Council Decision 2014/401/CFSPShow full title

Article 23 U.K. Administrative tasks following the dissolution of the WEU

1. Following the dissolution of the WEU, SATCEN shall, on behalf of Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom (‘the ten Member States’), perform the following residual administrative tasks of the WEU:

(a) the administration of the pensions of former staff of the WEU;

(b) the administration of the medical insurance of retired former staff of the WEU;

(c) the administration of the WEU Social Plan;

(d) the administration of any disputes between the WEU and any member of its former staff and the implementation of the decisions of the WEU Appeals Board or competent court;

(e) assistance to the ten Member States in relation to WEU residual and other administrative tasks, including the liquidation of the WEU's assets.

2. The administration of the pensions of former staff of the WEU shall:

(a) take place in accordance with the pension scheme of the WEU, as in force on 30 June 2011, which scheme may be amended by the Board referred to in paragraph 7, within the framework of the Coordinated Organisations;

(b) be managed by a specialised authority, organisation or financial institution as approved by the Board referred to in paragraph 7 upon a proposal by the Director of SATCEN.

Any disputes relating to those pensions and involving former staff of the WEU shall be settled in accordance with paragraph 5.

3. The administration of the medical insurance of retired former staff of the WEU shall take place in accordance with the WEU staff rules as in force on 30 June 2011 and as subsequently amended by the Board referred to in paragraph 7.

4. The administration of the WEU Social Plan shall take place in accordance with the Social Plan adopted by the WEU on 22 October 2010. It shall also be in accordance with any subsequent binding decision by the competent Appeals Board and with any decisions taken by the WEU or the Board referred to in paragraph 7, to implement that decision.

5. Any disputes in relation to former staff of the WEU arising from the implementation of the residual tasks of the WEU shall be subject to the dispute settlement procedure of WEU staff rules as in force on 30 June 2011 and subsequently amended by the Board referred to in paragraph 7.

The status of former staff of the WEU shall be governed by the WEU staff rules as in force on 30 June 2011, as subsequently amended by the Board referred to in paragraph 7, and any applicable decision, including the WEU Social Plan.

6. Assistance to the ten Member States shall include the administration of current affairs and of any legal or financial issue arising from the closure of the WEU, performed under the guidance from the Board referred to in paragraph 7.

7. Any decisions in relation to the tasks set out in this Article, including decisions by the Board referred to in this Article, shall be adopted unanimously by the Board composed of representatives of the ten Member States. The Board in this configuration shall decide on how it is to be chaired by one of its members. The Director of SATCEN or the Director's representative shall, as appropriate, attend meetings of the Board in this configuration. The Board shall be convened by the Chairperson at least once a year or at the request of at least three of its members. Ad hoc meetings of the Board may be convened at expert level in order to deal with specific subjects or issues. Decisions of the Board may be taken by written procedure.

8. SATCEN shall recruit the staff necessary to perform the tasks mentioned in paragraph 1. If any of the ten Member States offers to second a person for that purpose, that person shall be recruited. If that is not the case, or if secondment does not fill all the required posts, the necessary staff shall be recruited. SATCEN's staff regulations shall be applicable, subject to this Article.

9. All items of expenditure resulting from and revenue related to the implementation of this Article shall be part of a separate budget from that of SATCEN. That budget shall be drawn up for each financial year, which shall correspond to the calendar year, and shall be adopted by the Board referred to in paragraph 7, acting upon a proposal by the Director of SATCEN, by 30 November of each year. The revenue and expenditure shown in that budget shall be in balance. That budget shall include a list of the staff recruited in accordance with paragraph 8. The revenue shall consist of contributions from the ten Member States, determined in accordance with the rules applicable to their contributions to the WEU as in force on 30 June 2011, and of miscellaneous revenue.

The Board as referred to in paragraph 7 shall adopt detailed financial rules, separate from those of SATCEN, specifying in particular the procedure to be followed for establishing and implementing the budget referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph.

10. A start-up fund of EUR 5,3 million funded by the ten Member States shall constitute a further guarantee of availability of financial resources for the implementation of the residual administrative tasks of the WEU referred to in this Article, in particular with regard to pension rights.