Publications Office of the EU: organisation and operation

PURPOSE: to present a draft Decision on the organisation and operation of the Publications Office of the European Union.

CONTENT: Article 8 of the Decision of the representatives of the Governments of the Member States of 8 April 1965 on the provisional location of certain Institutions and departments of the Communities provided for an Office for Official Publications of the Communities to be located in Luxembourg. That provision was last implemented by Decision 2000/459/EC, ECSC, Euratom. The rules and regulations applicable to officials and other servants of the European Communities apply to the Office. Account should be taken of the recent amendments to those rules and regulations.

Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities contains specific provisions concerning the operation of the Office. Major technological advances are taking place in publishing and need to be taken into account in the way the Office operates.

Therefore, for the sake of clarity it is appropriate to repeal Decision 2000/459/EC, ECSC, Euratom and to replace it by the present Decision.