Council Joint Action 2008/958/CFSP

of 16 December 2008

amending Joint Action 2005/797/CFSP on the European Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) On 14 November 2005, the Council adopted Joint Action 2005/797/CFSP on the European Union Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS) [1] for a period of three years. The operational phase of EUPOL COPPS began on 1 January 2006.

(2) The financial reference amount intended to cover the expenditure related to EUPOL COPPS for the period from 14 November 2005 to 31 December 2008 totals EUR 14900000.

(3) It is necessary to extend the mandate of EUPOL COPPS for a period of two years and to set the financial reference amount intended to cover the expenditure related to EUPOL COPPS for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2009.

(4) The structure of the mission should, moreover, take account of strengthened action in the area of the rule of law,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

Joint Action 2005/797/CFSP is hereby amended as follows:

1. Article 3 shall be replaced by the following:

"Article 3

Duration

The mission shall have a duration of five years.";

2. the following point shall be added to Article 5:

"5. Rule of Law Section.";

3. Article 14(2) shall be replaced by the following:

"2. The financial reference amounts intended to cover the expenditure related to EUPOL COPPS for the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 shall be decided by the Council on an annual basis.";

4. the second paragraph of Article 17 shall be replaced by the following:

"It shall expire on 31 December 2010.".

Article 2

The financial reference amount intended to cover the expenditure related to EUPOL COPPS for the period 1 January to 31 December 2009 shall be EUR 6200000.

Article 3

This Joint Action shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Article 4

This Joint Action shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 16 December 2008.

For the Council

The President

R. Bachelot-Narquin

[1] OJ L 300, 17.11.2005, p. 65.

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