1.   Respect for democratic principles and fundamental human rights, as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and for the rule of law, underpins the internal and international policies of both Parties and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.

2.   The Parties confirm their commitment to the promotion of sustainable development, which is a guiding principle for the implementation of this Agreement, taking notably into account the Millennium Development Goals. The Parties shall ensure that an appropriate balance is struck between the economic, social and environmental components of sustainable development.

3.   The Parties reaffirm their attachment to good governance and the rule of law, which entails, in particular, the primacy of law, the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary, clear decision-making procedures at the level of the public authorities, transparent and accountable institutions, the good and transparent management of public affairs at local, regional and national levels, and the implementation of measures aiming at preventing and combating corruption.

1.   An Association Council is hereby established, which shall oversee the fulfilment of the objectives of this Agreement and supervise its implementation. The Association Council shall meet at ministerial level at regular intervals, not exceeding a period of two years, and extraordinarily whenever circumstances so require, if the Parties so agree. The Association Council shall meet where appropriate and agreed by both Parties at Head of State or Government level. Furthermore, in order to strengthen the political dialogue and make it more efficient, specific ‧ad hoc‧ meetings at working level shall be encouraged.

2.   The Association Council shall examine any major issue arising within the framework of this Agreement, as well as any other bilateral, multilateral or international question of common interest.

3.   The Association Council shall also examine proposals and recommendations from the Parties for the improvement of the relations established under this Agreement.

1.   The Association Council shall be composed of representatives of the EU Party and of each of the Republics of the CA Party at ministerial level, in accordance with the Parties' respective internal arrangements and taking into consideration the specific issues (Political Dialogue, Cooperation and/or Trade) to be addressed at any given session.

2.   The Association Council shall establish its own rules of procedure.

3.   Members of the Association Council may arrange to be represented, in accordance with the conditions laid down in its rules of procedure.

4.   The Association Council shall be chaired alternately by a representative of the EU Party on one side, and by a representative of one Republic of the CA Party on the other, in accordance with the provisions laid down in its rules of procedure.

1.   In order to attain the objectives of this Agreement, the Association Council shall have the power to take decisions in the cases provided for in this Agreement.

2.   The decisions taken shall be binding on the Parties, which shall take all measures necessary to implement them in accordance with each Party's internal rules and legal procedures.

3.   The Association Council may also make appropriate recommendations.

4.   The Association Council shall adopt decisions and recommendations by mutual agreement between the Parties. In the case of the Republics of the CA Party, the adoption of decisions and recommendations shall require their consensus.

5.   The procedure established in paragraph 4 shall apply to all other governing bodies created by this Agreement.

1.   The Association Council shall be assisted in the performance of its duties by an Association Committee which shall be composed of representatives of the EU Party and of each of the Republics of the CA Party, at senior official level, and taking into consideration the specific issues (Political Dialogue, Cooperation and/or Trade) to be addressed at any given session.

2.   The Association Committee shall be responsible for the general implementation of this Agreement.

3.   The Association Council shall establish the rules of procedure of the Association Committee.

4.   The Association Committee shall have the power to take decisions in the cases provided for in this Agreement or where such power has been delegated to it by the Association Council. In this event, the Association Committee shall take its decisions in accordance with the conditions laid down in Articles 4 to 6.

5.   The Association Committee shall generally meet once a year for an overall review of the implementation of this Agreement, on a date and with an agenda agreed in advance by the Parties, in Brussels one year and in Central America the next. Special meetings may be convened, by mutual agreement, at the request of either of the Parties. The Association Committee shall be chaired alternately by a representative of each of the Parties.

1.   The Association Committee shall be assisted in the performance of its duties by the Sub-Committees established in this Agreement.

2.   The Association Committee may decide to set up any additional Sub-Committee. It may decide to change the task assigned to or dissolve any Sub-Committee.

3.   Sub-Committees shall meet once per year or at the request of either Party or of the Association Committee, at an appropriate level. When in person, meetings shall be held alternately in Brussels or Central America. Meetings may also be held by any technological mean available to the Parties.

4.   Sub-Committees shall be chaired alternately by a representative of the EU Party on one side and by a representative of one Republic of the CA Party on the other, for a period of one year.

5.   The creation or existence of a Sub-Committee shall not prevent the Parties from bringing any matter directly to the Association Committee.

6.   The Association Council shall adopt rules of procedure which determine the composition and duties of such Sub-Committees and how they shall function, insofar as not provided for by this Agreement.

7.   A Cooperation Sub-Committee is hereby established. It shall assist the Association Committee in the performance of its duties regarding Part III of this Agreement. It shall also have the following tasks:

1.   An Association Parliamentary Committee is hereby established. It shall consist of members of the European Parliament, on the one side, and of members of the Parlamento Centroamericano (PARLACEN), and in the case of Republics of the CA Party that are not members of PARLACEN, representatives designated by their respective National Congress, on the other side, who shall meet and exchange views. It shall determine the frequency of its meetings and shall be chaired by one of the two sides alternately.

2.   The Association Parliamentary Committee shall establish its rules of procedure.

3.   The Association Parliamentary Committee may request of the Association Council relevant information regarding the implementation of this Agreement. The Association Council shall supply the Committee with the requested information.

4.   The Association Parliamentary Committee shall be informed of the decisions and recommendations of the Association Council.

5.   The Association Parliamentary Committee may make recommendations to the Association Council.

1.   A Joint Consultative Committee is hereby established as a consultative body of the Association Council. Its work shall consist in submitting the opinions of civil society organisations to this Council regarding the implementation of this Agreement without prejudice to other processes in accordance with Article 11. The Joint Consultative Committee shall further be tasked with contributing to the promotion of dialogue and cooperation between the organisations of civil society in the European Union and those in Central America.

2.   The Joint Consultative Committee shall be composed of an equal number of representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee, on the one side, and of representatives of the Comité Consultivo del Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (CC-SICA) and of the Comité Consultivo de Integración Económica (CCIE), on the other side.

3.   The Joint Consultative Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

1.   The Parties shall promote meetings of representatives of the European Union's and of Central America's civil societies, including the academic community, social and economic partners and non-governmental organisations.

2.   The Parties shall call for regular meetings with these representatives in order to inform them about the implementation of this Agreement and to gather their suggestions in this respect.

1.   The Parties shall cooperate to achieve full compliance with all human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are universal, indivisible, inter-related and inter-dependant, as well as the building and strengthening of democracy.

2.   Such cooperation may include inter alia:

1.   The Parties agree that the objective of cooperation in this field shall be to improve their legal and institutional frameworks, based notably on best practices. This includes reform and modernisation of public administration, including through capacity building, to support and reinforce the processes of decentralisation and to underpin organisational changes resulting from regional integration, paying particular attention to organisational efficiency and to service delivery to citizens, as well as to good and transparent management of public resources and accountability.

2.   This cooperation may include national and regional programs and projects aimed at building capacities for policy design, and implementation and evaluation of public policies, as well as reinforcing the judiciary system while fostering the involvement of civil society.

1.   The Parties agree that cooperation in this field shall promote and sustain a comprehensive peace policy, including the prevention and resolution of conflicts. This policy shall be based on the principle of commitment and participation of society and shall focus primarily on developing regional, sub-regional and national capacities. It shall ensure equal political, economic, social and cultural opportunities for all segments of society, reinforce democratic legitimacy, promote social cohesion and an effective mechanism for peaceful conciliation of the interests of different groups, and encourage an active and organised civil society, in particular making use of existing regional institutions.

2.   Cooperation shall strengthen capacities to resolve conflicts and may include, among others, the provision of support to mediation, negotiation and reconciliation processes; to strategies promoting peace; to efforts to strengthen confidence and security building on the regional level; to efforts developed to help children, women and elderly people and to actions in the fight against anti-personnel mines.

1.   The Parties agree to cooperate in order to improve the level of protection of personal data to the highest international standards, such as the Guidelines for the Regulation of Computerised Personal Data Files, modified by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 14th 1990, and to work towards the free movement of personal data between the Parties, with due regard to their domestic legislation.

2.   Cooperation on protection of personal data may include, inter alia, technical assistance in the form of exchange of information and expertises taking into account the laws and regulations of the Parties.

1.   The Parties shall cooperate to ensure a comprehensive, integrated, and balanced approach through effective action and coordination between the competent authorities, including from the health, education, law enforcement, custom services, social, justice and interior sectors with the aim of reducing, to the greatest extent possible, the supply and demand of illicit drugs as well as their impact on drug users and society at large, and in order to achieve control and a more effective prevention of diversion towards chemical precursors used for the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including the diversion towards illegal purposes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific use.

2.   Cooperation shall be based on the principle of shared responsibility, relevant international conventions as well as the Political Declaration, the Special Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction and the other main documents adopted by the Twentieth United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs in June 1998.

3.   Cooperation shall aim to coordinate and increase joint efforts to address the problem of illicit drugs. Without prejudice to other cooperation mechanisms, the Parties agree that, at the inter-regional level, the Coordination and Cooperation Mechanism on Drugs between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean shall be used for this purpose, and agree to cooperate in view of strengthening its efficiency.

4.   The Parties also agree to cooperate against crime related drug trafficking, through increased coordination with relevant international bodies and instances.

5.   The Parties shall cooperate to ensure a comprehensive and balanced approach through effective action and coordination between the competent authorities, including the social, justice and interior sectors with the aim to:

1.   The Parties agree to cooperate in preventing the use of their financial systems and enterprises for laundering proceeds arising from all serious offences and in particular from offences related to illicit drugs and psychotropic substances and related to terrorist acts.

2.   This cooperation shall, where relevant, in line with the standards established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), include administrative and technical assistance aimed at the development and implementation of regulations and the efficient functioning of suitable standards and mechanisms. In particular, cooperation shall allow for exchanges of relevant information and for the adoption of appropriate standards to combat money laundering and terrorism financing in accordance with those adopted by the international bodies active in this area, and with best practices used in the international context.

1.   The Parties agree to cooperate in preventing and combating organised and financial crime. To that end, they shall promote and exchange good practices and implement relevant agreed international standards and instruments, such as the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementing Protocols and the United Nations Convention against corruption. They shall notably encourage witness protection programmes.

2.   The Parties also agree to cooperate to improve citizen security, notably through support to security policies and strategies. This cooperation should contribute to crime prevention and could include activities such as regional cooperation projects between police and judicial authorities, training programs, exchanges of best practices for criminal profiling. It shall also comprise, inter alia, exchanges of views on legislative frameworks as well as administrative and technical assistance aimed at strengthening the institutional and operational capabilities of law enforcement authorities.

1.   The Parties recognise the importance of preventing and combating corruption in the private and public sector and reaffirm their concern about the seriousness and threats caused by corruption to the stability and security of democratic institutions. To that end, the Parties shall cooperate in view of implementing and promoting relevant international standards and instruments, such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

2.   The Parties shall in particular cooperate on:

1.   The Parties shall cooperate to prevent and combat illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons including their ammunition. They shall aim at coordinating actions to strengthen legal and institutional cooperation, as well as at collecting and destroying illicit small arms and light weapons, including their ammunition, in civilian hands.

2.   The Parties shall cooperate to promote joint initiatives in the fight against small arms and light weapons, including their ammunition. In particular, the Parties shall cooperate on those joint initiatives which are aimed at implementing the national, regional and international programmes as well as conventions in this field, both within a multilateral and inter-regional framework.

1.   Cooperation in the area of combating terrorism will implement the framework and the standards agreed in Article 16 of Part II.

2.   The Parties shall also cooperate to ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or in support of terrorist acts, will be brought to justice. The Parties agree that the fight against terrorism shall be done in full compliance with all relevant United Nations Resolutions while respecting the sovereignty of the States, as well as due process, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

3.   The Parties agree to cooperate in the prevention and suppression of acts of terrorism by means of police and judicial cooperation.

1.   The Parties, acknowledging that social development shall go hand in hand with economic development, agree that cooperation shall aim at enhancing social cohesion through the reduction of poverty, inequity, inequality and social exclusion, in particular in view to the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals and of the internationally agreed objective of promoting fair globalisation and decent work for all. The accomplishment of these objectives shall mobilise significant financial resources, from both cooperation and national resources.

2.   For this purpose, the Parties shall cooperate in order to promote and to support the execution of:

3.   The Parties agree to stimulate the exchange of information on social cohesion aspects of national plans or strategies as well as experiences on successes and failures regarding their formulation and implementation.

4.   The Parties shall also endeavour to jointly assess the contribution of the implementation of this Agreement to social cohesion.

1.   The Parties agree to cooperate in order to promote employment and social protection through actions and programmes, which aim in particular to:

2.   Activities may be carried out at national, regional and interregional levels, including through networking, mutual learning, identification and dissemination of good practices, information sharing on the basis of comparable statistical tools and indicators and contacts between organisations of social partners.

1.   The Parties agree that cooperation shall aim to:

2.   The Parties also agree to encourage:

3.   The Parties agree to pay special attention to continue developing the EU-LAC Knowledge Area and initiatives such as the EU-LAC Common Higher Education Area, in particular with a view to encourage the pooling and exchange of experience and technical resources.

1.   The Parties agree to cooperate in developing efficient health systems, competent and sufficient health workforce capacity, fair financing mechanisms and social protection schemes.

2.   Special attention shall be given to sectoral reforms and to ensure an equitable access to quality health services, food and nutritional security in particular for vulnerable groups such as the disabled, elderly people, women, children, and indigenous peoples.

3.   They further aim to cooperate in order to promote primary health care and prevention through integrated approaches and actions involving other policy sectors, in particular to fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, dengue, chagas disease, and other priority communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as chronic diseases; to reduce child mortality; to increase maternal health, and to address priority areas such as sexual and reproductive health and the care for and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, provided that these objectives do not contravene the national legal frameworks. In addition the Parties shall cooperate in areas such as education, water sanitation and sanitary topics.

4.   Cooperation may further encourage the development, implementation and promotion of international health law, including the International Health Regulations and the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

5.   The Parties shall seek the creation of associations beyond the public health system through strategic partnerships with civil society and other actors, giving priority to disease prevention and health promotion.

1.   The Parties respecting and promoting their national, regional and international obligations agree that cooperation activities shall enhance the protection and promotion of the rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples, as recognised by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Further, cooperation activities shall enhance and promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons belonging to minorities and ethnic groups.

2.   Special attention should be paid to poverty reduction, and to the fight against inequality, exclusion and discrimination. Relevant international documents and instruments addressing the rights of indigenous peoples such as United Nations Resolution 59/174 on the Second Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, and, as ratified, the International Labour Organization 169 Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, should guide the development of cooperation activities, in line with the national and international obligations of the Parties.

3.   The Parties further agree that cooperation activities shall systematically take into account the social, economic and cultural identities of these peoples and shall ensure as appropriate their effective participation in cooperation activities, in particular in those areas most relevant to them, notably sustainable management and use of land and natural resources, environment, education, health, heritage and cultural identity.

4.   Cooperation shall contribute to promoting the development of indigenous peoples. Cooperation shall also contribute to promoting the development of persons belonging to minorities and ethnic groups organisations. Such cooperation shall strengthen as well their negotiation, administrative and management capacities.

1.   The Parties agree that cooperation in favour of vulnerable groups shall give priority to measures, including innovative policies and projects, involving vulnerable groups. It should aim at promoting human development, reducing poverty, and fighting social exclusion.

2.   Cooperation shall include the protection of human rights and the equal opportunities of vulnerable groups, the creation of economic opportunities for the poorest, as well as specific social policies aimed at the development of human capacities through education and training, access to basic social services, social safety nets and justice with a particular focus on the disabled and their families, children, women and the elderly, among others.

1.   The Parties agree that cooperation shall help to strengthen policies, programmes, and mechanisms aimed at ensuring, improving and expanding the equal participation and opportunities for men and women in all sectors of political, economic, social and cultural life, in particular in view of the effective implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Where appropriate, affirmative actions in support of women shall be envisaged.

2.   Cooperation shall promote the integration of the gender perspective in all the relevant fields of cooperation, including public policies, development strategies and actions as well as indicators to measure their impact.

3.   Cooperation shall also help to facilitate equal access of men and women to all services and resources allowing them to fully exercise their fundamental rights, such as in respect of education, health, vocational training, employment opportunities, political decision making, governance structures and private undertakings.

4.   Particular attention shall be given to programmes addressing violence against women, in particular through prevention.

1.   The cooperation between the Parties shall support all relevant sectoral policies addressing youth with the objective of preventing the reproduction of poverty and marginality. It shall include support to family policies and education, as well as to providing job opportunities for young people, especially in poor areas, and fostering social and justice programmes for prevention of juvenile delinquency and reinsertion into economic and social life.

2.   The Parties agree to promote the active participation of young people in society, including in the shaping of policies that have an impact on their lives.

1.   Cooperation shall be based on specific needs assessment conducted in mutual consultation between the Parties and be implemented in accordance with the relevant European Union and national legislation in force. It will focus in particular on:

2.   Within the framework of the cooperation to prevent and control immigration that contravenes the legal framework of the country of destination, the Parties also agree to readmit those of their nationals whose stay in the territories of the other Party contravenes their respective legal frameworks. To this end:

3.   Where the person to be readmitted does not possess any documents or other proofs of his or her nationality, the competent diplomatic and/or consular representations of the Member State of the European Union or the Republic of the CA Party concerned shall, upon request of the Republic of the CA Party or the Member State of the European Union concerned, make arrangements to interview the person in order to establish his or her nationality.

4.   The Parties agree to conclude, upon request and as soon as possible, an agreement regulating the specific obligations for the Member States of the European Union and the Republics of the CA Party on readmission. That Agreement shall also address the readmission of nationals of other countries and stateless persons.

1.   The Parties agree to cooperate in order to protect and improve the quality of the environment at local, regional and global levels with a view to achieving sustainable development, as set forth in the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.

2.   Taking into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, the priorities and national development strategies, the Parties shall pay due attention to the relationship between poverty and the environment and the impact of economic activity on the environment including the potential impact of this Agreement.

3.   Cooperation shall in particular address:

4.   Cooperation may involve measures such as:

1.   The Parties agree that cooperation in this field shall aim to reduce the vulnerability of the Central American region to natural disasters through supporting national efforts, as well as the regional framework for the reduction of vulnerability and response to natural disasters, strengthening regional research, disseminating best practices, drawing from lessons learnt in Disaster Risk Reduction, preparedness, planning, monitoring, prevention, mitigation, response and rehabilitation. Cooperation shall also support efforts towards the harmonisation of the legal framework according to the international standards and the improvement of institutional coordination and government support.

2.   The Parties shall encourage strategies that reduce social and environmental vulnerability and strengthen capacities of local communities and institutions for disaster risk reduction.

3.   The Parties shall place particular attention on improving disaster risk reduction in all their policies, including territorial management, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

1.   The Parties shall promote and facilitate cooperation between their respective customs services in order to ensure that the objectives set out in Chapter 3 (Customs and Trade Facilitation) of Title II of Part IV of this Agreement are attained, particularly in order to guarantee the simplification of customs procedures and the facilitation of legitimate trade while retaining their control capabilities.

2.   The cooperation shall give rise, among others, to:

3.   The Parties shall provide mutual administrative assistance in customs matters in accordance with the provisions of Annex III to Part IV of this Agreement.

1.   The Parties recognise the importance of cooperation and technical assistance in the field of intellectual property and agree to cooperate among others in the following:

2.   The Parties recognise the importance of cooperation on customs matters, and therefore, the Parties engage to promote and facilitate cooperation aiming to apply border measures in relation with intellectual property rights, increasing specifically the information exchange and coordination between the relevant customs administrations. The cooperation shall strive to strengthen and modernise the performance of the customs of the Republics of the CA Party.

3.   The Parties also recognise the importance of technical cooperation assistance in the field of technology transfer in order to enhance intellectual property and agree to cooperate among others in the following activities:

1.   The Parties recognise the importance of technical cooperation and assistance in order to facilitate the implementation of commitments and to maximise the opportunities created under Title III (Establishment, Trade in Services and Electronic Commerce) of Part IV, and achieve the objectives of this Agreement.

2.   Cooperation includes support for technical assistance, training and capacity building in, inter alia, the following areas:

1.   The Parties recognise the importance of economic, technical and scientific cooperation for the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The objectives of such cooperation should in particular aim to:

2.   The cooperation may involve, among others:

1.   Cooperation in this field shall be geared with the aim of strengthening the Parties capacities on sanitary and phytosanitary and animal welfare matters, in order to improve access to the other Party's market whilst safeguarding the level of protection of humans, animals and plants as well as animal welfare.

2.   It may involve, among others:

3.   The Sub-Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Matters, as established in Chapter 5 (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures) of Title II (Trade in Goods), Part IV of this Agreement, shall propose the needs for cooperation in order to set up a working programme.

4.   The Association Committee shall monitor the progress of the cooperation established under this Article and submit the results of this exercise to the Sub-Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Matters.

1.   The Parties recognise the importance of cooperation and technical assistance in the fields of trade and labour, and trade and environment for achieving the objectives of Title VIII (Trade and Sustainable Development) of Part IV of this Agreement.

2.   To complement the activities set out in Title III (Social Development and Social Cohesion) and V (Environment, Natural Disasters and Climate Change) of Part III of this Agreement, the Parties agree to cooperate, including by supporting technical assistance, training and capacity building actions in, inter alia, the following areas:

1.   The Parties agree that industrial cooperation shall promote the modernisation and restructuring of Central American industry and individual sectors, as well as industrial cooperation between economic operators, with the objective of strengthening the private sector under conditions which promote environmental protection.

2.   Industrial cooperation initiatives shall reflect the priorities determined by the Parties. They shall take into account the regional aspects of industrial development, promoting trans-national partnerships where relevant. Initiatives shall seek in particular to establish a suitable framework for improving management know-how and promoting transparency as regards markets and conditions for business undertakings.

1.   The Parties agree that their joint objective shall be to foster cooperation in the field of energy, in particular sustainable clean and renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, energy saving technology, rural electrification and regional integration of energy markets, among others as identified by the Parties, and in compliance with domestic legislation.

2.   Cooperation may include, among others, the following:

1.   The Parties recognise the importance of the tourism sector for reducing poverty through social and economic development of local communities and the great economic potential of both regions for developing businesses in this field.

2.   For this purpose they agree to promote fair and sustainable tourism, in particular to support:

1.   The Parties agree that cooperation in this field shall focus on restructuring and modernising transport and related infrastructure systems, including border crossings, on facilitating and improving the movement of passengers and goods, and on providing better access to urban, air, maritime, inland waterways, rail and road transport markets by refining the management of transport from the operational and administrative points of view and by promoting high operating standards.

2.   Cooperation may include the following:

1.   The Parties agree that cooperation in this field shall reinforce the process of regional integration within Central America, in all its aspects, in particular the development and implementation of its common market, with the aim of progressively achieving an Economic Union.

2.   Cooperation shall support activities linked to the integration process of Central America, in particular the development and strengthening of common institutions with a view to making them more efficient, auditable and transparent, and of their inter-institutional relations.

3.   Cooperation shall reinforce the involvement of civil society in the integration process within the conditions defined by the Parties and include support to consultation mechanisms and awareness campaigns.

4.   Cooperation shall promote the development of common policies and the harmonisation of the legal frameworks to the extent that they are covered by the Central American integration instruments, including economic policies such as trade, customs, agriculture, energy, transport, communications, competition, as well as the coordination of macroeconomic policies in areas such as monetary policy, fiscal policy and public finance. Cooperation may further promote the coordination of sectoral policies in areas such as consumer protection, environment, social cohesion, security, prevention and response to natural risks and disasters. A particular attention shall be given to the gender dimension.

5.   Cooperation may promote investment in common infrastructure and networks in particular at the borders of the Republics of the CA Party.

1.   The Parties shall undertake to promote cultural cooperation in order to enhance mutual understanding and foster balanced cultural exchanges, as well as the circulation of cultural activities, goods and services and of artists and cultural professionals, including other civil society organizations from the EU Party and the Republics of the CA Party in conformity with their respective legislation.

2.   The Parties shall encourage intercultural dialogue between individuals, cultural institutions and organizations representing civil society from the EU Party and the Republics of the CA Party.

3.   The Parties shall encourage coordination in the context of UNESCO, with a view to promoting cultural diversity, inter alia via consultations on the ratification and implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions by the EU Party and the Republics of the CA Party. Cooperation shall also include promotion of cultural diversity, including that of the indigenous peoples and cultural practices of other specific groups, including the education in autochthon languages.

4.   The Parties agree to promote cooperation in the audio-visual and media sectors, including radio and press, through joint initiatives in training as well as audio visual development, production and distribution activities, including the educational and cultural field.

5.   Cooperation shall take place in accordance with the relevant national copyright provisions and applicable international agreements.

6.   Cooperation in this field shall also include, among others, safeguard and promotion of natural and cultural heritage (tangible and intangible), including the prevention and action against illicit traffic of cultural heritage, according to the relevant international instruments.

7.   A Protocol on Cultural Cooperation of relevance to this Title is annexed to this Agreement.

1.   The Parties agree that information and communication technologies are key sectors in a modern society and are of vital importance to economic and social development and the smooth transition to the information society. Cooperation in this field shall help to establish a sound regulatory and technological framework, foster the development of these technologies, and develop policies that will help to reduce the digital divide and to develop human capacities, provide equitable and inclusive access to information technologies, and maximize the use of these technologies to provide services. In this regard, cooperation shall also support the implementation of these policies and help to improve interoperability of electronic communication services.

2.   Cooperation in this area shall aim to promote:

1.   Cooperation in this field shall aim to develop scientific, technological, and innovation capacities covering all the activities under the research framework programmes (FPs). To this end, the Parties shall foster policy dialogue at regional level, exchange of information and the participation of their research and technological development bodies in the following scientific and technological cooperation activities, in compliance with their internal rules:

2.   Special emphasis shall be put on human potential building as a long-lasting basis of scientific and technological excellence, and on the creation of sustainable links between the scientific and technological communities of the Parties, at both national and regional levels. To this end, exchanges of researchers and best practices in research projects shall be promoted.

3.   Research centres, higher-education institutions, and other stakeholders, including MSMEs, located in the Parties shall be involved in this cooperation as appropriate.

4.   The Parties agree to use all mechanisms to increase the quantity and quality of highly qualified human resources, including through training, collaborative research, scholarships and exchanges.

5.   The Parties shall promote the participation of their respective entities in each other's scientific and technological programmes in pursuit of mutually beneficial scientific excellence and in accordance with their respective provisions governing the participation of legal entities from third countries.

1.   The Parties to this Agreement, consistent with Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (hereinafter referred to as "GATT 1994") and Article V of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATS"), hereby establish a free trade area.

2.   The Parties reaffirm their existing (1) rights and obligations with respect to each other under the WTO Agreement.

1.   The Parties shall aim at the liberalisation of current payments and capital movements between them, in conformity with the commitments undertaken in the framework of the international financial institutions and with due consideration to each Party's currency stability.

2.   This Title applies to all current payments and capital movements between the Parties.

1.   With respect to this Title, the Parties confirm the rights and obligations established by the International Monetary Fund or any other agreements between the Members States of the European Union and a Republic of the CA Party.

2.   The Parties shall consult each other with a view to facilitating the movement of capital between them in order to promote the objectives of this Agreement.

1.   The Parties recognise the contribution of transparent, competitive and open tendering to sustainable economic development and set as their objective the effective, reciprocal and gradual opening of their respective procurement markets.

2.   For the purposes of this Title:

1.   This Title applies to any measure regarding covered procurement. For the purposes of this Title, covered procurement means procurement for governmental purposes: