The Council presented a revised draft Council Decision on relations between the European Union on the one hand, and Greenland and Denmark on the other.
Overall, the proposed text remains the same as the initial proposal presented by the Commission.
The new proposal contains however a series of new provisions which may be summarised as follows:
Programming: it is stated that the Programming Document for the Sustainable Development (PDSD) should be based on consultations and dialogue with civil society, local authorities and other stakeholders and should draw on lessons learned and best practices, to ensure sufficient ownership of the PDSD. It should be adapted to the needs and respond to the specific circumstances of Greenland, including climate change impacts and socio-economic development. It should be the subject of an exchange of views between the Government of Greenland, the Government of Denmark and the Commission.
The Government of Greenland should be responsible for finalising the PDSD. Upon finalisation, the European Commission shall appraise the PDSD.
Scope of financing: within the framework of the sector policies established by the Government of Greenland, financial support may be given to the following activities:
N.B. as in the initial proposal, the Union's financial assistance shall be provided mainly through budget support.
Implementing rules: common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for external action should apply to the implementation of this Decision as appropriate.
Procurement rules: the rules on nationality and origin for public procurement, grant and other award procedures of the Common Implementation Regulation, applicable to the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI), should apply.
Mid-term Review of the PDSD and evaluation of the implementation of this Decision: by 31 December 2017, the European Commission, the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark should undertake a mid-term review of the PDSD and its' impact on Greenland as a whole. No later than mid-2018, a report shall be established by the Commission on the achievement of the objectives and the European added value of this Decision, by means of results and impact indicators on the efficiency of the use of resources, in view of a decision on the renewal, modification or suspension of the types of measures financed under this Decision.
Decision procedure: the revised proposal details the procedure to be followed as regards the adoption of the decisions relating to the implementation of assistance. The new proposal no longer includes provisions as regards the delegation of powers to the Commission, as was the case in the initial proposal. The Decision should be adopted in accordance with Regulation No 182/2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning the mechanisms of control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers. Taking into account the nature of those implementing acts, in particular their policy orientation nature or their financial implications, the examination procedure should in principle be used for their adoption, except for technical implementing measures of a small financial scale.