— in the absence of such rules, and if such practice causes or threatens to cause serious prejudice to the interest of the other Party or material injury to its domestic industry, including its services industry,
it may take appropriate measures after consultation within the Association Committee or after 30 working days following referral for such consultation.
With reference to practices incompatible with paragraph 1(c) of this Article, such appropriate measures, when the GATT is applicable to them, may only be adopted in accordance with the procedures and under the conditions laid down by the GATT or by any other relevant instrument negotiated under its auspices and applicable to the Parties.
7. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary adopted in conformity with paragraph 3, the Parties shall exchange information taking into account the limitations imposed by the requirements of professional and business secrecy.
Article 54.
The Member States and Jordan shall progressively adjust, without prejudice to their commitments respectively taken or to be taken under the GATT, any State monopolies of a commercial character, so as to ensure that, by the end of the fifth year following the entry into force of this Agreement, no discrimination regarding the conditions under which goods are procured and marketed exists between nationals of the Member States and Jordan. The Association Committee will be informed about the measures adopted to implement this objective.
Article 55.
With regard to public enterprises and enterprises to which special or exclusive rights have been granted, the Association Council shall ensure that as from the fifth year following the date of entry into force of this Agreement there is neither enacted nor maintained any measure distorting trade between the Community and Jordan to an extent contrary to the Parties' interests. This provision should not obstruct the performance in law or in fact of the particular tasks assigned to these enterprises.
Article 56.
1. Pursuant to the provisions of this Article and of Annex VII, the Parties shall grant and ensure adequate and effective protection of intellectual, industrial and commercial property rights in accordance with the highest international standards, including effective means of enforcing such rights.
2. The implementation of this Article and of Annex VII shall be regularly reviewed by the Parties. If problems in the area of intellectual, industrial and commercial property affecting trading conditions were to occur, urgent consultation shall be undertaken, at the request of either Party, with a view to reaching mutually satisfactory solutions.
Article 57.
The Parties shall aim to reduce differences in standardisation and conformity assessment. To this end the Parties shall conclude where appropriate agreements on mutual recognition in the field of conformity assessment.
Article 58.
The Parties agree on the objective of a gradual liberalisation of public procurement. The Association Council will hold consultations on the implementation of this objective.
Title V. ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Article 59. Objectives
1. The Parties undertake to intensify economic cooperation in their mutual interest and in accordance with the overall objectives of the Agreement.
2. The aim of economic cooperation shall be to support Jordan's own efforts to achieve sustainable economic and social development.
Article 60. Scope
1. Cooperation shall focus primarily on sectors suffering from internal difficulties or affected by the overall process of liberalisation of the Jordanian economy, and in particular by the liberalisation of trade between Jordan and the Community.
2. Similarly, cooperation shall focus on areas likely to bring the economies of the Community and Jordan closer together, particularly those which will generate growth and employment.
3. The Parties will encourage economic cooperation between Jordan and other countries of the region.
4. Conservation of the environment and ecological balance shall be taken into account in the implementation of the various sectors of economic cooperation to which it is relevant.
5. The Parties may agree to extend economic cooperation to other sectors not covered by the provisions of this Title.
Article 61. Methods and Modalities
Economic cooperation shall be implemented in particular by:
(a) a regular economic dialogue between the Parties, which covers all areas of macroeconomic policy;
(b) regular exchange of information and ideas in every sector of cooperation including meetings of officials and experts;
(c) transfer of advice, expertise and training;
(d) implementation of joint actions such as seminars and workshops;
(e) technical, administrative and regulatory assistance;
(f) encouragement of joint ventures.
Article 62. Regional Cooperation
The Parties will encourage operations having a regional impact or associating other countries of the region, with a view to promoting regional cooperation. Such operations may include:
— trade at intra-regional level,
— environmental issues,
— development of economic infrastructures,
— scientific and technological research,
— cultural matters,
— customs matters,
Article 63. Education and Training
The Parties shall cooperate with the objective of identifying and employing the most effective means of improving significantly the education and vocational training situation, in particular with regard to public and private enterprises, trade-related services, public administrations and authorities, technical agencies, standardisation and certification bodies and other relevant organisations. In this context, vocational training for industrial restructuring will receive special attention.
Cooperation shall also encourage the establishment of links between specialised bodies in the Community and in Jordan and shall promote the exchange of information and experiences and the pooling of technical resources.
Article 64. Scientific and Technological Cooperation
Cooperation has the objective of:
(a) encouraging the establishment of durable links between the scientific communities of the Parties, notably through:
— the access of Jordan to Community R & D programmes, in conformity with the existing provisions concerning the participation of third countries,
— the participation of Jordan in the networks of decentralised cooperation,
— the promotion of synergy between training and research;
(b) strengthening the research capacity of Jordan;
(c) stimulating technological innovation, transfer of new technologies, and dissemination of know-how, in particular with a view to accelerating the adjustment of Jordanian industrial capability.
Article 65. Environment
1. Cooperation is aimed at preventing deterioration of the environment, controlling pollution and ensuring the rational use of natural resources, with a view to ensuring sustainable development and promoting regional environmental projects.
2. Cooperation shall focus, in particular, on:
— desertification,
— quality of sea water and the control and prevention of marine pollution, — water resource management,
— appropriate use of energy,
— waste management,
— the impact of industrial development on the environment in general and the safety of industrial plant in particular,
— the impact of agriculture on soil and water quality,
— environmental education and awareness,
— use of advanced tools of environment management, environmental monitoring methods and surveillance, including in particular the use of the Environmental Information System (EIS) and environmental impact assessment techniques,
— salinisation.
Article 66. Industrial Cooperation
Cooperation shall promote and encourage in particular:
— industrial cooperation between economic operators in the Community and in Jordan, including access for Jordan to the Community's networks for the rapprochement of businesses and to networks created in the context of decentralised cooperation,
— the modernisation and restructuring of Jordanian industry,
— the establishment and promotion of an environment favourable to the development of private enterprise, in order to stimulate the growth and the diversification of industrial production,
— cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises in the Community and in Jordan,
— technology transfer, innovation and R & D,
— diversification of industrial output in Jordan,
— the enhancement of human resources,
— improvement of access to investment finance,
— stimulation of innovation,
— improvement of information support services.
Article 67. Investments and Promotion of Investments
The objective of cooperation will be the creation of a favourable and stable environment for investment in Jordan. The cooperation will entail the development of:
— harmonised and simplified administrative procedures; co-investment machinery, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises of both Parties; and information channels and means of identifying investment opportunities,
— a legal environment conducive to investment between the two Parties, where appropriate through the conclusion by the Member States and Jordan of investment protection agreements and agreements to prevent double taxation,
— access to the capital market for the financing of productive investments,
— joint ventures between Jordanian and Community business.
Article 68. Standardisation and Conformity Assessment
Cooperation in this field will be aimed in particular at:
(a) increasing the application of Community rules in the field of standardisation, metrology, quality standards, and recognition of conformity;
(b) upgrading the level of Jordanian conformity assessment bodies, with a view to the establishment, in due time and to the extent feasible, of agreements of mutual recognition of conformity assessment;
(c) developing structures and bodies for the protection of intellectual, industrial and commercial property, for standardisation and for setting quality standards.
Article 69. Approximation of Laws
The Parties shall use their best endeavours to approximate their respective laws in order to facilitate the implementation of this Agreement.
Article 70. Financial Services
The Parties shall cooperate with a view to the approximation of their standards and rules, in particular:
(a) to strengthen and restructure the financial sector in Jordan;
(b) to improve accounting and supervisory and regulatory systems of banking, insurance and other financial sectors in Jordan.
Article 71. Agriculture
The Parties shall focus cooperation in particular on:
— support for policies implemented by them to diversify production,
— promotion of environment-friendly agriculture,
— closer relations between businesses, groups and organisations representing trades and professions in Jordan and in the Community on a voluntary basis,
— technical assistance and training,
— harmonisation of phytosanitary and veterinary standards,
— integrated rural development, including improvement in basic services and development of associated economic activities,
— cooperation among rural regions, exchange of experience and know-how concerning rural development.
Article 72. Transport
Cooperation is aimed at:
— the restructuring and modernisation of road, port and airport infrastructures linked to the main trans-European communication routes of common interest,
— the establishment and enforcement of operating standards comparable to those prevailing in the Community,
— the upgrading of technical equipment to bring it up to Community standards for road/rail transport, container traffic and transhipment,
— the gradual easing of transit requirements,
— the improvement of management of airports, railways and air traffic control, including cooperation between the relevant national bodies.
Article 73. Information Infrastructures and Telecommunications
Cooperation shall focus on:
(a) telecommunications in general;
(b) standardisation, conformity testing and certification for information technology and telecommunications;
(c) dissemination of new information technologies, particularly in relation to networks and the interconnection of networks (ISDN (integrated services digital networks) and EDI (electronic data interchange));
(d) stimulating research on and development of new communication and information technology facilities to develop the market in equipment, services and applications related to information technology and to communications, services and installations.
Article 74. Energy
The priority areas of cooperation will be:
— the promotion of renewable energies and indigenous energy sources,
— the promotion of energy-saving and energy efficiency,
— applied research into databank networks in the economic and social sectors, linking Community and Jordanian operators in particular,
— support for the modernisation and development of energy networks and for their link-up to Community networks.
Cooperation will also focus on facilitating transit of gas, oil and electricity.
Article 75. Tourism
Priorities for cooperation in this sphere shall be:
— improving the knowledge of the tourist industry and ensuring greater consistency of policies affecting tourism,
— promoting a good seasonal spread of tourism,
— promoting cooperation between regions and cities of neighbouring countries,
— improving information for tourists and the protection of their interests,
— highlighting the importance of the cultural heritage for tourism,
— ensuring that the interaction between tourism and the environment is suitably maintained,
— making tourism more competitive through support for increased professionalism, in particular with regard to hotel management,
— exchanging information on planned tourism development and tourism marketing projects, tourism shows, exhibitions, conventions and publications.
Article 76. Customs
1. The Parties commit themselves to developing customs cooperation to ensure that the provisions on trade are observed. Cooperation will focus in particular on:
(a) the simplification of controls and procedures concerning the customs clearance of goods;
(b) the use of the single administrative document and a system to link up the Community's and Jordan's transit arrangements.
2. Without prejudice to other forms of cooperation envisaged in this Agreement, notably for the fight against drugs and money laundering, the Parties' administrations will provide mutual assistance in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 4.
Article 77. Cooperation on Statistics
The main objective of cooperation in this field will be to harmonise methodology in order to create a reliable basis for handling statistics on trade, population, migration and generally all the fields which are covered by this Agreement and lend themselves to the establishment of statistics.
Article 78. Money Laundering
1. The Parties shall cooperate with a view in particular to preventing the use of their financial systems to launder the proceeds arising from criminal activities in general and drug trafficking in particular.
2. Cooperation in this field shall include, in particular, technical and administrative assistance aimed at establishing standards relating to the fight against money laundering, equivalent to those adopted by the Community and other relevant international bodies, in particular the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Article 79. Fight Against Drugs
1. The Parties shall cooperate with a view in particular to:
— improving the effectiveness of policies and measures to counter the supply of, and illicit trafficking in, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and the reduction of the abuse of these products,
— encouraging a joint approach to reducing the illicit consumption thereof.
2. The Parties shall determine together, in accordance with their respective legislation, the strategies and cooperation methods appropriate for attaining these objectives. Their operations, other than joint operations, shall form the subject of consultations and close coordination. The relevant public and private sector bodies, in accordance with their own powers, working with the competent bodies of Jordan, the Community and its Member States, may take part in these operations.
3. Cooperation shall take the form of exchanges of information and, where appropriate, joint activities on:
— establishment or extension of social and health institutions and information centres for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts,
— implementation of projects in the areas of prevention, training and epidemiological research,