Za Vlado
Republike Slovenije:
mag. Janez Kopač l. r.
minister za okolje, prostor
in energijo
Za EUMETSAT:
dr. Tillmann Mohr l. r.
generalni direktor
Preamble
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter referred to as “Slovenia”),
and
The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, established by the Convention opened for signature in Geneva on 24 May 1983 and entered into force on 19 June 1986, as amended by the Amending Protocol attached to Council Resolution EUM/C/Res. XXXVI, which entered into force on 19 November 2000, (hereinafter referred to as ”EUMETSAT”),
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the decision of the European Union Copenhagen Summit on 13 December 2002 to conclude the accession negotiations with Slovenia,
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the long-standing cooperation among European countries in the field of meteorology within the framework of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO),
BEARING IN MIND that the primary objective of EUMETSAT is to establish, maintain and exploit European systems of operational meteorological satellites, taking into account as far as possible the recommendations of the WMO, and that a further objective is to contribute to the operational monitoring of the climate and the detection of global climatic changes,
BEARING IN MIND Article 2 of the EUMETSAT Convention, which invites EUMETSAT to conclude agreements with non-Member States for the purpose of achieving its objectives and in conformity with meteorological tradition,
CONSIDERING EUMETSAT´s wish to promote the use of EUMETSAT data, products and services at a wider European level and stressing the need to extend the EUMETSAT funding base,
CONSIDERING further that the EUMETSAT Council, at its 34th meeting on 24-26 June 1997, has defined the “Cooperating State” status as an intermediate step for European countries wishing to become full EUMETSAT Member States,
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the long standing cooperation between the national meteorological and hydrological service of Slovenia and EUMETSAT,
FOLLOWING the wish expressed by Slovenia to become a EUMETSAT Cooperating State within the framework conditions established by the EUMETSAT Council,
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
Purpose
The purpose of this Agreement is to provide a long-term continuing framework for close cooperation between Slovenia and EUMETSAT and to define Slovenia’s rights and obligations as a EUMETSAT Cooperating State.
Article 2
Access to EUMETSAT Data, Products and Services
1. As a Cooperating State, Slovenia shall have the same rights and obligations as EUMETSAT Member States concerning access, utilisation and distribution of EUMETSAT data, products and services.
2. The terms and conditions for access, utilisation and distribution of EUMETSAT data, products and services are defined in the EUMETSAT Data Policy and agreed by the EUMETSAT Council. These terms and conditions may distinguish between mandatory and optional programmes.
3. Concerning third party data distributed by EUMETSAT, or data from systems established by EUMETSAT in cooperation with third parties, the access, utilisation and distribution of such data by Slovenia is subject to agreement by the relevant third party.
4. Concerning data referred to in paragraph 3 above, EUMETSAT will support Slovenia in negotiating with the relevant third party access and utilisation rights equivalent to those applicable to EUMETSAT’s Member States.
Article 3
EUMETSAT Advisory Committee of Cooperating States
1. Slovenia shall nominate one representative from its National Meteorological and/or Hydrological Service to be a member of the EUMETSAT Advisory Committee of Cooperating States (EACCS), which is established as a subsidiary body of the EUMETSAT Council.
2. The EACCS shall be invited to be represented by its Chairperson, as an observer, at sessions of the Council. Council may also decide to invite the Chairperson of EACCS to subsidiary bodies, if appropriate.
Article 4
Financial Contribution
1. The rate of contribution of Slovenia to the EUMETSAT Annual Budgets shall be one half of the rate of contribution that Slovenia would have to pay under the provisions of the EUMETSAT Convention, were it a Member State. This rate shall be applied to the overall amount funded by contributions from Member States and Cooperating States within the EUMETSAT Budgets.
2. The annual contribution of Slovenia shall in no case be lower than 130,000 EUR.
3. The annual contribution of Slovenia shall be paid in EUR.
4. The methods of payment of Slovenia’s annual contribution shall be the same as those established for Member States in the EUMETSAT Financial Rules.
5. The annual contribution of Slovenia to EUMETSAT shall be subject to a three-year transition period, during which Slovenia’s contribution will be successively one quarter, one half, and three quarters of the contribution as defined in paragraph 1 above. The annual contribution applicable during this transition period shall however not be lower than the minimum contribution defined in paragraph 2 above.
6. Slovenia shall contribute to the EUMETSAT Budgets its whole annual contribution from the year of entry into force of this Agreement.
Article 5
Liability
1. The Parties hereby waive any of their claims against each other for any injury to persons or damage to property arising out of this Agreement except for claims arising out of wilful or negligent misconduct.
2. EUMETSAT offers no warranty in respect of the data, products and services provided or to be provided pursuant to this Agreement.
Article 6
Settlement of Disputes
1. Any dispute on the interpretation or implementation of the terms of this Agreement which cannot be settled amicably shall be subject to arbitration at the request of either Party.
2. The Arbitration Tribunal shall consist of three members. Each Party to the dispute shall nominate one arbitrator within a period of two months reckoned from the date of receipt of the request referred to in the paragraph 1 above. The first two arbitrators shall, within a period of two months reckoned from the nomination of the second arbitrator, nominate the third arbitrator, who shall be the Chairman of the Arbitration Tribunal. If one of the two arbitrators has not been nominated within the required period he shall, at the request of either party, be nominated by the President of the International Court of Justice or, if there is no agreement between the Parties to call on the latter, by the Secretary General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The same procedure shall apply if the Chairman of the Arbitration Tribunal has not been nominated within the required period.
3. The Arbitration Tribunal shall itself determine its seat and establish its own Rules of Procedure.
4. Each Party shall bear the cost relating to the arbitrator for whose nomination it is responsible, as well we the costs of being represented before the Tribunal. The expenditure relating to the Chairman of the Arbitration Tribunal shall be shared equally by the Parties to the dispute.
5. The award of the Arbitration tribunal shall be made by a majority of its members, who may not abstain from voting. This award shall be final and binding on all Parties to the dispute and no appeal shall lie against it. The Parties shall comply with the award without delay. In the event of a dispute as to its meaning or scope, the Arbitration Tribunal shall interpret it at the request of any Party to the dispute.
Article 7
Entry into Force, Duration, Review
1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the day of receipt by EUMETSAT of the diplomatic note by which the Republic of Slovenia notifies that it has fulfilled the conditions stipulated by its internal legislation for the entering into force of this Agreement. This Agreement shall remain in force for a period of 5 years.
2. During the third year following the entry into force of this Agreement, the Parties shall proceed to a formal review of their cooperation with a view to accession by Slovenia to EUMETSAT as a full Member State. Exceptionally, renewal of this Agreement for further periods may be considered.
Article 8
Amendments
This Agreement may be amended by written agreement between the Parties.
Article 9
Termination
1. This Agreement may be denounced upon written notice by either Party before the end of the period defined in Article 7.1.
2. The denunciation shall take effect at the end of the financial year following that during which it was notified.
3. Should Slovenia fail to fulfil its obligations under this Agreement, EUMETSAT shall be entitled to terminate the Agreement upon decision taken by the EUMETSAT Council. This decision shall be notified to Slovenia in writing and shall take effect at the end of the financial year during which it was taken.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned being duly authorised, have signed this Agreement.
Done in two originals each in the Slovenian and English language, both texts being equally authentic.
In Ljubljana, on 9 Julij 2003
For the Government of the
Republic of Slovenia
Janez Kopač, M. A. (s)
Minister of the Environment,
Spatial Planning and Energy
For EUMETSAT
Dr. Tillmann Mohr (s)
Director-General