Promote the use of Community technical regulations and the application of European standards and conformity-assessment procedures,
Permit the sharing of experience and technical information in the field of quality management.
Article 47. Mining and Raw Materials
1. The Parties shall aim at increasing investment and trade in mining and raw materials, including non-ferrous metals.
2. The cooperation shall focus in particular on the following areas:
The exchange of information on the prospects of the mining and non-ferrous metals sectors,
The establishment of a legal framework for cooperation,
Trade matters,
The adoption and implementation of environmental legislation,
Training,
Safety in the mining industry.
Article 48. Cooperation In Science and Technology
1. The Parties shall promote cooperation in civil scientific research and technological development (RTD) on the basis of mutual benefit and, taking into account the availability of resources, adequate access to their respective programmes, subject to appropriate levels of effective protection of intellectual, industrial and commercial property rights (IPR).
2. Science and technology cooperation shall cover:
The exchange of scientific and technical information,
Joint RTD activities,
Training activities and mobility programmes for scientists, researchers and technicians of both Parties engaged in RTD.
Where such cooperation takes the form of activities involving education and/or training, it must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 49.
The Parties, on the basis of mutual agreement, may engage in other forms of cooperation in science and technology.
In carrying out such cooperation activities, particular attention shall be devoted to the redeployment of scientists, engineers, researchers and technicians who are or have been engaged in research on, and/or production of, weapons of mass destruction.
3. The cooperation covered by this Article shall be implemented according to specific arrangements to be negotiated and concluded in accordance with the procedures adopted by each Party, which shall include appropriate IPR provisions.
Article 49. Education and Training
1. The Parties shall cooperate with the aim of raising the level of general education and professional qualifications in the Republic of Tajikistan, both in the public and private sectors.
2. The cooperation shall focus in particular on the following areas:
Updating higher education and training systems in the Republic of Tajikistan, including the system of certification of higher education establishments and higher education diplomas,
Training public and private sector executives and civil servants in priority areas to be determined,
Cooperation between educational establishments and between educational establishments and firms,
Mobility for teachers, graduates, administrators, young scientists and researchers, and young people,
Promoting teaching in the field of European studies within the appropriate institutions,
Teaching Community languages,
Post-graduate training of conference interpreters,
Training of journalists,
Training of trainers.
3. The possible participation of one Party in the other Partys programmes in the field of education and training may be considered in accordance with their respective procedures; where appropriate, institutional frameworks and plans of cooperation will then be established through the participation of the Republic of Tajikistan in the Communitys Tempus programme.
Article 50. Agriculture and the Agro-industrial Sector
The purpose of cooperation in this area shall be the pursuit of agrarian reform and the reform of agricultural structures, the modernisation, privatisation and restructuring of agriculture, stock farming and the agro-industrial and services sectors in the Republic of Tajikistan, and the development of domestic and foreign markets for Tajik products, in conditions that ensure the protection of the environment, taking into account the necessity to improve security of food supply and to develop agri-business and the processing and distribution of agricultural products. The Parties shall also pursue the gradual approximation of Tajik standards to Community technical regulations concerning industrial and agricultural food products, including sanitary and phytosani-tary standards.
Article 51. Energy
1. Cooperation shall be governed by the principles of the market economy and the European Energy Charter, against a background of the progressive integration of the energy markets in Europe.
2. Cooperation shall concentrate, inter alia, upon the formulation and development of energy policy. It shall include the following areas:
The improvement of the management and regulation of the energy sector in line with a market economy,
The improvement of energy supply, including security of supply, in an economically and environmentally sound manner,
The promotion of energy saving and energy efficiency and implementation of the Energy Charter Protocol on Energy Efficiency and related environmental aspects,
The modernisation of energy infrastructure,
The improvement of energy supply and use technologies across the range of energy types,
Management and technical training in the energy sector,
The transportation and transit of energy materials and products,
The introduction of the range of institutional, legal, fiscal and other conditions necessary to encourage increased energy trade and investment,
The development of hydro-electric and other renewable energy resources.
3. The Parties shall exchange relevant information on investment projects in the energy sector, in particular concerning the production of energy resources and the construction and refurbishing of oil and gas pipelines or other means of transporting energy products. The Parties attach particular importance to cooperation regarding investments in the energy sector and the manner in which these are regulated. They shall cooperate with a view to implementing the provisions of Title IV and of Article 44 as efficaciously as possible in respect of investments in the energy sector.
Article 52. Environment and Health
1. Bearing in mind the European Energy Charter, the Declarations of the Lucerne Conference of April 1993 and of the Sofia Conference of October 1995, and taking into account the Energy Charter Treaty, and especially Article 19 thereof, and the Energy Charter Protocol on Energy Efficiency and related environmental aspects, the Parties shall develop and strengthen their cooperation on environment and human health.
2. Cooperation shall aim at protecting the environment, combating all kinds of pollution and in particular cover:
Effective monitoring of pollution levels and assessment of the environment; a system of information on the state of the environment,
Combating local, regional and transboundary air and water pollution,
Environmental rehabilitation,
Sustainable, efficient and environmentally sound production and use of energy,
The safety of industrial plants,
Classification and safe handling of chemicals,
Water quality,
Waste reduction, recycling and safe disposal, implementation of the Basel Convention when signed,
The environmental impact of agriculture; soil erosion; chemical pollution,
The protection of forests,
The conservation of biodiversity, protected areas and sustainable use and management of biological resources,
Land-use planning, including construction and urban planning,
The use of economic and fiscal instruments,
Global climate change,
Environmental education and awareness,
Implementation of the Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a transboundary context when signed.
3. Forms of cooperation shall include:
Planning for disasters and other emergency situations,
The exchange of information and experts, including information and experts dealing with the transfer of clean technologies and the safe and environmentally sound use of biotechnologies,
Joint research activities,
Approximation of laws towards Community standards,
Cooperation at regional level, including cooperation within the framework of the European Environment Agency, and at international level,
The development of strategies, particularly with regard to global and climatic issues and with a view to achieving sustainable development,
Environmental impact studies.
4. The Parties shall seek to develop their cooperation on questions of human health, in particular through technical assistance on the prevention and combating of infectious diseases and the protection of mothers and young children.
Article 53. Transport
The Parties shall develop and strengthen their cooperation in the field of transport.
This cooperation shall, inter alia, aim at restructuring and modernising transport systems and networks in the Republic of Tajikistan; developing and ensuring, where appropriate, compatibility of transportation systems in the context of achieving a more global transport system; and identifying and elaborating priority projects and seeking to attract investment for their implementation.
Cooperation shall include:
The modernisation of management and operations of road transport, railways and airports,
The modernisation and development of railways, waterways, roads, airport and air navigation infrastructure and navigation aids, including the modernisation of major routes of common interest and the trans-European links for the above modes, particularly those related to the Traceca project,
The promotion and development of multi-modal transport,
The promotion of joint research and development programmes,
The preparation of the legislative and institutional framework for policy development and implementation, including privatisation of the transport sector,
The simplification of procedures for all forms of transport in the region.
Article 54. Electronic Communications and Postal Services
Within their respective powers and competences the Parties shall
Expand and strengthen cooperation aimed at:
Establishing policies and guidelines for the development of the electronic communications sector and postal services,
Developing tariff policy and marketing principles for electronic communications and postal services,
Transferring technology and know-how, particularly regarding European technical standards and certification systems,
Encouraging the development of projects for electronic communications and postal services and attracting investment,
Enhancing the efficiency and quality of electronic communications and postal services, inter alia through liberalisation of activities in sub-sectors,
Promoting advanced application of electronic communications, notably in the area of electronic funds transfer,
Enhancing the management of, and optimising, electronic communications networks,
Developing an appropriate regulatory basis for the provision of electronic communications and postal services and for the use of the radio frequency spectrum,
Enhancing training in the field of electronic communications and postal se rvices for operations in market conditions.
Article 55. Financial Services and Fiscal Institutions
1. Cooperation in the field of financial services shall in particular aim at facilitating the involvement of the Republic of Tajikistan in universally recognised clearing systems. Technical assistance shall focus on:
The development of a stock market and a securities market,
The development of banking services, the development of a common market for credit resources and the involvement of the Republic of Tajikistan in a universally recognised clearing system,
The development of insurance services, which would inter alia create a favourable framework for Community companies participation in the establishment of joint ventures in the insurance sector in the Republic of Tajikistan, and the development of export credit insurance.
This cooperation shall in particular contribute to fostering relations between the Parties in the financial services sector.
2. The Parties shall cooperate in developing the fiscal system and fiscal institutions in the Republic of Tajikistan. This cooperation shall include the exchange of information and experience on fiscal matters and the training of personnel involved in the formulation and implementation of fiscal policy.
Article 56. Enterprise Restructuring and Privatisation
Recognising that privatisation is of fundamental importance to a sustainable economic recovery, the Parties agree to cooperate in the development of the necessary institutional, legal and methodological framework. Particular attention shall be paid to the orderly and transparent nature of the privatisation process, exchange of information and experience, and appropriate training in investment policy.
Technical assistance shall focus on, inter alia:
The further development of an institutional base within the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan to assist with defining and managing the privatisation process,
The further development of the privatisation strategy of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, including the legislative framework, and implementation mechanisms,
Furthering market approaches to land use and usufruct,
The restructuring of those enterprises not yet ready for privatisation,
The development of private enterprise, and particularly small and medium-sized enterprises,
The development of investment funds.
The objective of this cooperation shall be to contribute to the promotion of Community investment in the Republic of Tajikistan.
Article 57. Regional Development
1. The Parties shall strengthen cooperation on regional development and land-use planning.
2. To this end, the Parties shall encourage the exchange of information by national, regional and local authorities on regional and land-use planning policy and on methods of formulation of regional policies with special emphasis on the development of disadvantaged areas.
They shall also encourage direct contacts between the respective regions and public organisations responsible for regional development planning with the aim, inter alia, of exchanging information regarding ways of fostering regional development.
Article 58. Social Cooperation
1. With regard to health and safety, the Parties shall develop cooperation between them with the aim of improving inter alia the level of protection of the health and safety of workers.
This cooperation shall include:
Education and training on health and safety issues with specific attention to high risk sectors of activity,
Development and promotion of preventive measures to combat work related diseases and other work-related ailments,
Prevention of major accident hazards and the management of toxic chemicals,
Research on developing information and understanding of the working environment and on the health and safety of workers.
2. With regard to employment, the cooperation shall include notably technical assistance for:
The optimisation of the labour market,
The modernisation of job-finding and careers advisory services,
The planning and management of restructuring programmes,
The encouragement of local employment development,
The exchange of information on the programmes of flexible employment, including those stimulating self-employment and promoting entrepreneurship.
3. The Parties shall pay special attention to cooperation in the sphere of social protection, including cooperation in planning and implementing social protection reforms in the Republic of Tajikistan.
These reforms shall aim to develop in the Republic of Tajikistan methods of protection intrinsic to market economies and shall comprise all relevant forms of social protection.
Article 59. Tourism
The Parties shall increase and develop their cooperation with a view, inter alia, to:
Facilitating the tourist trade,
Increasing the flow of information,
Transferring know-how,
Studying the opportunities for joint operations,
Cooperation between official tourism bodies, including the preparation of promotional material,
Training for tourism development.
Article 60. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
1. The Parties shall aim to develop and strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their associations, and cooperation between SMEs in the Community and the Republic of Tajikistan.
2. Cooperation shall include technical assistance, in particular in the following areas:
The development of a legislative framework for SMEs,
The development of an appropriate infrastructure to support SMEs, to promote communication and business cooperation between SMEs both within the Republic of Tajikistan and further afield, and to train SMEs in the skills necessary to access funding,
Training in the areas of marketing, accounting and control of the quality of products.