EU/USA agreement for scientific and technological cooperation: extension

PURPOSE: to extend the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the United States of America.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

BACKGROUND: by Decision 98/591/EC, the Council approved the conclusion of the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the Government of the United States.

Article 12(b) of the Agreement provides that the Agreement is concluded for an initial period of five years and may be extended, with possible amendments, thereafter for additional periods of five years by mutual written agreement between the Parties.

By Council Decision 2009/306/EC, the Agreement was extended for a further period of five years.

The extension of the Agreement should therefore be approved on behalf of the European Union.

CONTENT: this proposed Decision seeks to invite the Council to approve, on behalf of the Union, the extension, for an additional period of five years, of the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the United States.

For further details of the provisions of the Agreement and its impact on the Union’s budget, please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal dated 25/10/2013.