European Monitoring centre on Racism and Xenophobia: cooperation with the Council of Europe, EC agreement

OBJECTIVE: to establish cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European monitoring centre on racism. SUBSTANCE: pursuant to Council Regulation 1035/97/EC on the setting up of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (CNS96298) which provides in its Article 7 for the coordination of the activities of the Monitoring Centre with those of the Council of Europe, the Commission proposes the conclusion of an agreement seeking to establish close cooperation between these two bodies. This agreement comprises three areas: - exchange of information and data: establishment of contacts on a regular basis between the European Monitoring Centre and the Secretariat of the Council of Europe and in particular with the Secretariat of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) (exchange of data, dissemination through the respective networks of their activities, etc.); - cooperation: coordination of the activities of the monitoring centre and the ECRI in particular with regard to the Monitoring Centre's programme of work, in order to ensure complementarity of the respective programmes of the two bodies and to avoid duplication, planning of joint and/or complementary activities on subjects of mutual interest; - appointment: nomination by the Council of Europe of a person from the ECRI as a member of the administrative board of the Monitoring Centre. �