated, excess and unsafe SALW and munitions. The OAS will reinforce a previous project that provided equipment and training for marking and tracing SALW by assisting Member States that have not received support in this area, as well as to those Member States that were assisted and have subsequently requested additional training and maintenance support for marking equipment. Leveraging its coordination role as the Secretariat for the CIFTA, the OAS will provide advice and technical assistance to Member States in drafting legislation that promotes measure to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in SALW and ammunition, in accordance with CIFTA provisions. In addition, a pilot prevention program will target selected communities in two or three of the countries that are most seriously impacted by armed violence related to the proliferation of SALW. The intended timeframe for project execution is 36 months.
3.2. Methodology3.2.1. Organisational structureThis project will be implemented by OAS-DPS, in coordination with supported OAS Member States. The OAS-DPS management team for the project will consist of five staff members based in OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, while project execution will be carried out by a regionally-based technical support team and locally-contracted personnel in the Member States, based on specific activities to be executed.
The regionally-based team of the Program of Assistance for Control of Arms and Munitions (PACAM) will consist of a team leader/coordinator, an information management and database expert, a logistic/administrative support specialist, and three technicians with experience in firearms safety, identification, marking and destruction – as well as level 3 certification in explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), in accordance with the Center for European Normalization Workshop Agreement for EOD Competency Standards. For highly specialized training and tasks, the OAS may also contract short-term support from other technical partner organisations, including Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, which has extensive experience in developing innovative, appropriate technologies to overcome operational challenges in the field of ammunition, explosives, landmines and SALW.
Initially, the OAS-DPS program management team will coordinate directly with national authorities of the Member States that have previously requested support on SALW and ammunition issues. In several cases, the OAS has existing cooperation agreements to assist Member States in the areas of physical security and stockpile management and SALW marking and tracing that will form the basis for technical assistance. The PACAM technical assistance team will be capable of meeting requests for assistance with training and maintenance for SALW marking equipment immediately upon initiation of the project.
3.2.2. Technical approachRequests for assistance with physical security, stockpile management and destruction of SALW or ammunition will require an initial assessment to be conducted by a member of the OAS-DPS program management team with support from the PACAM technical team. Based on these assessments, the management team will propose country action plans to national authorities, which will be executed with support from the PACAM technical team according to the most urgent priorities and available funds. Ammunition destruction activities will take into account the age, condition and obsolescence of the material, prioritizing elimination of material that pose the greatest threat to public safety and security through unplanned explosions or diversion. Small arms and light weapons will be earmarked for destruction using analytical criteria that include functionality, lethality, and risk of diversion. Destruction of seized or confiscated weapons will be limited to those that have been released by judicial authorities and are no longer required to be presented as evidence in court proceedings. Each country action plan that is developed will consider the following guidelines:

— | International Ammunition Technical Guidelines;
— | OAS Firearms Standards: Marking and Recordkeeping; and
— | United Nations Department of Disarmament Affairs Destruction Handbook: Small Arms, Light Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives.In order to enhance regional coordination on SALW national legislation, transfer mechanisms and border controls, the OAS will conduct regional workshops in conjunction with the annual meetings of the CIFTA Consultative Committee. Support for these workshops will also serve to increase CIFTA meeting participation by appropriate national authorities and provide fora for the identification of common problems and solutions. The OAS-DPS management team will contribute to development of CIFTA meeting agendas, as well as coordinate and execute the workshops. The workshops will focus on specific topics in the area of regional cooperation and coordination in order to identify training and technical assistance needs that neighbouring countries and subregions have in common. A particular focus of the regional workshops will be the development of a regional notification system for legal arms transfers that is consistent with the provisions of CIFTA and which also considers guidelines for transparency that are found in the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which some of the OAS Member States and CIFTA signatories have signed and ratified.
Subsequent training courses will be coordinated by the OAS-DPS management team and presented by the PACAM technical team with participation by Member States at the national and subregional levels in order to improve communication among national authorities with similar responsibilities within particular geographic areas. One course will be directed at training to customs and port authorities for recording inventories of seized weapons and ammunition to promote tracing and establishment of trafficking patterns as a means to reduce arms smuggling and promote improved reporting of seizures. The PACAM team will provide software and computer equipment to support these activities after national personnel have been trained. In conjunction with this training, the PACAM team will present information, as well as printed guides for distribution, covering SALW and ammunition identification, classification and safety to prevent accidents.
The prevention component of the project will focus on one community in each of three selected countries. The OAS-DPS will coordinate community assessments, starting with the Strategic Diagnostic System (Sistema de Diagnóstico Estratégico) – SIDIEs methodology, which will assess the current risks of gun violence at the community level, including most at-risk groups, and also the strengths and weaknesses of the selected community to protect itself. The services provided by the State and civil society to assist and protect victims of armed violence will be mapped and a list of policy recommendations will be provided to local authorities. The assessment will be gender sensitive, and it will also include a human rights approach.
The second step in the process will be to build the capacities of local health care providers, social workers, Justice and public security officials, so they can better assist and protect violence and crime victims and work for the prevention of recidivism among offenders. This activity will emphasize the work with victims and offenders of inter partner violence. Psychological and psychosocial support with the creation or strengthening of mutual help groups will be conducted, and labour reintegration to victims considered. Victims and their families will be encouraged to file reports of violent events and threats while Justice and public security officials will be trained to better respond to this kind violence. Health care providers and justice sector professionals will be encouraged to integrate psychological assistance to offenders, as a risk prevention strategy and in order to avoid recidivism.
The activities will also involve the community to address its weaknesses, to identify and strengthen existing protection networks, and to work together with the existing official prevention networks. These activities will include training courses on non-violent conflict resolution techniques to community leaders, SALW risk reduction campaigns if necessary. Some of the interventions may target groups identified as most vulnerable at the beginning of the process, such as at risk youth (e.g. Multisystemic Therapy), or women (entrepreneurship). All community capacity building activities will be evaluated with the most appropriate instruments such as questionnaires or focus groups. In additions, specific instruments to evaluate the selected interventions will be designed once the interventions have been selected.
3.2.3. Gender perspectiveBecause armed conflict affects women, men, girls, and boys in different ways, this project will take into account that women and girls in Latin American and the Caribbean face discrimination based on their gender and are vulnerable to sexual violence. In order to promote and support women’s active and meaningful participation in all violence-prevention and conflict-resolution mechanisms, a gender perspective will be incorporated into all activities. One of the primary measures will be the incorporation of women at all levels of project implementation from the OAS General Secretariat for both technical, conflict resolution and violence prevention objectives. This begins with their participation at the level of the OAS Secretary for Multidimensional Security and the Director of OAS-DPS, to the national and PACAM technical staff involved in physical security, stockpile management and SALW control and destruction operations, as well as local staff to promote violence prevention. Violence prevention activities will focus particular attention on the need of women and girls for security and safety within their communities and for their participation in the search for solutions to these challenges. Regional and local organisations led by women will be sought as partners for specific activities, based on the compatibility of their organisation’s social objectives with those of the project and their past experiences in the technical areas of the project.
3.2.4. External coordinationIn addition to coordination and collaboration with national authorities throughout the region, the OAS will coordinate and collaborate with other institutions and organisations during the execution of the project. The entities, listed below, may be in position to provide support on specific issues and help promote the initiative in the region:

— | United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), including regional and national offices, where applicable: Global Firearms Programme, in particular transit and brokering controls;
— | Central American Program on Small Arms and Light Weapons Control (CASAC) of the Central American Integration System (SICA): Promotion of regional initiatives for Central America through participation in regional workshops and follow-up on earlier EEAS-funded SALW projects;
— | CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS): Coordination with the Regional Integrated Ballistic Information Network (RIBIN);
— | INTERPOL: Technical assistance in SALW training (iARMS);
— | United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF): Technical expertise in SALW tracing (e-Trace);
— | Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Technical cooperation for development of training on SALW identification and classification;
— | Conflict Armament Research: Coordination and technical assistance for tracing SALW through the I-Trace initiative;
— | Civil society organisations dedicated to prevention of crime and violence, including Central American Network for Peacebuilding and Human Security (REDCEPAZ – Red Centroamericana para la Construcción de la Paz y Seguridad Humana), Institute for Teaching for Sustainable Development (IEPADES – Instituto de Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Sostenible – Guatemala), Interpeace (Central America), Violence Prevention Alliance (Jamaica), and the North Coast Empowerment Group (Trinidad and Tobago).3.3. Project Objectives and ActivitiesObjective 1: Strengthen physical security and management (PSSM) systems for national military and other institutional stockpiles through improved site security measures and inventory control.
Supporting activities:

— | Activity 1.1: Assess PSSM situation of national institutions in at least nine OAS Member States.
— | Activity 1.2: Develop SALW and ammunition inventory control software and make software and training available to key all OAS Member States through CIFTA.
— | Activity 1.3: Provide training to key national authorities on PSSM best practices, including inventory control and SALW identification and classification during workshops in conjunction with CIFTA events.Expected results:

— | Nine national-level assessments of physical security and stockpile management capabilities and needs completed.
— | Inventory control software developed and distributed to a minimum of nine OAS Member States.
— | Two workshops on PSSM best practices conducted with a total of 60 national personnel from 15 OAS Member States trained.Objective 2: Reinforce national capabilities for destruction of seized, excess or unsafe SALW and ammunition.
Supporting activities:

— | Activity 2.1: Provide training and technical assistance for, as well as monitoring of, the destruction of confiscated, excess and unwanted SALW and ammunition to at least eight OAS Member States.
— | Activity 2.2: Coordinate with the Government of Spain to provide advanced explosive ordnance disposal training to 60 technicians from OAS Member States at the Spanish Army Engineer Academy in Madrid.Expected results:

— | At least 200 national staff from eight OAS Member States trained on safe destruction of SALW, ammunition and explosives
— | Destruction of 300 tons of munitions and 30 000 SALW.
— | At least 60 national technicians trained in explosive ordnance disposal to level 3 of CEN Workshop standards.Objective 3: Enhance national SALW marking and tracing capacity and foment regional cooperation on tracing confiscated weapons and ammunition.
Supporting activities:

— | Activity 3.1: Conduct at least one maintenance and training assistance visit to 18 OAS Member States that previously received SALW marking equipment and training through the OAS.
— | Activity 3.2: Provide a limited number of additional SALW marking equipment to OAS Member States requesting machines and computer equipment to enhance their marking and recordkeeping capabilities.
— | Activity 3.3: Introduce SALW marking equipment and provide training to three OAS Member States that did not previously receive assistance.
— | Activity 3.4: Consolidate data from SALW seized by national authorities and destroyed during Activity 2.1 in order to trace source and transit countries and analyse illicit trafficking patterns.Expected results:

— | Two hundred national technicians from 18 OAS Member States trained in the use of SALW marking and recordkeeping equipment.
— | Damaged marking machines repaired or new machines provided to OAS Member States to ensure that each of the 25 states that participated in the original OAS SALW marking project have at least one operational machine.
— | At least one SALW marking machine and recordkeeping software and equipment are provided to three OAS Member States that did not participate in the original OAS SALW marking project.
— | SALW identification data for approximately 30 000 seized SALW from OAS Member State inventories is provided to Conflict Armament Research for use and analysis by the I-trace initiative, as well as to international law enforcement agencies for individual firearms tracing through INTERPOL’s iARMS and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms e-Trace systems.Objective 4: Improve SALW transfer mechanisms through national legislation, border controls, and regional coordination.
Supporting activities:

— | Activity 4.1: Conduct a regional workshop in the context of CIFTA to develop a mechanism for cross-border and regional communications and communication to notify neighbouring countries about and facilitate tracking of legal arms transfers.
— | Activity 4.2: Establish a virtual coordination network for information-sharing about illicit arms trafficking and manufacturing activities.
— | Activity 4.3: Provide legal assistance on national SALW control legislation to OAS Member States requesting support.Expected results:

— | A standardized format for reporting tracking of legal arms transfers within the Americas is coordinated and approved by the CIFTA States Parties.
— | A virtual platform for pre-transfer notification of arms transfers (modelled on PEN-online system for precursor chemicals) is developed and operational.
— | Five OAS Member States provided with legal assistance for development of national SALW, ammunition, and/or explosives control.Objective 5: Promote socially responsible behaviours in selected communities, targeting groups that are severely affected by armed violence, and using cross-sector collaborative interventions designed to reduce the risk and recidivism of violent crimes in one selected community of each of the three participating countries.
Supporting activities:

— | Activity 5.1: Coordinate and conduct diagnostic assessments of armed violence patterns and issues in selected communities of three OAS Member States (one per country) to identify populations suffering a high index of crime using SALW where prevention efforts are likely to reduce the levels of violence, and the existing State and civil society services available to assist crime and violence victims.
— | Activity 5.2: Provide training courses to health care providers, social workers, justice and public security officials to better their capacities to assist victims of inter-partner violence and other forms of armed violence and provide training courses on non-violent conflict resolution techniques to community leaders, in particular, and male leaders to prevent recidivism among offenders.
— | Activity 5.3: Conduct community capacity building workshops on violence prevention, directed at augmenting protective factors among populations identified as most vulnerable to violence and gun related violence in the three selected communities.
— | Activity 5.4: Evaluate the effectiveness of prevention interventions of the project.Expected results:

— | Three local assessments conducted [Assessment including the local patterns of gun violence, existing vulnerable populations, number of inter partner violence that use firearms as mechanism of violence and crime, local assistance and protection services provided to victims of violence and armed violence and a list of recommendations for decision makers within the three selected communities conducted].
— | Three community networks strengthened to provide factors to confront risk of gun violence.
— | Three hundred state and civil society care providers and officials trained to improve capabilities for prevention and mitigation of armed violence.
— | Selected interventions targeting groups most vulnerable to gun violence within one community of each three selected beneficiary country implemented and evaluated.4. BeneficiariesThe direct beneficiaries of objectives 1 through 4 are national institutions and authorities responsible for control of SALW, ammunition and explosives in Latin America and the Caribbean. With regard to physical security and stockpile management and destruction of SALW, ammunition and explosives, the ministries of defence and public security of the governments of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Panama will benefit from capacity development. In addition to these states, the ministries in Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Uruguay and Paraguay will directly benefit from capacity building for SALW marking and tracing. SALW control authorities throughout the region will benefit from training and information-sharing and regional cooperation and coordination initiatives. Local authorities in three of the most seriously affected countries by violent crime and other forms of armed violence will receive the benefit of training in violence prevention and mitigation. The ultimate beneficiaries of activities conducted toward all five objectives will be citizens of Central America, Caribbean, and selected South American nations that are affected by high levels of crime and armed violence.
5. European Union visibilityThe OAS-DPS will ensure that all project activities recognise the Union for its financial support of the project through multiple means. Press releases, social media and interviews with news media for high visibility events will highlight EU support. All equipment, printed materials or computer software donated to beneficiary countries will be labelled as being funded by the Union. Project personnel will display EU logo and/or flag on all hats, coveralls or work uniforms as a clear method of branding. Union support will be well published and visible on OAS websites and publications related to the project and the programs that are supported.
6. DurationThe intended timeframe for project execution is 36 months.
7. General set-upTechnical implementation of the project will be accomplished by the OAS-DPS through two existing programs: the Program of Assistance for Control of Arms and Munitions (PACAM) and the Inter-American Program and Network for the Prevention of Violence and Crime. The Department’s role in the implementation and support of the CIFTA through its Plan of Action for 2018-2022 will be a key link to supporting national capacity building.
8. PartnersThe OAS-DPS will implement the project in partnership with national authorities for control of SALW, ammunition and explosives and with authorities responsible for public security in the countries supported. The primary focus of these efforts will be in the Central American and the Caribbean subregions, where indices of armed violence remain high but where national financial resources and capacities are the most limited.
9. ReportingNarrative progress reports and financial status will be presented on a quarterly basis to allow for adequate and timely monitoring and evaluation.

Pending: 32018D1904

6.12.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 310/25
(1) Pursuant to the first paragraph of Article 285 of Directive 2006/112/EC, Member States which have not exercised the option under Article 14 of Council Directive 67/228/EEC(2)may exempt taxable persons whose annual turnover is no higher than EUR 5 000 from value added tax (VAT) or the equivalent in national currency.
(2) By letter registered with the Commission on 19 July 2018, the Netherlands requested authorisation to introduce a special measure derogating from Article 285 of Directive 2006/112/EC in order to apply an exemption threshold of EUR 25 000. Through that special measure taxable persons whose annual turnover is no higher than EUR 25 000 would be exempt from certain or all of the obligations in relation to VAT as referred to in Chapters 2 to 6 of Title XI of Directive 2006/112/EC.
(3) A higher threshold for the special scheme for small enterprises set out in Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC is a simplification measure, as it may significantly reduce the VAT obligations of small enterprises. That special scheme is optional for taxable persons.
(4) In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 395(2) of Directive 2006/112/EC, the Commission transmitted the request of the Netherlands to the other Member States by letters dated 9 August 2018, with the exception of Spain and Cyprus, to which the request was transmitted by letters dated 10 August 2018. By letter dated 13 August 2018, the Commission notified the Netherlands that it had all the information necessary for the appraisal of the request.
(5) The requested derogation is in line with the policy objectives of the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 25 June 2008 – ‘Think Small First’ – A ‘Small Business Act’ for Europe.
(6) Given that the Netherlands expects that the increased threshold will result in reduced VAT obligations and thus a reduction in administrative burdens and compliance costs for small enterprises, the Netherlands should be authorised to apply the special measure for a limited period of time, until 31 December 2022. The special scheme for small enterprises is optional, so taxable persons would still be able to opt for the normal VAT arrangements.
(7) As Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC governing the special scheme for small enterprises are subject to review, it is possible that a directive amending those Articles will be adopted and will set a date from which Member States are to apply national provisions before the period of validity of the derogation expires on 31 December 2022. In that case, this Decision should cease to apply.
(8) Based on information provided by the Netherlands, the increased threshold will only have a negligible impact on the overall amount of the tax revenue of the Netherlands collected at the final stage of consumption.
(9) The derogation has no impact on the Union's own resources accruing from VAT because the Netherlands is to carry out a compensation calculation in accordance with Article 6 of Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 1553/89(3),
(a) 31 December 2022;
(b) the date from which Member States are to apply any national provisions that they are required to adopt in the event that a directive is adopted amending Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC governing the special scheme for small enterprises.
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 on the common system of value added tax(1), and in particular Article 395(1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
(1) Pursuant to the first paragraph of Article 285 of Directive 2006/112/EC, Member States which have not exercised the option under Article 14 of Council Directive 67/228/EEC(2)may exempt taxable persons whose annual turnover is no higher than EUR 5 000 from value added tax (VAT) or the equivalent in national currency.
(2) By letter registered with the Commission on 19 July 2018, the Netherlands requested authorisation to introduce a special measure derogating from Article 285 of Directive 2006/112/EC in order to apply an exemption threshold of EUR 25 000. Through that special measure taxable persons whose annual turnover is no higher than EUR 25 000 would be exempt from certain or all of the obligations in relation to VAT as referred to in Chapters 2 to 6 of Title XI of Directive 2006/112/EC.
(3) A higher threshold for the special scheme for small enterprises set out in Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC is a simplification measure, as it may significantly reduce the VAT obligations of small enterprises. That special scheme is optional for taxable persons.
(4) In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 395(2) of Directive 2006/112/EC, the Commission transmitted the request of the Netherlands to the other Member States by letters dated 9 August 2018, with the exception of Spain and Cyprus, to which the request was transmitted by letters dated 10 August 2018. By letter dated 13 August 2018, the Commission notified the Netherlands that it had all the information necessary for the appraisal of the request.
(5) The requested derogation is in line with the policy objectives of the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 25 June 2008 – ‘Think Small First’ – A ‘Small Business Act’ for Europe.
(6) Given that the Netherlands expects that the increased threshold will result in reduced VAT obligations and thus a reduction in administrative burdens and compliance costs for small enterprises, the Netherlands should be authorised to apply the special measure for a limited period of time, until 31 December 2022. The special scheme for small enterprises is optional, so taxable persons would still be able to opt for the normal VAT arrangements.
(7) As Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC governing the special scheme for small enterprises are subject to review, it is possible that a directive amending those Articles will be adopted and will set a date from which Member States are to apply national provisions before the period of validity of the derogation expires on 31 December 2022. In that case, this Decision should cease to apply.
(8) Based on information provided by the Netherlands, the increased threshold will only have a negligible impact on the overall amount of the tax revenue of the Netherlands collected at the final stage of consumption.
(9) The derogation has no impact on the Union’s own resources accruing from VAT because the Netherlands is to carry out a compensation calculation in accordance with Article 6 of Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 1553/89(3),
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1
By way of derogation from Article 285 of Directive 2006/112/EC, the Netherlands is authorised to exempt taxable persons whose annual turnover is no higher than EUR 25 000 from VAT.

Article 2
This Decision shall apply from 1 January 2020 until the earlier of the following two dates:
(a)
31 December 2022;
(b)
the date from which Member States are to apply any national provisions that they are required to adopt in the event that a directive is adopted amending Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC governing the special scheme for small enterprises.

Article 3
This Decision shall take effect on the date of its notification.

Article 4
This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 on the common system of value added tax(1), and in particular Article 395(1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
(1) Pursuant to the first paragraph of Article 285 of Directive 2006/112/EC, Member States which have not exercised the option under Article 14 of Council Directive 67/228/EEC(2)may exempt taxable persons whose annual turnover is no higher than EUR 5 000 from value added tax (VAT) or the equivalent in national currency.
(2) By letter registered with the Commission on 19 July 2018, the Netherlands requested authorisation to introduce a special measure derogating from Article 285 of Directive 2006/112/EC in order to apply an exemption threshold of EUR 25 000. Through that special measure taxable persons whose annual turnover is no higher than EUR 25 000 would be exempt from certain or all of the obligations in relation to VAT as referred to in Chapters 2 to 6 of Title XI of Directive 2006/112/EC.
(3) A higher threshold for the special scheme for small enterprises set out in Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC is a simplification measure, as it may significantly reduce the VAT obligations of small enterprises. That special scheme is optional for taxable persons.
(4) In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 395(2) of Directive 2006/112/EC, the Commission transmitted the request of the Netherlands to the other Member States by letters dated 9 August 2018, with the exception of Spain and Cyprus, to which the request was transmitted by letters dated 10 August 2018. By letter dated 13 August 2018, the Commission notified the Netherlands that it had all the information necessary for the appraisal of the request.
(5) The requested derogation is in line with the policy objectives of the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 25 June 2008 – ‘Think Small First’ – A ‘Small Business Act’ for Europe.
(6) Given that the Netherlands expects that the increased threshold will result in reduced VAT obligations and thus a reduction in administrative burdens and compliance costs for small enterprises, the Netherlands should be authorised to apply the special measure for a limited period of time, until 31 December 2022. The special scheme for small enterprises is optional, so taxable persons would still be able to opt for the normal VAT arrangements.
(7) As Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC governing the special scheme for small enterprises are subject to review, it is possible that a directive amending those Articles will be adopted and will set a date from which Member States are to apply national provisions before the period of validity of the derogation expires on 31 December 2022. In that case, this Decision should cease to apply.
(8) Based on information provided by the Netherlands, the increased threshold will only have a negligible impact on the overall amount of the tax revenue of the Netherlands collected at the final stage of consumption.
(9) The derogation has no impact on the Union’s own resources accruing from VAT because the Netherlands is to carry out a compensation calculation in accordance with Article 6 of Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 1553/89(3),
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
By way of derogation from Article 285 of Directive 2006/112/EC, the Netherlands is authorised to exempt taxable persons whose annual turnover is no higher than EUR 25 000 from VAT.
This Decision shall apply from 1 January 2020 until the earlier of the following two dates:
(a)
31 December 2022;
(b)
the date from which Member States are to apply any national provisions that they are required to adopt in the event that a directive is adopted amending Articles 281 to 294 of Directive 2006/112/EC governing the special scheme for small enterprises.
This Decision shall take effect on the date of its notification.
This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Pending: 32018D0954

5.7.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 168/7
(1) Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a severe viral disease of small ruminants, namely sheep and goats, which is transmitted primarily via direct contact. Morbidity and mortality due to PPR can be very high, especially in areas where PPR occurs for the first time, and it can have a serious economic impact on the agricultural sector. PPR is not transmissible to humans. PPR is endemic in many countries of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and it is of great concern for animal health and welfare.
(2) Council Directive 92/119/EEC(3)lays down general measures to be taken for the control of certain animal diseases, including PPR. These include control measures to be taken in the event of the suspicion and the confirmation of PPR in a holding. These control measures also include the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around outbreaks and other additional measures to control the spread of that disease.
(3) On 23 June 2018, Bulgaria notified the Commission and the other Member States of one outbreak of a PPR, in three small ruminant holdings, where animals from those holdings graze together in the municipality of Bolyarovo, in the region of Yambol in Bulgaria.
(4) Bulgaria has taken the control measures provided for in Directive 92/119/EEC, and in particular the ‘stamping out’ of infected herds, and the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the outbreaks as provided for in that Directive. Surveillance has also been intensified in the municipalities neighbouring the affected zones, as well as in the municipalities located along the border of the Union with third countries not free of PPR.
(5) In addition to the control measures provided for in Directive 92/119/EEC, it is necessary to take additional protective measures to prevent the spread of PPR. Accordingly, in order to prevent the spread of PPR to other areas of Bulgaria, and to other Member States and to third countries, particularly through trade in small ruminants and their germinal products, the dispatch of consignments of small ruminants and the placing on the market of certain products derived from small ruminants, should be controlled.
(6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911(4)was adopted in order to prevent its spread of PPR to other parts of Bulgaria, and to other Member States and to third countries. That act provides for interim protective measures and, in particular, it prohibits the dispatch of consignments of small ruminants and the placing on the market of certain products derived from small ruminants from the region of Yambol in Bulgaria.
(7) Since the last date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911, Bulgaria has notified the Commission of a new outbreak of PPR in a small ruminant holding in region of Burgas of that Member State.
(8) Bulgaria has also notified the Commission that it has taken the necessary measures required in accordance with Directive 92/119/EEC following that recent outbreak, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the infected holding in that Member State.
(9) The protective measures provided for in this Decision should take into account of the up-to-date epidemiological situation in Bulgaria and replace the interim protective measures laid down in Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911. That Decision should therefore be repealed.
(10) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
(a) small ruminants;
(b) semen, ova and embryos of small ruminants.
(a) fresh meat;
(b) minced meat and meat preparations produced from the meat referred to in point (a);
(c) meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines for human consumption produced from the meat referred to in point (a), other than those which have undergone a treatment to eliminate certain animal health risks in accordance with Annex III to Council Directive 2002/99/EC(7);
(d) raw milk and dairy products, other than those that have undergone a treatment in hermetically sealed containers with an F0 value of 3,00 or more, as described in Annex III to Directive 2002/99/EC;
(e) products containing the commodities referred to in points (a) to (d);
(f) animal by-products.
— the municipalities of Bolyarovo and Elhovo in the region of Yambol,
— the municipalities of Sredets, Sozopol, Primorsko, Malko Tarnovo and Tsarevo in the region of Burgas.
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market(1), and in particular Article 9(4) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market(2), and in particular Article 10(4) thereof,
(1) Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a severe viral disease of small ruminants, namely sheep and goats, which is transmitted primarily via direct contact. Morbidity and mortality due to PPR can be very high, especially in areas where PPR occurs for the first time, and it can have a serious economic impact on the agricultural sector. PPR is not transmissible to humans. PPR is endemic in many countries of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and it is of great concern for animal health and welfare.
(2) Council Directive 92/119/EEC(3)lays down general measures to be taken for the control of certain animal diseases, including PPR. These include control measures to be taken in the event of the suspicion and the confirmation of PPR in a holding. These control measures also include the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around outbreaks and other additional measures to control the spread of that disease.
(3) On 23 June 2018, Bulgaria notified the Commission and the other Member States of one outbreak of a PPR, in three small ruminant holdings, where animals from those holdings graze together in the municipality of Bolyarovo, in the region of Yambol in Bulgaria.
(4) Bulgaria has taken the control measures provided for in Directive 92/119/EEC, and in particular the ‘stamping out’ of infected herds, and the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the outbreaks as provided for in that Directive. Surveillance has also been intensified in the municipalities neighbouring the affected zones, as well as in the municipalities located along the border of the Union with third countries not free of PPR.
(5) In addition to the control measures provided for in Directive 92/119/EEC, it is necessary to take additional protective measures to prevent the spread of PPR. Accordingly, in order to prevent the spread of PPR to other areas of Bulgaria, and to other Member States and to third countries, particularly through trade in small ruminants and their germinal products, the dispatch of consignments of small ruminants and the placing on the market of certain products derived from small ruminants, should be controlled.
(6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911(4)was adopted in order to prevent its spread of PPR to other parts of Bulgaria, and to other Member States and to third countries. That act provides for interim protective measures and, in particular, it prohibits the dispatch of consignments of small ruminants and the placing on the market of certain products derived from small ruminants from the region of Yambol in Bulgaria.
(7) Since the last date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911, Bulgaria has notified the Commission of a new outbreak of PPR in a small ruminant holding in region of Burgas of that Member State.
(8) Bulgaria has also notified the Commission that it has taken the necessary measures required in accordance with Directive 92/119/EEC following that recent outbreak, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the infected holding in that Member State.
(9) The protective measures provided for in this Decision should take into account of the up-to-date epidemiological situation in Bulgaria and replace the interim protective measures laid down in Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911. That Decision should therefore be repealed.
(10) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1
This Decision lays down certain protective measures to prevent the spread of peste des petits ruminants in the Union.
It applies to small ruminants, and to the semen, ova and embryos of those animals, as well as certain commodities of those animals.

Article 2
For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply:
(a)‘small ruminants’: means any animal of the ovine or caprine species;
(b)‘animal by-products’: means animal by-products as defined in point (1) of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council(5);
(c)‘derived products’: means derived products as defined in point (2) of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009.
In addition, the definitions set out in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council(6)shall apply.

Article 3
Bulgaria shall prohibit the dispatch of the following commodities from the areas listed in the Annex to other parts of Bulgaria, and to other Member States and to third countries:
(a)
small ruminants;
(b)
semen, ova and embryos of small ruminants.

Article 4
1. Bulgaria shall prohibit the placing on the market of the following commodities outside the areas listed in the Annex, where such commodities are produced from small ruminants coming from the areas listed in the Annex:
(a)
fresh meat;
(b)
minced meat and meat preparations produced from the meat referred to in point (a);
(c)
meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines for human consumption produced from the meat referred to in point (a), other than those which have undergone a treatment to eliminate certain animal health risks in accordance with Annex III to Council Directive 2002/99/EC(7);
(d)
raw milk and dairy products, other than those that have undergone a treatment in hermetically sealed containers with an F0 value of 3,00 or more, as described in Annex III to Directive 2002/99/EC;
(e)
products containing the commodities referred to in points (a) to (d);
(f)
animal by-products.
2. By way of derogation from the prohibition laid down in paragraph 1(f) of this Article, the competent authority may authorise the dispatch of animal by-products under official supervision destined for processing into derived products or disposal in a plant approved by it for that purpose within the territory of Bulgaria in accordance with the rules laid down in Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009.

Article 5
Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911 is repealed.

Article 6
This Decision shall apply until 28 December 2018.

Article 7
This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market(1), and in particular Article 9(4) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market(2), and in particular Article 10(4) thereof,
(1) Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a severe viral disease of small ruminants, namely sheep and goats, which is transmitted primarily via direct contact. Morbidity and mortality due to PPR can be very high, especially in areas where PPR occurs for the first time, and it can have a serious economic impact on the agricultural sector. PPR is not transmissible to humans. PPR is endemic in many countries of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and it is of great concern for animal health and welfare.
(2) Council Directive 92/119/EEC(3)lays down general measures to be taken for the control of certain animal diseases, including PPR. These include control measures to be taken in the event of the suspicion and the confirmation of PPR in a holding. These control measures also include the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around outbreaks and other additional measures to control the spread of that disease.
(3) On 23 June 2018, Bulgaria notified the Commission and the other Member States of one outbreak of a PPR, in three small ruminant holdings, where animals from those holdings graze together in the municipality of Bolyarovo, in the region of Yambol in Bulgaria.
(4) Bulgaria has taken the control measures provided for in Directive 92/119/EEC, and in particular the ‘stamping out’ of infected herds, and the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the outbreaks as provided for in that Directive. Surveillance has also been intensified in the municipalities neighbouring the affected zones, as well as in the municipalities located along the border of the Union with third countries not free of PPR.
(5) In addition to the control measures provided for in Directive 92/119/EEC, it is necessary to take additional protective measures to prevent the spread of PPR. Accordingly, in order to prevent the spread of PPR to other areas of Bulgaria, and to other Member States and to third countries, particularly through trade in small ruminants and their germinal products, the dispatch of consignments of small ruminants and the placing on the market of certain products derived from small ruminants, should be controlled.
(6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911(4)was adopted in order to prevent its spread of PPR to other parts of Bulgaria, and to other Member States and to third countries. That act provides for interim protective measures and, in particular, it prohibits the dispatch of consignments of small ruminants and the placing on the market of certain products derived from small ruminants from the region of Yambol in Bulgaria.
(7) Since the last date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911, Bulgaria has notified the Commission of a new outbreak of PPR in a small ruminant holding in region of Burgas of that Member State.
(8) Bulgaria has also notified the Commission that it has taken the necessary measures required in accordance with Directive 92/119/EEC following that recent outbreak, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the infected holding in that Member State.
(9) The protective measures provided for in this Decision should take into account of the up-to-date epidemiological situation in Bulgaria and replace the interim protective measures laid down in Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911. That Decision should therefore be repealed.
(10) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
This Decision lays down certain protective measures to prevent the spread of peste des petits ruminants in the Union.
It applies to small ruminants, and to the semen, ova and embryos of those animals, as well as certain commodities of those animals.
For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply:
(a)‘small ruminants’: means any animal of the ovine or caprine species;
(b)‘animal by-products’: means animal by-products as defined in point (1) of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council(5);
(c)‘derived products’: means derived products as defined in point (2) of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009.
In addition, the definitions set out in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council(6)shall apply.
Bulgaria shall prohibit the dispatch of the following commodities from the areas listed in the Annex to other parts of Bulgaria, and to other Member States and to third countries:
(a)
small ruminants;
(b)
semen, ova and embryos of small ruminants.
1. Bulgaria shall prohibit the placing on the market of the following commodities outside the areas listed in the Annex, where such commodities are produced from small ruminants coming from the areas listed in the Annex:
(a)
fresh meat;
(b)
minced meat and meat preparations produced from the meat referred to in point (a);
(c)
meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines for human consumption produced from the meat referred to in point (a), other than those which have undergone a treatment to eliminate certain animal health risks in accordance with Annex III to Council Directive 2002/99/EC(7);
(d)
raw milk and dairy products, other than those that have undergone a treatment in hermetically sealed containers with an F0 value of 3,00 or more, as described in Annex III to Directive 2002/99/EC;
(e)
products containing the commodities referred to in points (a) to (d);
(f)
animal by-products.
2. By way of derogation from the prohibition laid down in paragraph 1(f) of this Article, the competent authority may authorise the dispatch of animal by-products under official supervision destined for processing into derived products or disposal in a plant approved by it for that purpose within the territory of Bulgaria in accordance with the rules laid down in Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009.
Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/911 is repealed.
This Decision shall apply until 28 December 2018.
This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.
ANNEXThe following municipalities in Bulgaria:

— | the municipalities of Bolyarovo and Elhovo in the region of Yambol,
— | the municipalities of Sredets, Sozopol, Primorsko, Malko Tarnovo and Tsarevo in the region of Burgas.

Pending: 32018D0903

26.6.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 161/7
(1) On 4 August 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1338(1)extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) in Kosovo and appointing Ms Nataliya APOSTOLOVA as the EUSR in Kosovo. The EUSR's mandate is to expire on 30 June 2018.
(2) The EUSR's mandate should be extended for a further period of 20 months.
(3) The EUSR will implement the mandate in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union's external action as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty,
(a) offer the Union's advice and support in the political process;
(b) promote overall Union political coordination in Kosovo;
(c) strengthen the presence of the Union in Kosovo and ensure its coherence and effectiveness;
(d) provide local political guidance to the Head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX KOSOVO), including on the political aspects of issues relating to executive responsibilities;
(e) ensure consistency and coherence of Union action in Kosovo, including in guiding locally the EULEX KOSOVO transition for the eventual transfer of activities to the EUSR or the EU Office in Kosovo and/or the local authorities, as appropriate;
(f) support Kosovo's European perspective and rapprochement with the Union, in line with the perspective of the region and in accordance with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and Decision (EU) 2015/1988, and in line with the relevant Council conclusions, through targeted public communication and Union outreach activities designed to ensure a broader understanding and support from the Kosovo public on issues related to the Union, including the work of EULEX KOSOVO;
(g) monitor, assist and facilitate, by all the means and instruments at the disposal of the EUSR and with the support of the EU office in Kosovo, progress on political, economic and European priorities, in line with respective institutional competencies and responsibilities, and support the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, including through the European Reform Agenda;
(h) contribute to the development and consolidation of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Kosovo, including with regard to women and children and protection of minorities, in accordance with the Union's human rights policy and Union Guidelines on Human Rights;
(i) assist in the implementation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue facilitated by the Union, including operational support tasks to be transferred from EULEX KOSOVO;
(j) support the mandate of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor Office, as appropriate, including through communication and outreach.
(a) establishing a specific security plan based on guidance from the EEAS, including specific physical, organisational and procedural security measures, governing the management of the secure movement of personnel to, and within, the area of responsibility, as well as management of security incidents and providing for a contingency and evacuation plan;
(b) ensuring that all personnel deployed outside the Union are covered by high-risk insurance, as required by the conditions in the area of responsibility;
(c) ensuring that all members of the EUSR's team to be deployed outside the Union, including locally contracted personnel, have received appropriate security training before or upon arriving in the area of responsibility, based on the risk ratings assigned to that area by the EEAS;
(d) ensuring that all agreed recommendations made following regular security assessments are implemented and providing the Council, the HR and the Commission with written reports on their implementation and on other security issues within the framework of the progress report and the report on the implementation of the mandate.
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 33 and Article 31(2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
(1) On 4 August 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1338(1)extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) in Kosovo and appointing Ms Nataliya APOSTOLOVA as the EUSR in Kosovo. The EUSR’s mandate is to expire on 30 June 2018.
(2) The EUSR’s mandate should be extended for a further period of 20 months.
(3) The EUSR will implement the mandate in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union’s external action as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

European Union Special Representative
Article 1
The mandate of Ms Nataliya APOSTOLOVA as the EUSR for Kosovo is extended until 29 February 2020. The Council may decide that the mandate of the EUSR be terminated earlier, based on an assessment by the Political and Security Committee (PSC) and a proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR).

Policy objectives
Article 2
The EUSR’s mandate shall be based on the policy objectives of the Union in Kosovo. These include playing a leading role in promoting a stable, viable, peaceful, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo; strengthening stability in the region and contributing to regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations in the Western Balkans; promoting a Kosovo that is committed to the rule of law and to the protection of minorities and of cultural and religious heritage; supporting Kosovo’s European perspective and rapprochement with the Union in line with the perspective of the region and in accordance with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and Kosovo, of the other part(2)(hereinafter ‘the Stabilisation and Association Agreement’) and Council Decision (EU) 2015/1988(3), and in line with the relevant Council conclusions.

Mandate
Article 3
In order to achieve the policy objectives, the EUSR’s mandate shall be to:
(a)
offer the Union’s advice and support in the political process;
(b)
promote overall Union political coordination in Kosovo;
(c)
strengthen the presence of the Union in Kosovo and ensure its coherence and effectiveness;
(d)
provide local political guidance to the Head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX KOSOVO), including on the political aspects of issues relating to executive responsibilities;
(e)
ensure consistency and coherence of Union action in Kosovo, including in guiding locally the EULEX KOSOVO transition for the eventual transfer of activities to the EUSR or the EU Office in Kosovo and/or the local authorities, as appropriate;
(f)
support Kosovo’s European perspective and rapprochement with the Union, in line with the perspective of the region and in accordance with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and Decision (EU) 2015/1988, and in line with the relevant Council conclusions, through targeted public communication and Union outreach activities designed to ensure a broader understanding and support from the Kosovo public on issues related to the Union, including the work of EULEX KOSOVO;
(g)
monitor, assist and facilitate, by all the means and instruments at the disposal of the EUSR and with the support of the EU office in Kosovo, progress on political, economic and European priorities, in line with respective institutional competencies and responsibilities, and support the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, including through the European Reform Agenda;
(h)
contribute to the development and consolidation of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Kosovo, including with regard to women and children and protection of minorities, in accordance with the Union’s human rights policy and Union Guidelines on Human Rights;
(i)
assist in the implementation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue facilitated by the Union, including operational support tasks to be transferred from EULEX KOSOVO;
(j)
support the mandate of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor Office, as appropriate, including through communication and outreach.

Implementation of the mandate
Article 4
1. The EUSR shall be responsible for the implementation of the mandate, acting under the authority of the HR.
2. The PSC shall maintain a privileged link with the EUSR and shall be the EUSR’s primary point of contact with the Council. The PSC shall provide the EUSR with strategic guidance and political direction within the framework of the mandate, without prejudice to the powers of the HR.
3. The EUSR shall work in close coordination with the European External Action Service (EEAS) and its relevant departments.

Financing
Article 5
1. The financial reference amount intended to cover the expenditure related to the EUSR’s mandate for the period from 1 July 2018 to 29 February 2020 shall be EUR 5 150 000.
2. The expenditure shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the general budget of the Union. Participation of natural and legal persons in the award of procurement contracts by the EUSR shall be open without limitations. Furthermore, no rule of origin for the goods purchased by the EUSR shall apply.
3. The management of the expenditure shall be subject to a contract between the EUSR and the Commission. The EUSR shall be accountable to the Commission for all expenditure.

Constitution and composition of the team
Article 6
1. Within the limits of the EUSR’s mandate and the corresponding financial means made available, the EUSR shall be responsible for constituting a team. The team shall include the expertise on specific policy issues as required by the mandate. The EUSR shall keep the Council and the Commission promptly informed of the composition of the team.
2. Member States, institutions of the Union and the EEAS may propose the secondment of staff to work with the EUSR. The salary of such seconded personnel shall be covered by the Member State, the institution of the Union concerned or the EEAS, respectively. Experts seconded by Member States to the institutions of the Union or the EEAS may also be posted to work with the EUSR. International contracted staff shall have the nationality of a Member State.
3. All seconded personnel shall remain under the administrative authority of the sending Member State, the sending institution of the Union or the EEAS and shall carry out their duties and act in the interest of the EUSR’s mandate.

Privileges and immunities of the EUSR and the EUSR’s staff
Article 7
The privileges, immunities and further guarantees necessary for the completion and smooth functioning of the EUSR’s mission and the members of the EUSR’s staff shall be agreed with the host parties, as appropriate. Member States and the EEAS shall grant all necessary support to such effect.

Security of EU classified information
Article 8
1. The EUSR and the members of the EUSR’s team shall respect the security principles and minimum standards established by Council Decision 2013/488/EU(4).
2. The HR shall be authorised to release to NATO/KFOR EU classified information and documents up to the level ‘CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL’ generated for the purposes of the action, in accordance with the security rules for protecting EU classified information.
3. The HR shall be authorised to release to the United Nations and to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in accordance with the operational needs of the EUSR, EU classified information and documents up to the level ‘RESTREINT UE/EU RESTRICTED’ which are generated for the purposes of the action, in accordance with the security rules for protecting EU classified information. Local arrangements shall be drawn up for this purpose.
4. The HR shall be authorised to release to third parties associated with this Decision EU non-classified documents related to the deliberations of the Council with regard to the action covered by the obligation of professional secrecy pursuant to Article 6(1) of the Council’s Rules of Procedure(5).

Access to information and logistical support
Article 9
1. Member States, the Commission and the General Secretariat of the Council shall ensure that the EUSR is given access to any relevant information.
2. The Union delegation and/or Member States, as appropriate, shall provide logistical support in the region.

Security
Article 10
In accordance with the Union’s policy on the security of personnel deployed outside the Union in an operational capacity under Title V of the Treaty, the EUSR shall take all reasonably practicable measures, in accordance with the EUSR’s mandate and the security situation in the area of responsibility, for the security of all personnel under the EUSR’s direct authority, in particular by:
(a)
establishing a specific security plan based on guidance from the EEAS, including specific physical, organisational and procedural security measures, governing the management of the secure movement of personnel to, and within, the area of responsibility, as well as management of security incidents and providing for a contingency and evacuation plan;
(b)
ensuring that all personnel deployed outside the Union are covered by high-risk insurance, as required by the conditions in the area of responsibility;
(c)
ensuring that all members of the EUSR’s team to be deployed outside the Union, including locally contracted personnel, have received appropriate security training before or upon arriving in the area of responsibility, based on the risk ratings assigned to that area by the EEAS;
(d)
ensuring that all agreed recommendations made following regular security assessments are implemented and providing the Council, the HR and the Commission with written reports on their implementation and on other security issues within the framework of the progress report and the report on the implementation of the mandate.

Reporting
Article 11
The EUSR shall regularly provide the HR and the PSC with oral and written reports. The EUSR shall also report to Council working parties as necessary. Regular reports shall be circulated through the COREU network. The EUSR may provide the Foreign Affairs Council with reports. In accordance with Article 36 of the Treaty, the EUSR may be involved in briefing the European Parliament.

Coordination
Article 12
1. The EUSR shall contribute to the unity, consistency and effectiveness of the Union’s action and shall help ensure that all Union instruments and Member States’ actions are engaged consistently, to attain the Union’s policy objectives. Liaison with Member States shall be sought where appropriate. The activities of the EUSR shall be coordinated with those of the Commission, as well as those of other EUSRs active in the region, as appropriate. The EUSR shall provide regular briefings to Member States’ missions and Union delegations.
2. In the field, close liaison shall be maintained with the Heads of Union delegations in the region and Member States’ Heads of Mission. They shall make every effort to assist the EUSR in the implementation of the mandate. The EUSR shall provide local political guidance to the Head of EULEX KOSOVO, including on the political aspects of issues relating to executive responsibilities. The EUSR and the Civilian Operation Commander shall consult each other as required. The EUSR shall also liaise with relevant local bodies and other international and regional actors in the field.
3. The EUSR, with other Union actors present in the field, shall ensure the dissemination and sharing of information among Union actors in theatre with a view to achieving a high degree of common situation awareness and assessment.

Assistance in relation to claims
Article 13
The EUSR and the EUSR’s staff shall assist in providing elements to respond to any claims and obligations arising from the mandates of the previous EUSRs in Kosovo, and shall provide administrative assistance and access to relevant files for such purposes.

Review
Article 14
The implementation of this Decision and its consistency with other contributions from the Union to the region shall be kept under regular review. The EUSR shall present the Council, the HR and the Commission with a progress report by 31 October 2018 and a comprehensive mandate implementation report by 30 November 2019.

Entry into force
Article 15
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 33 and Article 31(2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
(1) On 4 August 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1338(1)extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) in Kosovo and appointing Ms Nataliya APOSTOLOVA as the EUSR in Kosovo. The EUSR’s mandate is to expire on 30 June 2018.
(2) The EUSR’s mandate should be extended for a further period of 20 months.
(3) The EUSR will implement the mandate in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union’s external action as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

European Union Special Representative

The mandate of Ms Nataliya APOSTOLOVA as the EUSR for Kosovo is extended until 29 February 2020. The Council may decide that the mandate of the EUSR be terminated earlier, based on an assessment by the Political and Security Committee (PSC) and a proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR).

Policy objectives

The EUSR’s mandate shall be based on the policy objectives of the Union in Kosovo. These include playing a leading role in promoting a stable, viable, peaceful, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo; strengthening stability in the region and contributing to regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations in the Western Balkans; promoting a Kosovo that is committed to the rule of law and to the protection of minorities and of cultural and religious heritage; supporting Kosovo’s European perspective and rapprochement with the Union in line with the perspective of the region and in accordance with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and Kosovo, of the other part(2)(hereinafter ‘the Stabilisation and Association Agreement’) and Council Decision (EU) 2015/1988(3), and in line with the relevant Council conclusions.

Mandate

In order to achieve the policy objectives, the EUSR’s mandate shall be to:
(a)
offer the Union’s advice and support in the political process;
(b)
promote overall Union political coordination in Kosovo;
(c)
strengthen the presence of the Union in Kosovo and ensure its coherence and effectiveness;
(d)
provide local political guidance to the Head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX KOSOVO), including on the political aspects of issues relating to executive responsibilities;
(e)
ensure consistency and coherence of Union action in Kosovo, including in guiding locally the EULEX KOSOVO transition for the eventual transfer of activities to the EUSR or the EU Office in Kosovo and/or the local authorities, as appropriate;
(f)
support Kosovo’s European perspective and rapprochement with the Union, in line with the perspective of the region and in accordance with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and Decision (EU) 2015/1988, and in line with the relevant Council conclusions, through targeted public communication and Union outreach activities designed to ensure a broader understanding and support from the Kosovo public on issues related to the Union, including the work of EULEX KOSOVO;
(g)
monitor, assist and facilitate, by all the means and instruments at the disposal of the EUSR and with the support of the EU office in Kosovo, progress on political, economic and European priorities, in line with respective institutional competencies and responsibilities, and support the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, including through the European Reform Agenda;
(h)
contribute to the development and consolidation of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Kosovo, including with regard to women and children and protection of minorities, in accordance with the Union’s human rights policy and Union Guidelines on Human Rights;
(i)
assist in the implementation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue facilitated by the Union, including operational support tasks to be transferred from EULEX KOSOVO;
(j)
support the mandate of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor Office, as appropriate, including through communication and outreach.

Implementation of the mandate

1. The EUSR shall be responsible for the implementation of the mandate, acting under the authority of the HR.
2. The PSC shall maintain a privileged link with the EUSR and shall be the EUSR’s primary point of contact with the Council. The PSC shall provide the EUSR with strategic guidance and political direction within the framework of the mandate, without prejudice to the powers of the HR.
3. The EUSR shall work in close coordination with the European External Action Service (EEAS) and its relevant departments.

Financing

1. The financial reference amount intended to cover the expenditure related to the EUSR’s mandate for the period from 1 July 2018 to 29 February 2020 shall be EUR 5 150 000.
2. The expenditure shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the general budget of the Union. Participation of natural and legal persons in the award of procurement contracts by the EUSR shall be open without limitations. Furthermore, no rule of origin for the goods purchased by the EUSR shall apply.
3. The management of the expenditure shall be subject to a contract between the EUSR and the Commission. The EUSR shall be accountable to the Commission for all expenditure.

Constitution and composition of the team

1. Within the limits of the EUSR’s mandate and the corresponding financial means made available, the EUSR shall be responsible for constituting a team. The team shall include the expertise on specific policy issues as required by the mandate. The EUSR shall keep the Council and the Commission promptly informed of the composition of the team.
2. Member States, institutions of the Union and the EEAS may propose the secondment of staff to work with the EUSR. The salary of such seconded personnel shall be covered by the Member State, the institution of the Union concerned or the EEAS, respectively. Experts seconded by Member States to the institutions of the Union or the EEAS may also be posted to work with the EUSR. International contracted staff shall have the nationality of a Member State.
3. All seconded personnel shall remain under the administrative authority of the sending Member State, the sending institution of the Union or the EEAS and shall carry out their duties and act in the interest of the EUSR’s mandate.

Privileges and immunities of the EUSR and the EUSR's staff

The privileges, immunities and further guarantees necessary for the completion and smooth functioning of the EUSR’s mission and the members of the EUSR’s staff shall be agreed with the host parties, as appropriate. Member States and the EEAS shall grant all necessary support to such effect.

Security of EU classified information

1. The EUSR and the members of the EUSR’s team shall respect the security principles and minimum standards established by Council Decision 2013/488/EU(4).
2. The HR shall be authorised to release to NATO/KFOR EU classified information and documents up to the level ‘CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL’ generated for the purposes of the action, in accordance with the security rules for protecting EU classified information.
3. The HR shall be authorised to release to the United Nations and to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in accordance with the operational needs of the EUSR, EU classified information and documents up to the level ‘RESTREINT UE/EU RESTRICTED’ which are generated for the purposes of the action, in accordance with the security rules for protecting EU classified information. Local arrangements shall be drawn up for this purpose.
4. The HR shall be authorised to release to third parties associated with this Decision EU non-classified documents related to the deliberations of the Council with regard to the action covered by the obligation of professional secrecy pursuant to Article 6(1) of the Council’s Rules of Procedure(5).

Access to information and logistical support

1. Member States, the Commission and the General Secretariat of the Council shall ensure that the EUSR is given access to any relevant information.
2. The Union delegation and/or Member States, as appropriate, shall provide logistical support in the region.

Security

In accordance with the Union’s policy on the security of personnel deployed outside the Union in an operational capacity under Title V of the Treaty, the EUSR shall take all reasonably practicable measures, in accordance with the EUSR’s mandate and the security situation in the area of responsibility, for the security of all personnel under the EUSR’s direct authority, in particular by:
(a)
establishing a specific security plan based on guidance from the EEAS, including specific physical, organisational and procedural security measures, governing the management of the secure movement of personnel to, and within, the area of responsibility, as well as management of security incidents and providing for a contingency and evacuation plan;
(b)
ensuring that all personnel deployed outside the Union are covered by high-risk insurance, as required by the conditions in the area of responsibility;
(c)
ensuring that all members of the EUSR’s team to be deployed outside the Union, including locally contracted personnel, have received appropriate security training before or upon arriving in the area of responsibility, based on the risk ratings assigned to that area by the EEAS;
(d)
ensuring that all agreed recommendations made following regular security assessments are implemented and providing the Council, the HR and the Commission with written reports on their implementation and on other security issues within the framework of the progress report and the report on the implementation of the mandate.

Reporting

The EUSR shall regularly provide the HR and the PSC with oral and written reports. The EUSR shall also report to Council working parties as necessary. Regular reports shall be circulated through the COREU network. The EUSR may provide the Foreign Affairs Council with reports. In accordance with Article 36 of the Treaty, the EUSR may be involved in briefing the European Parliament.

Coordination

1. The EUSR shall contribute to the unity, consistency and effectiveness of the Union’s action and shall help ensure that all Union instruments and Member States’ actions are engaged consistently, to attain the Union’s policy objectives. Liaison with Member States shall be sought where appropriate. The activities of the EUSR shall be coordinated with those of the Commission, as well as those of other EUSRs active in the region, as appropriate. The EUSR shall provide regular briefings to Member States’ missions and Union delegations.
2. In the field, close liaison shall be maintained with the Heads of Union delegations in the region and Member States’ Heads of Mission. They shall make every effort to assist the EUSR in the implementation of the mandate. The EUSR shall provide local political guidance to the Head of EULEX KOSOVO, including on the political aspects of issues relating to executive responsibilities. The EUSR and the Civilian Operation Commander shall consult each other as required. The EUSR shall also liaise with relevant local bodies and other international and regional actors in the field.
3. The EUSR, with other Union actors present in the field, shall ensure the dissemination and sharing of information among Union actors in theatre with a view to achieving a high degree of common situation awareness and assessment.

Assistance in relation to claims

The EUSR and the EUSR’s staff shall assist in providing elements to respond to any claims and obligations arising from the mandates of the previous EUSRs in Kosovo, and shall provide administrative assistance and access to relevant files for such purposes.

Review

The implementation of this Decision and its consistency with other contributions from the Union to the region shall be kept under regular review. The EUSR shall present the Council, the HR and the Commission with a progress report by 31 October 2018 and a comprehensive mandate implementation report by 30 November 2019.

Entry into force

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Pending: 32018D0726

17.5.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 122/32
(1) Pursuant to Article 9(1) of Decision 2012/392/CFSP, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) is authorised, in accordance with Article 38 of the Treaty, to take the relevant decisions for the purpose of exercising the political control and strategic direction of EUCAP Sahel Niger including, in particular, the decision to appoint a Head of Mission.
(2) On 6 May 2014, the PSC adopted Decision EUCAP Sahel Niger/2/2014(2), appointing Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 6 May 2014 to 15 July 2014.
(3) On 22 July 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/482/CFSP(3), extending the mandate of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2014 to 15 July 2016.
(4) On 24 July 2014, the PSC adopted Decision EUCAP Sahel Niger/3/2014(4), extending the mandate of Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2014 to 15 July 2015.
(5) On 15 April 2015, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/611(5), extending the mandate of Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2015 to 15 July 2016.
(6) On 18 July 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1172(6), extending the mandate of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2016 to 15 July 2018.
(7) On 26 July 2016, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1632(7), appointing Ms Kirsi HENRIKSSON as Head of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 1 September 2016 to 15 July 2017.
(8) On 13 June 2017, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/1174(8), extending the mandate of Ms Kirsi HENRIKSSON as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2017 to 15 July 2018.
(9) On 25 April 2018, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy proposed the appointment of Mr Frank VAN DER MUEREN as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger,
THE POLITICAL AND SECURITY COMMITTEE,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 38 thereof,
Having regard to Council Decision 2012/392/CFSP of 16 July 2012 on the European Union CSDP mission in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger)(1), and in particular Article 9(1) thereof,
(1) Pursuant to Article 9(1) of Decision 2012/392/CFSP, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) is authorised, in accordance with Article 38 of the Treaty, to take the relevant decisions for the purpose of exercising the political control and strategic direction of EUCAP Sahel Niger including, in particular, the decision to appoint a Head of Mission.
(2) On 6 May 2014, the PSC adopted Decision EUCAP Sahel Niger/2/2014(2), appointing Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 6 May 2014 to 15 July 2014.
(3) On 22 July 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/482/CFSP(3), extending the mandate of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2014 to 15 July 2016.
(4) On 24 July 2014, the PSC adopted Decision EUCAP Sahel Niger/3/2014(4), extending the mandate of Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2014 to 15 July 2015.
(5) On 15 April 2015, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/611(5), extending the mandate of Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2015 to 15 July 2016.
(6) On 18 July 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1172(6), extending the mandate of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2016 to 15 July 2018.
(7) On 26 July 2016, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1632(7), appointing Ms Kirsi HENRIKSSON as Head of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 1 September 2016 to 15 July 2017.
(8) On 13 June 2017, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/1174(8), extending the mandate of Ms Kirsi HENRIKSSON as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2017 to 15 July 2018.
(9) On 25 April 2018, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy proposed the appointment of Mr Frank VAN DER MUEREN as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1
Mr Frank VAN DER MUEREN is hereby appointed as Head of Mission of the European Union CSDP mission in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger) from 1 May 2018.

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

THE POLITICAL AND SECURITY COMMITTEE,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 38 thereof,
Having regard to Council Decision 2012/392/CFSP of 16 July 2012 on the European Union CSDP mission in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger)(1), and in particular Article 9(1) thereof,
(1) Pursuant to Article 9(1) of Decision 2012/392/CFSP, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) is authorised, in accordance with Article 38 of the Treaty, to take the relevant decisions for the purpose of exercising the political control and strategic direction of EUCAP Sahel Niger including, in particular, the decision to appoint a Head of Mission.
(2) On 6 May 2014, the PSC adopted Decision EUCAP Sahel Niger/2/2014(2), appointing Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 6 May 2014 to 15 July 2014.
(3) On 22 July 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/482/CFSP(3), extending the mandate of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2014 to 15 July 2016.
(4) On 24 July 2014, the PSC adopted Decision EUCAP Sahel Niger/3/2014(4), extending the mandate of Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2014 to 15 July 2015.
(5) On 15 April 2015, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/611(5), extending the mandate of Mr Filip DE CEUNINCK as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2015 to 15 July 2016.
(6) On 18 July 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1172(6), extending the mandate of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2016 to 15 July 2018.
(7) On 26 July 2016, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1632(7), appointing Ms Kirsi HENRIKSSON as Head of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 1 September 2016 to 15 July 2017.
(8) On 13 June 2017, the PSC adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/1174(8), extending the mandate of Ms Kirsi HENRIKSSON as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger from 16 July 2017 to 15 July 2018.
(9) On 25 April 2018, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy proposed the appointment of Mr Frank VAN DER MUEREN as Head of Mission of EUCAP Sahel Niger,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Mr Frank VAN DER MUEREN is hereby appointed as Head of Mission of the European Union CSDP mission in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger) from 1 May 2018.
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.