CONVENTION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EUROPEAN
AND MEDITERRANEAN PLANT PROTECTION ORGANIZATION
of 18 April 1951, as amended by the Council on 27
April 1955
Paris, 27 April 1955
The Governments parties to the present Convention,
being conscious of the importance of international co-
operation in the prevention of the introduction and
spread of pests and disease 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 or Infestation Control, have
agreed as follows:
Article I
ORGANIZATION
There shall be established a European and
Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (hereinafter
referred to as the Organization), which takes over the
assets and liabilities of the above mentioned Committee
and Working Party.
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 Organization shall be open to the
following by adherence to the present Convention
according to the provisions of Article XX:
l. the Governments of the countries in Schedule III
2. the Government of any other country which the
Council of the Organization 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 Article XXI
may be admitted to membership by the Council of the
Organization, 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 so
admitted shall be such as can in the opinion of the
Council make a definite and individual contribution to
the work of the Organization.
Article IV
SEAT
a) The seat of the Organization shall be in Paris.
b) Meetings of the Organization shall normally take
place at its seat.
Article V
FUNCTIONS
a) The functions of the Organization shall be:
1) to act, in agreement with the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, as a recognised
regional plant protection organisation under Article
VIII of the International Plant Protection Convention of
6 December 1951;
2) to 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;
3) to assist Member Governments where necessary in
carrying out such measures;
4) where practicable, to co-ordinate and stimulate
international campaigns against pests and diseases of
plants and plant products;
5) to 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;
6) to provide for the exchange of information on
national phytosanitary legislation, or other measures
affecting the free movements of plants and plant
products;
7) to study the possibility of simplification and
unification of phytosanitary regulations and
certificates;
8) to facilitate co-operation in research on the pests
and diseases of plants and plant products and the
methods of control and in the exchange of relevant
scientific information;
9) to establish a documentation service and publish in
an appropriate form material for publicity purposes or
for technical or scientific advancement as may be
determined by the Organization;
10) to make recommendations to Member Governments or
any of the matters referred to in this Article;
11) generally to take all necessary and appropriate
action to achieve the purposes of the Organization.
b) The functions of the Organization shall be related
principally but not exclusively to the pests and
diseases specified in Schedule II.
Article VI
OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBER GOVERNMENTS
Member Governments shall furnish to the Organization
so far as is practicable such information as the
Organization may reasonably require in order to carry
out its functions.
Article VII
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
The Organization shall co-operate with the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and with
other bodies with related responsibilities and shall use
its best endeavours to prevent overlapping of
activities.
Article VIII
STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION
The Organization shall consist of:
a) the Council;
b) the administration, comprising the Executive
Committee, the Director-General and the staff;
c) the Accounts Veritification Panel;
d) the technical bodies (working parties and
international conferences).
Article IX
THE COUNCIL
a) The Council of the Organization 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 shall ordinarily meet in regular session
once in each year.
b) Extraordinary sessions of the Council shall be called
at any time when the Chairman is so requested in writing
by at least one third of the Member Governments.
Article XI
RULES
The Council shall establish its Rules of Procedure
and the financial Rules of the Organization.
Article XII
OBSERVERS
With the consent of the Council, any nonmember
Government and any international body whose
responsibilities are related to those of the
Organization may be represented at any session of the
Council by one or more observers without the right to
vote.
Article XIII
FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL
The Council shall:
a) consider and decide upon the progress report of the
Director-General on the work of the Organization since
the preceding regular session of the Council;
b) consider and approve the policies and programme of
activity of the Organization;
c) consider and approve the budget;
d) consider and approve the annual accounts and balance-
sheet;
e) set up the ad hoc or permanent technical bodies;
f) consider and decide upon the reports of such
technical bodies;
g) hold the statutory elections;
h) appoint the Director-General on such terms as it may
determine;
i) decide upon any proposals submitted by the Executive
Committee.
Article XIV
THE CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN
a) The Council shall elect a Chairman and a Vice-
Chairman from amongst representatives of Member
Governments serving on the Executive Committee.
b) The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be elected for
three years or the remainder of their current term on
the Executive Committee (whichever is the shorter) and
be eligible for reelection if that term should be
renewed.
c) The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall serve in the
same capacity within both the Council and the Executive
Committee.
Article XV
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
a) The Executive Committee shall be composed of the
Chairman and Vice-Chairman and of seven other
representatives of Member Governments elected by the
Council.
b) Members of the Executive Committee shall normally
hold office for three years and be 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 Executive Committee shall meet at least twice a
year.
Article XVI
FUNCTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall:
a) submit proposal for the Organization's policies and
programme of activity to the Council;
b) ensure that the activity of the Organization conforms
with the decisions of the Council;
c) submit the draft budget and the annual accounts and
the balance-sheet to the Council; the Executive
Committee may approve a provisional budget pending its
consideration by the Council;
d) undertake such other tasks as may be assigned to it
under this Convention or entrusted to it by the Council;
e) adopt its own procedure.
Article XVII
THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
The Director-General shall:
a) be the head of the secretariat of the Organization,
which functions under his responsibility;
b) carry out the programme approved by the Council and
such task as may be entrusted to him by the Executive
Committee;
c ) report at each regular session of the Council on the
activity of the Organization and the financial position.
Article XVIII
FINANCE
a) The expenditure of the Organization shall be met by
annual contributions from Member Governments according
to the scale specified in Schedule 1, and by such other
receipts as may be approved by the Council or the
Executive Committee,
b) Each Member Government shall determine the amount of
its contribution, which shall be in accordance with the
provisions of the foregoing paragraph save in
exceptional cases approved by the Council,
c) Annual contributions shall be payable at the
beginning of the Organization's financial year.
d) The contributions of Member Governments shall be paid
in currencies to be determined by the Executive
Committee with the approval of the contributing
Governments concerned.
e) Supplementary contributions may be paid by an
individual Government or group of Governments towards
special schemes or campaigns of control, which the
Organization may carry out in the interest of that
Government or group of Governments.
f) An Accounts Verification Panel composed of
representatives of three Member Governments elected by
the Council for three years shall each year examine the
accounts and the management of the Organization. The
Panel shall report to the Council. The Executive
Committee may appoint chartered accountants to audit the
accounts of the Organization.
Article XIX
AMENDMENTS
a) Texts of proposed amendments to the present
Convention and to Schedules I and II thereto shall be
communicated by the Director-General to Member
Governments at least three months in advance of their
consideration by the Council.
b) Amendments to the Convention shall come into effect
when adopted by a two thirds majority of the members of
the Council present and voting, provided that amendments
involving new obligations for Member Governments shall
come into force in respect of each such Government only
on acceptance by it.
c) Amendments to Schedules I and II shall be made by a
majority of members present and voting.
d) Acceptance of amendments shall be deposited with the
French Government who shall inform all Member
Governments of the receipt of acceptance 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 Organization is open by virtue of the
provisions of Article III may become parties to the
Convention by:
1) Signature;
2) Signature subject to ratification
4) Acceptance.
b) Acceptance shall be effected by the deposit of an
instrument with the French Government.
c) The French Government shall immediately inform all
Governments of the date on which each has signed or
accepted the Convention.
Article XXI
TERRITORIAL APPLICATION
a) Any Government may at any time 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 the
preceding paragraph shall take effect on the thirtieth
day following its receipt by the French Government.
c) The French Government shall immediately inform all
Governments parties to the Convention of declarations
made under this Article.
Article XXII
WITHDRAWAL
a) Any Member Government may at any time after two years
of membership withdraw from this Convention by giving
written notice of withdrawal to the French Government.
The withdrawal shall take effect one year from the date
of receipt of the notification.
b) The non-payment of two consecutive annual
contributions shall under normal conditions imply the
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 notificaion 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 notification given under
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.
In faith whereof the undersigned, duly authorised by
their Governments, have signed the present Convention
and 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.
SCHEDULES
PESTS AND DISEASES TO BE GIVEN SPECIAL ATTENTION
BY THE ORGANIZATION
with the dates of their inclusion in the Schedule (see
Article V (b))
1. Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)
1951
2. Potato root eelworm (Heterodera rostochiensis)
1951
3. San Jose scale (Aspidiotus perniciosus)
1951
4. Potato wart disease (Synchytrium endobioticum)
1951
5. 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
6. Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea)
1952