International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation IPEEC: signing of Terms of Reference and Memorandum

PURPOSE: to approve the 'Terms of Reference for the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation' (IPEEC) and the 'Memorandum concerning the hosting by the International Energy Agency of the Secretariat to the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation' by the European Community.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2009/954/EC on the signing and conclusion of the "Terms of Reference for the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation" (IPEEC) and the "Memorandum concerning the hosting by the International Energy Agency of the Secretariat to the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation" by the European Community.

CONTENT: at the initiative of the European Commission, in June 2008, members of the G8, China, India and South Korea and the Commission decided to establish an International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) which is to facilitate those actions that yield high energy efficiency gains. IPEEC will provide a forum for discussion, consultation and exchange of information. IPEEC is open to other countries and intergovernmental organisations.

On 24 May 2009, the Terms of Reference for the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation were signed in Rome by 12 States, including four Member States of the European Community.

The Terms of Reference describe the cooperative activities of the IPEEC, establish its organisation, define the criteria for potential new members and contain general provisions regarding i.a. the funding of the Partnership and intellectual property rights. The Terms of Reference foresees that IPEEC is open to intergovernmental organisations and that their membership is contingent upon the signature of the Terms of Reference.

A Memorandum concerning the hosting by the International Energy Agency of the Secretariat to the IPEEC (the "Memorandum") was signed by seven of the G8 members, China, South Korea, Brazil and Mexico on 24 May 2009 on the one hand and by the International Energy Agency ("the IEA") on 18 June 2009 on the other. The eighth G8 member, France, signed on 22 June 2009.

The Memorandum constitutes an international agreement between IPEEC members and the IEA and contains arrangements regarding the organisation of the Secretariat which is to be hosted by the IEA. It contains provisions regarding the staffing of the Secretariat and recruitment, as well as regarding the issues of funding and budgetary procedures.

It is appropriate for the European Community to sign the Terms of Reference and the Memorandum. It should be noted that the European Community should pay a contribution to IPEEC for its administrative expenses.

As a consequence, under this decision, the following are approved on behalf of the Community:

·        the Terms of Reference for the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), annexed to this Decision as Annex I;

·        the Memorandum concerning the hosting by the International Energy Agency of the Secretariat to the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation, annexed to this Decision as Annex II.