Council Joint Action 2006/303/CFSP

of 25 April 2006

amending and extending Joint Action 2005/355/CFSP on the European Union mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) On 2 May 2005 the Council adopted Joint Action 2005/355/CFSP on the European Union mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) [1] (EUSEC RD Congo) and, subsequently on 1 December 2005, adopted Joint Action 2005/868/CFSP amending Joint Action 2005/355/CFSP with regard to setting up a technical assistance project on improving the chain of payments of the Ministry of Defence in the DRC [2].

(2) The mandate of EUSEC RD Congo expires on 2 May 2006.

(3) The Political and Security Committee has agreed to the prolongation of the mandate of EUSEC RD Congo until the end of June 2007 and to the adaptation of the structure of the mission to the post transition phase in the DRC.

(4) Joint Action 2005/355/CFSP should be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

Joint Action 2005/355/CFSP is hereby amended as follows:

1. point (b) in Article 3 shall be replaced by the following:

"(b) experts assigned, inter alia, to the following key posts within the Congolese administration:

- the private office of the Minister for Defence,

- the combined general staff,

- the army general staff,

- the naval forces general staff, and

- the air force general staff."

;

2. in Article 15(1) the date of application shall be replaced by the following:

" 30 June 2007".

Article 2

The financial reference amount to cover expenditure relating to the mission from 3 May 2006 to 30 June 2007 shall be EUR 4750000.

Article 3

This Joint Action shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Article 4

This Joint Action shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Luxembourg, 25 April 2006.

For the Council

The President

J. Pröll

[1] OJ L 112, 3.5.2005, p. 20.

[2] OJ L 318, 6.12.2005, p. 29.

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