Convention For The Establishment Of The European Plant Protection Organisation
Source: Document provided by EPPO secretariat from 50th Anniversary disk
The Governments parties to the present Convention, being conscious of the importance of international cooperation in the prevention of the introduction and spread of pests and diseases of plants and plant products, and desiring to continue and extend the work formerly done in this field by the International Committee for the Control of the Colorado Beetle and by the European Working Party on Infestation Control has agreed as follows:
Article I
Organisation
There shall be established a European Plant Protection Organisation (hereinafter referred to as the Organisation).
Article II
Definition
For the purpose of the present Convention the term "plants and plant products" means "living plants and parts of plants, unmanufactured materials of plant origin, and food products milled from plants and parts of plants."
Article III
Membership
(a) Membership of the Organisation is open to the following by adherence to the present Convention according to the provisions of Article XX
1) The Governments of the countries in Schedule III.
2) The Governments of any other country which the Council of the Organisation may decide to invite to become a member.
(b) The Government of any territory about which a declaration has been made under the terms of the Article XXI may be admitted to membership by the Council of the Organisation but only on the proposal of the Member who made the declaration. Any such decision shall require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast. Territories admitted shall be such as can in the opinion of the Council make a definite and individual contribution to the work of the Organisation.
Article IV
Seat
(a) The seat of the Organisation shall be in Paris.
(b) Meetings of the Organisation shall normally take place at its seat.
Article V
Functions
(a) The functions of the Organisation shall be to:
1) advise Member Governments on the technical, administrative and legislative measures necessary to prevent the introduction and spread of pests and diseases of plants and plant products;
2) assist Member Governments where necessary in carrying out such measures;
3) where practicable, co-ordinate and stimulate international campaigns against pests and diseases of plants and plant products;
4) obtain information from Member Governments on the existence, outbreak and spread of pests and diseases of plants and plant products, and convey such information to Member Governments;
5) provide for the exchange of information on national plant quarantine legislation, or other measures effecting the free movement of plants and plant products;
6) study the possibility of simplificiation and promote the unification of regulations and certification procedure in plant quarantine matters;
7) facilitate co-operation in research into all matters concerning the pests and diseases of plants and plant products and the methods of control and for the exchange of relevant scientific information;
8) establish archives for documents and publish in an appropriate form material for publicity purposes or for technical or scientific advancement as may be determined by the Organisation;
9) make recommendations to Member Governments on any of the matters referred to in this Article;
10) generally take all necessary and appropriate action to achieve the purposes of the Organisation as set forth in the Preamble to this Convention.
(b) The functions of the Organisation shall be concentrated particularly on, but not necessarily confined to, the pests and diseases effecting plants and plant productions in international traffic which are specified in Schedule II.
Article VI
Obligations of Member Governments
Member Governments shall furnish to the Organisation so far as is practicable such information as the Organisation may reasonably require in order to carry out its functions.
Article VII
Relationship with other Organisations
(a) The Organisation co-operates with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the Council shall seek recognition as a Regional Plant Protection Organisation for the purposes of any general International Convention on Plant Protection which may be adopted.
(b) The Organisation may also co-operate with other Organisations with related responsibilities and will use its best endeavours to prevent overlapping of activities.
Article VIII
Assets and Liabilities
The Organisation takes over the assets and liabilities of the International Committee for Colorado Beetle Control and the European Working Party on Infestation Control.
Article IX
The Council
(a) The Council of the Organisation shall consist of representatives of Member Governments. Each Member Government shall be entitled to appoint one representative to the Council and one alternate. Representatives and alternates appointed by Member Governments may be accompanied by associates and advisers.
(b) Each Member Government shall have one vote in the Council.
Article X
Sessions of the Council
(a) The Council ordinarily meets in regular session once in each year.
(b) Extraordinary sessions of the Council shall be called at any time when the Chairmen is so requested in writing by at least one-third of the Member Governments.
Article XI
Rules
The Council established its Rules of Procedure and the financial rules of the Organisation.
Article XII
Observers
(a) The Government of any country which is not a member of the Organisation may, with the consent of the Council or of the Executive Committee, be represented at any session of the Council by an observer or observers without the right to vote.
(b) Any other International Organisations having related responsibilities may, with the consent of the Council or the Executive Committee, be represented at any session of the Council by an observer or observers without the right to vote.
Article XIII
Functions of the Council
The Council has the following functions:
(a) Consideration and approval of the report of the Director-General on activities since the last regular session of the Council.
(b) Consideration and approval of the annual accounts and of the draft budget of the Organisation.
(c) Consideration and approval of the programme of future activities of the Organisation prepared by the Executive Committee.
(d) Appointment of such Technical Committees as it considers necessary.
Article XIV
The Chairman and Vice-Chairman
(a) The Council elects a Chairman and Vice-Chairman from amongst representatives of Member Governments.
(b) The Chairman and Vice-Chairman are elected for three years and are eligible for re-election.
Article XV
The Executive Committee
(a) The Executive Committee is composed of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman and of five representatives of Member Governments elected by the Council.
(b) Members of the Executive Committee hold office for three years and are eligible for re-election.
(c) If a vacancy occurs in the Executive Committee before the expiration of the term of appointment, the Executive Committee shall ask a Member Government to appoint a representative to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.
(d) The Chairman of the Council is also the Chairman of the Executive Committee, which will meet at least once between any two regular sessions of the Council.
Article XVI
Functions of the Executive Committee
The functions of the Executive Committee are to:
(a) Propose the policies and the programme of future activities to the Council.
(b) Implement the policies as approved by the Council.
(c) Submit draft budgets and annual accounts to the Council.
(d) Undertake such other tasks as the Council may delegate to it, adopt its own rules or procedure, and perform such other functions as may be conferred on it by the present Convention.
Article XVII
The Director-General
(a) The Council appoints the Director-General of the Organisation and determines his remuneration.
(b) The Director-General is responsible for carrying out the programme approved by the Council, under the supervision of the Executive Committee.
(c) The Director-General is the administrative head of the Organisation which functions under his responsibility.
(d) The Director-General reports to each regular session of the Council on the activities of the Organisation and the financial position.
Article XVIII
Finance
(a) The expenses of the Organisation shall be met by annual payments from Member Governments according to the scale specified in Schedule I attached hereto except in exceptional cases approved by the Council.
(b) The category of membership under the foregoing clause shall be by decision of the Government concerned.
(c) Annual contributions shall be paid before the end of the first month of each financial year of the Organisation. The commencement of the financial year shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
(d) The contribution of Member Governments shall be paid in currencies to be determined by the Executive Committee with the approval of the contributing Governments concerned.
(e) A supplementary contribution can be paid by an individual Government or group of Governments towards special schemes or campaigns of control, which the Executive Committee may propose in the interest of that Government or group of Governments.
(f) The Executive Committee shall appoint a firm of Chartered Accountants to examine the accounts yearly, and to present a report to the Executive Committee for submission to the Council.
Article XIX
Amendments
(a) Texts of proposed amendments to the present Convention and to Schedule I thereof shall be communicated by the Director-General to Member Governments at least three months in advance of their consideration by the Council. Amendment shall come into effect when adopted by a two-thirds majority of the Members of the Council present and voting, provided, however, that amendments involving new obligation for Members shall come into force in respect of each Member only on acceptance by it.
(b) Amendments to Schedule II may be made by a simple majority of votes cast in the Council.
(c) Acceptance of amendments shall be deposited with the French Government who shall inform all Member Governments of the receipt of acceptances and the entry into force of amendments.
Article XX
Signature and Acceptance
(a) The present Convention shall remain open for signature or acceptance and Governments, to which membership of the Organisation is open by virtue of the provisions of Article III, may become parties to the Convention by:
i) Signature;
ii) Signature subject to ratification; or
iii) Acceptance.
(b) Acceptance shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of with the French Government.
(c) The French Government shall immediately inform all Governments of the date on which each sings or accepts the Convention.
Article XXI
Territorial application
(a) Any Government may at the time of becoming a party to the present Convention, or at any time thereafter, declare that its participation in the Convention includes all or any of the territories for whose international relations it is responsible. Such declaration shall be deposited with the French Government.
(b) Any declaration made by a Government under paragraph (a) of this Article after it has become a party to the Convention shall take effect on the thirteenth day following its receipt by the French Government.
(c) The French Government shall immediately inform all Government parties to the Convention of declaration made under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Article.
Article XXII
Withdrawal
(a) Any Member Government may withdraw from the present Convention at any time after the expiration of two years from the date on which the Convention entered into force with respect to that Government by giving written notice of withdrawal to the French Government. The withdrawal shall take effect a year from the date of receipt of the notification of withdrawal.
(b) The non-payment of two consecutive annual contributions will be regarded as implying the official withdrawal from the Convention of the defaulting Member Government.
(c) The application of the Convention to a territory or territories under Article XXI may be terminated by written notification to the French Government by the participating Government responsible for the international relations of such territory or territories. The notification shall take effect a year from the date of its receipt.
(d) The French Government shall immediately inform all participating Governments of notifications given under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Article.
Article XXIII
Entry into force
(a) The present Convention shall enter into force on the date on which five Governments have become parties thereto in accordance with the provisions of Article XX.
(b) The French Government shall immediately inform all Governments which have signed or accepted the Convention of the date of entry into force of the Convention.
Schedule I
Scale of contributions approved by the Council (See Article XVIII):
Category I [TAB] 500 Pounds Sterling
Category II [TAB] 1,000 Pounds Sterling
Category III [TAB] 1,500 Pounds Sterling
Category IV [TAB] 2,000 Pounds Sterling
Schedule II
List of pests and diseases to be covered by the Organisation, with the date of their approval by the Organisation (See Article V).
I. Colorado Beetle. (Leptinotarsa decemlineata). 1951.
II. Potato Root Eelworm. (Heterodera rostochiensis). 1951.
III. San Jose Scale. (Aspidiotus perniciosus). 1951.
IV. Potato Wart Disease. (Synchytrium endobioticum). 1951
V. Insect, fungus and rodent pests of stored foods, and rodent pests of crops, hitherto the concern of the European Working Party on Infestation Control. 1951.
Schedule III
Countries which have been invited by the French Government to adhere to the Convention:
Albania
Austria
Belgium
Bielo-Russia
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Egypt
Finland
France (also for Algeria, Tunis and Morocco)
German Federal Republic
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Rumaina
San Marino
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
U.S.S.R.
Yugoslavia
In faith whereof the undersigned, duly authorized by their Governments, have signed the present Convention and the Schedules thereto.
DONE IN PARIS this 18th day of April 1951, in a single copy, which will remain deposited in the archives of the French Government.
For Denmark: [Signature Removed]
For Belgium: [Signature Removed]
For Spain: [Signature Removed]
For France: [Signature Removed]
For Ireland: [Signature Removed]
For Italy: [Signature Removed]
For Luxembourg: [Signature Removed]
For The Netherlands: [Signature Removed]
For Portugal: [Signature Removed]
For The German Federal Republic: [Signature Removed]
For The United Kingdom: [Signature Removed]
For Switzerland: [Signature Removed]
For Yugoslavia: [Signature Removed]
For Austria: [Signature Removed]
For Greece: [Signature Removed]
