Agreement concerning Liaison between the International Labour Organisation
and the European Economic Community

(Translation)

Whereas the mission of the International Labour Organisation is to promote in the social and labour fields the adoption of standards based on the principles set forth in the Constitution of the I.L.O. and the Declaration of Philadelphia and, while co-operating with the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security, it remains outside political controversy between nations or groups of nations and is at the disposal of all its member nations to co-operate with them, either severally or through regional organisations of which they are Members, in implementing the objectives for which the International Labour Organisation itself exists; and

Whereas the mission of the European Economic Community, by the terms of articles 117 and 229 of the Treaty establishing the Community, is to promote improvement of the living and working conditions of labour so as to permit the equalisation of such conditions in an upward direction and to maintain all useful contacts with the United Nations and the specialised agencies;

Desirous of establishing a satisfactory basis for co-operation between the International Labour Organisation and the European Economic Community with a view to making a maximum contribution to economic expansion, the development of employment and the raising of the standard of living;

Recognising that such co-operation should develop in the light of experience and practical action;

The International Labour Organisation and the Commission of the European Economic Community:

Have agreed to put into force the present agreement dealing with mutual consultation and co-operation between the International Labour Organisation and the European Economic Community.

MUTUAL CONSULTATION

1. The International Labour Organisation and the European Economic Community will consult regularly on matters of common interest for the purpose of realising their objectives in the social and labour fields and eliminating all unnecessary duplication of work.

2. The Commission of the European Economic Community will be kept informed by the Director-General of the International Labour Office of the development of the work and programmes of the International Labour Organisation of interest to the Community. The International Labour Organisation will consider any observations concerning such work and programmes which may be communicated to it by the European Economic Community with a view to accomplishing effective co-ordination between the two organisations.

3. The Director-General of the International Labour Office will be kept informed by the Commission of the European Economic Community of the development of the work and programmes of the Community of interest to the International Labour Organisation. The Commission of the European Economic Community will consider any observations concerning such work and programmes which may be communicated to it by the International Labour Organisation with a view to accomplishing effective co-ordination between the two organisations.

4. The Governing Body of the International Labour Office may invite a representative of the European Economic Community for an exchange of views with it or with any other appropriate organ of the International Labour Organisation.

5. The Commission of the European Economic Community may invite a representative of the I.L.O. for an exchange of views with it or with any other appropriate organ of the European Economic Community subordinate to it.

EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION

6. The Director-General of the International Labour Office and the Commission of the European Economic Community will combine their efforts to obtain the best use of statistical and legislative information and to assure the most efficient utilisation of their resources in the assembly, analysis, publication and diffusion of such information, subject to such arrangements as may be necessary for safeguarding the confidential character of any part of this information, with a view to reducing the burden of the governments and other organisations from which such information is collected.

7. Subject to such arrangements as may be necessary for the safeguarding of confidential material, the fullest and promptest exchange of information and documents concerning matters of common interest shall be made between the International Labour Organisation and the European Economic Community.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

8. Whenever desirable for the development of its activities, the Commission of the European Economic Community may ask the International Labour Organisation for technical assistance on matters within the sphere of the International Labour Organisation.

9. The International Labour Organisation will make every effort to give all appropriate technical assistance to the European Economic Community in regard to such matters in a manner to be agreed in such cases as may arise.

10. If compliance with a request for technical assistance made to the International Labour Organisation by the European Economic Community would involve substantial expenditure for the International Labour Organisation, the European Economic Community will reimburse such expenditure on a basis to be agreed in each case.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT

11. The Director-General of the International Labour Office and the Commission of the European Economic Community will make all necessary arrangements within their power in order to ensure the effective operation of the provisions of this agreement.

SUPPLEMENTARY ARRANGEMENTS

12. The Director-General of the International Labour Office and the President of the Commission of the European Economic Community -

(a) will make appropriate arrangements to ensure close collaboration and liaison between staffs of the two organisations in matters of common interest;

(b) will, through their respective representatives, review the progress made in establishing effective co-operation between the two organisations;

(c) will examine such supplementary arrangements as may be found desirable in the light of the practical implementation of the present agreement by the two organisations as well as any amendments to be made to the agreement, in accordance with evolving circumstances and the practical needs of the two organisations.

13. The present agreement may be complemented after consultation with the appropriate organs of the International Labour Organisation and the European Economic Community by arrangements concerning reciprocal representation of the International Labour Organisation and the European Economic Community at meetings dealing with questions of common interest or any other questions for which co-operation between the two organisations may be required.

ENTRY INTO FORCE

14. The present agreement will enter into force as soon as the Director-General of the International Labour Office and the President of the Commission of the European Economic Community have notified each other of the approval of the agreement by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office and by the Commission of the European Economic Community.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Director-General of the International Labour Office, duly authorised by the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation, and the President of the Commission of the European Economic Community, duly authorised by the said Commission, sign the present agreement in French.

Walter HALLSTEIN,
President of the Commission of the European Economic Community.

David A. MORSE,
Director-General of the International Labour Office.

Done at Geneva in two copies, this seventh day of July, nineteen hundred and fifty-eight.

***

Published in: Official Bulletin of the ILO, Vol. XLI, 1958, No. 8