- Cooperation at regional level, including cooperation within the framework of the European Environment Agency, established by the Community and at international level,
- Development of strategies, particularly with regard to global and climatic issues and also in view of achieving sustainable development,
- Environmental impact studies.
Article 70. Transport
The Parties shall develop and strengthen their cooperation in the field of transport.
This cooperation shall, inter alia, aim at restructuring and modernizing transport systems and networks in Russia and developing and ensuring, where appropriate, compatibility of transportation systems in the context of achieving a more global transportation system.
The cooperation shall include, inter alia:
- The modernizing of management and operations of road transport, railways, ports and airports,
- Modernization and development of railways, waterways, road, port, airport and air navigation infrastructure including the modernization of major routes of common interest and the trans-European links for the above modes,
- Promotion and development of multi-modal transport,
- The promotion of joint research and development programmes,
- Preparation of the legislative and institutional framework for policy development and implementation including privatization of the transport sector.
Article 71. Postal Services and Telecommunications
1. The Parties shall expand and strengthen cooperation in this area with the aim of gradual integration at the technical level of their respective telecommunications and postal networks. To this end they shall initiate notably the following actions:
- Exchange information on telecommunications and postal services and TV and broadcasting policies,
- Exchange technical and other information, conduct training and advisory operations,
- Carry out transfer of technology and know-how,
- Have the appropriate bodies from both Parties elaborate and carry out joint projects,
- Promote new communication facilities first of all for the needs of commercial and public institutions,
- Promote European technical standards, systems of certification and regulatory approaches,
- Cooperate in securing the communication in critical circumstances, consult each other on elaboration of guidelines for operator cooperation in conditions of catastrophes, etc.
2. These activities shall focus, inter alia, on the following priority areas:
- Development and modernization of an integrated telecommunications sector in Russia in the framework of market reforms and creation of an appropriate regulatory basis,
- Modernization of Russia's telecommunications network and its integration at the technical level into European and world networks,
- Cooperation in development of systems of information exchange and data transmission between organizations of the Community and Russia,
- Integration at the technical level of trans-European telecommunication networks,
- Modernization of Russia's postal and broadcasting services, including legal and regulatory aspects,
- The management of telecommunications, postal, TV and broadcasting services in the changing economic environments of both Parties, including inter alia, organizational structures, strategy and planning, tariff policy and purchasing principles.
Article 72. Financial Services
The Parties shall cooperate with the aim of establishing and developing a suitable framework for the banking, insurance and other financial services sector in Russia adapted to the needs of a market economy.
The cooperation shall focus on:
- Developing accounting standards which are suitable for a free market economy and which are compatible with the standards adopted by Member States,
- Restructuring of the banking, insurance and financial system,
- Improvement of monitoring and regulation of the banking, insurance and financial services sector,
- Developing compatible auditing systems,
- Exchange of information on the respective laws in force or under preparation,
- Modernizing the infrastructure of commercial and private banks.
Article 73. Regional Development
The Parties shall strengthen cooperation between them on regional development and land-use planning.
They shall encourage 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 organizations responsible for regional development planning with the aim, inter alia, to exchange methods and ways of fostering regional development.
Article 74. Social Cooperation
1. With regard to health and safety, the Parties shall develop cooperation between them with the aim of improving the level of protection of the health and safety of workers.
The cooperation shall include notably:
- 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 to develop the knowledge base in relation to working environment and the health and safety of workers.
2. With regard to employment, the cooperation shall include notably technical assistance relating to:
- Optimization of the labour market,
- Modernization of the job-finding and consulting services,
- Planning and management of the restructuring programmes,
- Encouragement of local employment development,
- 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 which, inter alia, shall include cooperation in planning and implementing social protection reforms in Russia.
These reforms shall aim to develop in Russia methods of protection intrinsic to market economies and shall comprise all directions of social security activities.
The cooperation shall also include technical assistance to the development of social insurance institutions with the aim of promoting gradual transition to a system consisting of a combination of contributory and social assistance forms of protection, as well as respective non-governmental organizations providing social services.
Article 75. Tourism
The Parties shall increase and develop cooperation between them, which shall include:
- Facilitating the tourist trade,
- Cooperation between official tourism bodies,
- Increasing the flow of information,
- Transferring know-how,
- Studying the opportunities for joint operations.
Article 76. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
1. The Parties shall aim to develop and strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) and promote cooperation between SMEs of the Community and Russia.
2. The Parties shall encourage the exchange of information and know-how, inter alia, in areas such as:
- Legal, administrative, technical, tax, financial and other conditions necessary for setting up and expansion of SMEs and for cross-border cooperation,
- The provision of the specialized services required by SMEs, like management and marketing training, accounting, quality control and creation and strengthening of agencies providing such services,
- Establishment of continuous and stable links between the Community and Russian operators in order to improve the flow of information to SMEs and promoting cross-border cooperation, inter alia, through access to and operation of Business Cooperation Network and Euro-Info-Correspondence Centres provided the necessary conditions are met for any of these networks. The Parties shall closely cooperate with a view to ensuring that the necessary conditions for access to the networks are met.
Article 77. Communication, Informatics and Information Infrastructure
1. The Parties shall support the development of modern methods of information handling, including the media. They shall take appropriate steps to stimulate the effective mutual exchange of information. Priority shall be given to programmes aimed at providing the general public with basic information about the Community and professional, inter alia, business circles with specialized information.
2. The Parties shall make the necessary efforts to expand and strengthen cooperation in order to establish the appropriate information infrastructure. To this end they shall initiate notably the following actions:
- The exchange of information on policies for the establishment of information infrastructures including regulatory policies,
- Exploration of the possibility for joint projects on research and development in information and communication technologies, and on the establishment of an information infrastructure adapted to the needs of a market economy, taking into account the conversion potential of Russian enterprises and Russian interests for informatization and allowing for interoperability with Community information infrastructures,
- Development of joint programmes concerning the training of specialists in information technologies and information services,
- Promotion of European technical standards, systems of certification and regulatory approaches.
Article 78. Customs
1. The aim of cooperation shall be to achieve compatibility of the customs systems of the Parties.
2. Cooperation shall include the following in particular:
- The exchange of information,
- The improvement of working methods,
- The harmonization and simplification of customs procedures regarding the goods traded between the Parties,
- The interconnection between the transit systems of the Community and Russia,
- The support in the introduction and management of modern customs information systems, including computer-based systems on the customs check points,
- Mutual assistance and joint actions with respect to 'dual-use' goods and goods subject to non-tariff limitations,
- The organization of seminars and training periods.
Technical assistance shall be provided where necessary.
3. Without prejudice to further cooperation foreseen in this Agreement and in particular Articles 82 and 84, the mutual assistance between administrative authorities in customs matters of the Parties shall take place in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 2.
Article 79. Statistical Cooperation
1. The cooperation shall aim at further development of efficient statistical systems, informational and programme-technological compatibility of statistical data, to provide, in time, reliable statistics needed to support and monitor economic cooperation between the Parties and the process of economic reform in Russia, and also to contribute to the development of private enterprise in Russia.
2. The Parties shall cooperate in particular:
- To enhance the development of an efficient statistical system in Russia, in particular to elaborate an appropriate institutional framework,
- To improve the standards of training and the professional level of the statistical personnel,
- To bring about harmonization with international, and in particular, Community methods, standards and classifications,
- To provide private and public sector economic operators with the appropriate macro-and microeconomic data,
- To guarantee the confidentiality of data,
- To exchange statistical information and to this end to build up and/or to make appropriate use of databases.
Article 80. Economics
The Parties shall facilitate the process of economic reform and the coordination of economic policies by cooperating to improve understanding of the fundamentals of their respective economies and the design and implementation of economic policy in market economies.
The Parties shall:
- Exchange information on macroeconomic performance and prospects and on development strategies,
- Analyse economic issues of mutual interest, including the framing of economic policies and implementation instruments,
- Encourage extensive cooperation among economists and senior officials in order to expedite the transfer of information and know-how for the drafting of economic policies, and provide for wide dissemination of the results of policy-relevant research.
Article 81. Money Laundering
1. The Parties agree on the necessity of making efforts and cooperating in order to prevent the use of their financial systems for laundering of proceeds from criminal activities in general and drug offences in particular.
2. Cooperation in this area shall include administrative and technical assistance with the purpose of establishing suitable standards against money laundering equivalent to those adopted by the Community and international fora in this field, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Article 82. Drugs
The Parties shall cooperate in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of policies and measures to counter the illicit production, supply and traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including the prevention of diversion of precursor chemicals, as well as in promoting drug demand prevention and reduction. The cooperation in this area shall be
Based on mutual consultation and close coordination between the Parties over the objectives and measures in the various drug-related fields, and shall, inter alia, provide for exchange of training programmes and include, where available, technical assistance from the Community.
Article 83.
Cooperation in the field of regulation of capital movements and payments in russia without prejudice to article 52, the parties, recognizing the necessity of a stable functioning and development of the russian domestic currency market shall cooperate in the field of creation of an effective system of regulation of capital movements and payments in Russia bearing in mind the experience, competence and respective possibilities of the Member States and the Community, cooperation in this field supported by technical assistance from the Community shall cover inter alia:
- Establishing links between competent authorities of the Community and its Member States and of Russia,
- Exchanging information on a regular basis,
- Helping in the development of appropriate regulations.
In order to permit an optimal use of the resources available the Parties shall ensure close coordination with the measures undertaken by other countries and international organizations.
Part VIII. COOPERATION ON PREVENTION OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES
Article 84.
The Parties shall establish cooperation aimed at preventing illegal activities such as:
- Illegal immigration and illegal presence of physical persons of their nationality on their respective territories, taking into account the principle and practice of readmission,
- Illegal activities in the sphere of economics, including corruption,
- Illegal transactions of various goods, including industrial waste,
- Counterfeiting,
- The illicit traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
The cooperation in the abovementioned areas will be based on mutual consultations and close interactions and will provide technical and administrative assistance including:
- Drafting of national legislation in the sphere of preventing illegal activities,
- Creation of information centres,
- Increasing the efficiency of institutions engaged in preventing illegal activities,
- Training of personnel and development of research infrastructures,
- Elaboration of mutually acceptable measures impeding illegal activities.
Title IX. COOPERATION ON PREVENTION OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES
Article 85.
1. The Parties undertake to promote cultural cooperation with the aim of reinforcing the existing links between their peoples and to encourage the mutual knowledge of their respective languages and cultures while respecting creative freedom and reciprocal access to cultural values.
2. Cooperation shall cover in particular the following areas:
- Exchange of information and experience in the field of conservation and protection of monuments and sites (architectural heritage),
- Cultural exchanges between institutions, artists and other persons working in the area of culture,
- Translation of literary works.
3. The Cooperation Council may make recommendations for the implementation of this Article.
Title X. Financial Cooperation
Article 86.
In order to achieve the objectives of this Agreement, in particular Titles VI and VII thereof, and in accordance with Articles 87, 88 and 89, Russia shall benefit from temporary financial assistance from the Community by way of technical assistance in the form of grants to accelerate the economic transformation of Russia.
Article 87.
This financial assistance shall be covered within the framework of the Tacis programme foreseen in the Community's relevant Council Regulation.
Article 88.
The objectives and the areas of the Community's financial assistance shall be laid down in an indicative programme reflecting established priorities to be agreed between the Parties taking into account Russia's needs, sectoral absorption capacities and progress with reform. The Parties shall inform the Cooperation Council thereof.
Article 89.
In order to permit optimum use of the resources available, the Parties shall ensure that Community technical assistance contributions are made in close coordination with those from other sources such as the Member States, other countries, and international organizations such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.