Publications Office of the EU: organisation and operation

PURPOSE: to define the organisation and operation of the Publications Office of the European Union following major technological advances taking place in publishing.

ACT: Decision 2009/496/EC, Euratom of the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the organisation and operation of the Publications Office of the European Union.

CONTENT: the Council approved a draft decision on the organisation and operation of the EU's Publications Office, with a view to replacing the current Decision (2000/459/EC) in order to take account of certain reforms and decisions made since July 2000, in particular regarding the financial regulation and the staff regulations of officials of the European Communities. To recall, the main reason for drafting a new Decision was to take account of an observation made by Parliament in the course of the discharge procedure for the 2001 financial year. In its resolution of 29 January 2004, on the discharge for 2001, Parliament had pointed out that there should be a clear allocation of political and administrative responsibilities, and this request was taken into account in the decision. The decision is intended to lay down in more detail the competences and tasks of the Publications Office of the European Union, the respective responsibilities of the institutions, the roles of the Management Committee and the Director of the Publications Office.

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. Major technological advances are taking place in publishing and these need to be taken into account in the way the Office operates.

The other institutions and bodies concerned are called upon to approve the text in accordance with their own procedures.

DATE OF EFFECT: 1 July 2009.