Article 17. Drug Abuse Control
The Contracting Parties affirm their resolve, in conformity with their respective competences, to increase the efficiency of policies and measures, to counter the supply and distribution of narcotics as well as preventing drug abuse, where necessary by offering technical assistance, taking into account work done in this connection by international bodies.
Article 18. Regional Cooperation
The cooperation between the Contracting Parties will extend to action undertaken within the context of cooperation or integration agreements with other countries in the same region, provided that such action is compatible with those agreements.
Without excluding any area the following could be given particular consideration:
(a) technical assistance (services of outside experts, training of technical staff in certain practical aspects of integration);
(b) promotion of inter-regional trade;
(c) support for regional institutions and for joint projects and initiatives established under regional organizations such as the South Asian Agreement on Regional Cooperation (SAARC);
(d) studies concerning regional links and communications.
Article 19. Resources for Undertaking Cooperation
The Contracting Parties will, within the limits of their available financial means and within the framework of their respective procedures and instruments, make available funds to facilitate the achievement of the aims set out in this Agreement especially as concerns economic cooperation.
Concerning development aid, and within the framework of its programme in favour of Asian and Latin American (ALA) countries, the Community will support Sri Lanka's development programmes, through direct concessional transfers, as well as through institutional and other sources of finance in accordance with the rules and practices of such European Community institutions.
Article 20. Joint Commission
1. The Contracting Parties agree to maintain the Joint Commission set up under Article 8 of the Commercial Cooperation Agreement between the Community and Sri Lanka of 1975.
2. The Joint Commission is in particular required to:
(a) ensure the proper functioning and implementation of the Agreement;
(b) make suitable recommendations for promoting the objectives of the Agreement;
(c) establish priorities in relation to the aims of the Agreement;
(d) examine ways and means of enhancing the cooperation in the areas covered under the provisions of this Agreement.
3. The Joint Commission shall be composed of representatives of both Contracting Parties, at an appropriately high level. The Joint Commission shall normally meet every year, alternately in Brussels and Colombo, on a date fixed by mutual agreement. Extraordinary meetings may be convened by agreement between the Contracting Parties.
4. The Joint Commission may set up specialized sub-groups to assist in the performance of its tasks and to coordinate the formulation and implementation of projects and programmes within the framework of this Agreement.
5. The agenda for meetings of the Joint Commission shall be determined by agreement between the Contracting Parties.
6. The Contracting Parties agree that it shall be the task of the Joint Commission to ensure the proper functioning of any sectoral agreements concluded or which may be concluded between the Community and Sri Lanka.
7. Consultations in the fields covered by the Agreement may be held if any problem arises in the intervals between the meetings of the Joint Commission. These consultations shall be dealt with by the specialized sub-groups according to their responsibilities or be the subject of ad hoc consultations.
Article 21. Future Developments
1. The Contracting Parties may, by mutual consent, expand this Agreement in order to enhance the level of cooperation and add to it by means of agreements on specific sectors or activities.
2. Within the framework of this Agreement, either of the Contracting Parties may put forward suggestions for expanding the scope of the cooperation, taking into account the experience gained in its application.
Article 22. Other Agreements
1. Without prejudice to the relevant provisions of the Treaties establishing the European Communities neither this Agreement nor any action taken thereunder shall in any way affect the powers of the Member States of the Communities to undertake bilateral activities with Sri Lanka in the framework of economic cooperation or to conclude, where appropriate, new economic cooperation agreements with Sri Lanka.
2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 concerning economic cooperation, the provisions of this Agreement shall replace provisions of Agreements concluded between Member States of the Communities and Sri Lanka where such provisions are either incompatible with or identical to the provisions of this Agreement.
Article 23. Facilities
To facilitate cooperation within the framework of this Agreement, the Sri Lankan authorities will grant to European Community officials and experts the normal guarantees and facilities necessary for the performance of their functions. The detailed provisions will be set out by way of a separate exchange of letters.
Article 24. Territorial Application
This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty establishing the European Community is applied and under the conditions laid down in the Treaty and, on the other, to the territory of Sri Lanka.
Article 25. Annexes
The Annexes attached to this Agreement shall form an integral part of the Agreement.
Article 26. Entry Into Force and Renewal
This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date on
Which the Contracting Parties have notified each other of the completion of the procedures necessary for this purpose. Upon entry into force, it shall replace the Commercial Cooperation Agreement signed on 22 July 1975.
This Agreement is concluded for a period of five years. It shall be automatically renewed on a yearly basis unless one of the Contracting Parties denounces it six months before its expiry date.
Article 27. Authentic Texts
This Agreement is drawn up in duplicate in the Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish and Sinhala languages, each text being equally authentic.
Conclusion
In witness whereof the undersigned have signed this Agreement.
Done at Brussels on the eighteenth day of July in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four.
For the Council of the European Union
For the Government of Sri Lanka
ANNEX
Declaration of the Community concerning tariff adjustments
The Community reaffirms its declaration annexed to the Cooperation Agreement signed on 22 July 1975 on the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) autonomously put into force by the European Economic Community on 1 July 1971 on the basis of Resolution 21 (II) of the second United Nations Conference on Trade and Development held in 1968.
The Community also undertakes to examine proposals or issues related to origin rules raised by Sri Lanka which aim at enabling Sri Lanka to make best use of the opportunities afforded by the system.
The Community is also willing to organize workshops in Sri Lanka for public and private users of the system with a view to ensuring maximum use of it.
Declarations of the Community and Sri Lanka
1. In the course of the negotiations on the Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and Sri Lanka on Partnership and Development, the Contracting Parties declared
That the provisions of the Agreement should be without prejudice to their rights and obligations under the GATT, and that, in accordance with Article 30 (4) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969, any subsequent agreements which form part of the final outcome of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations and to which they both become parties shall prevail in the event of any inconsistency.
2. The Contracting Parties agree that for the purpose of this Agreement 'intellectual, industrial and commercial property' includes in particular protection of copyright (including computer software) and related rights; trade and service marks; geographical indications, including indications of origin; industrial designs; patents; layout designs of integrated circuits as well as protection of undisclosed information and protection against unfair competition.