Council Decision 2008/975/CFSP (repealed)Show full title

CHAPTER 5 U.K. COMMON COSTS

Article 15 U.K. Definition of common costs and periods for eligibility

1. The common costs listed in Annex I shall be at the expense of ATHENA whenever they are incurred. When entered in an article of the budget showing the operation to which they are most related, they shall be regarded as operational costs of this operation. Otherwise, they shall be regarded as common costs incurred in preparation for, or following, operations.

2. Furthermore, ATHENA shall bear the operational common costs listed in Annex II during the period from the approval of the Crisis Management Concept for the operation until the appointment of the operation commander. In particular circumstances, after the Political and Security Committee has been consulted, the Special Committee may modify the period during which these costs shall be borne by ATHENA.

3. During the active phase of an operation, which runs from the date on which the operation commander is appointed to the day on which the operation headquarters ceases its activity, ATHENA shall bear as operational common costs:

(a) the common costs listed in Annex III-A;

(b) the common costs listed in Annex III-B, when the Council so decides;

(c) the common costs listed in Annex III-C, when the operation commander so requests and if the Special Committee approves it.

4. During the active phase of a military supporting action, as determined by the Council, ATHENA shall bear as operational common costs the common costs defined by the Council on a case-by-case basis by reference to Annex III.

5. The operational common costs of an operation also include the expenditure necessary to wind it up, as listed in Annex IV.

The operation is wound up when the equipment and infrastructure commonly funded for the operation have found their final destination and the accounts for the operation have been drawn up.

6. No expenditure incurred with a view to covering costs which would in any case have been borne by one or more contributing States, a Community institution or an international organisation, independently of the organisation of an operation, may be eligible as a common cost.

7. The Special Committee may decide on a case-by-case basis that, in view of particular circumstances, certain incremental costs other than those listed in Annex IIIB shall be regarded as common costs for one given operation during its active phase.

8. If unanimity cannot be achieved in the Special Committee, the latter may, at the initiative of the Presidency, refer the question to the Council.

Article 16 U.K. Exercises

1. The common costs of the European Union's exercises shall be financed through ATHENA following rules and procedures similar to those for operations to which all participating Member States contribute.

2. These exercise common costs shall be composed of, firstly, incremental costs for deployable or fixed headquarters and, secondly, incremental costs incurred by EU recourse to NATO common assets and capabilities when made available for an exercise.

3. Exercise common costs shall not include costs related to:

(a) capital acquisitions, including those related to buildings, infrastructure and equipment;

(b) the planning and preparatory phase of exercises;

(c) transport, barracks and lodging for forces.

Article 17 U.K. Reference amount

Any joint action by which the Council decides that the Union will conduct a military operation and any joint action or decision by which the Council decides to extend a Union operation shall contain a reference amount for the common costs of this operation. The administrator shall, with the support in particular of the Union military staff and, if he/she is in post, the operation commander, evaluate the amount judged necessary to cover the common costs of the operation for the planned period. The administrator shall propose this amount through the Presidency to the Council bodies responsible for examining the draft joint action or decision. The Special Committee shall at the same time be kept informed by the administrator of the proposal made.