[Official version in English][1]

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE COMMISSION
(C(2000) 3614)
(OJ L 308, 8.12.2000, p. 26)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

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HAS ADOPTED THESE RULES OF PROCEDURE:

CHAPTER I
THE COMMISSION

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Section I
Commission meetings

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Article 6

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The agenda and the necessary working documents shall be circulated to the Members of the Commission within the time limit and in the working languages prescribed by the Commission in accordance with Article 25.

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Section II
Other decision-making procedures

Article 12

The agreement of the Commission to a proposal by one or more of its Members may be obtained by means of a written procedure, provided the Directorates-General directly involved are in agreement and the proposal has been endorsed by the Legal Service.

For this purpose, the text of the proposal shall be circulated in writing to all Members of the Commission in the languages prescribed by the Commission in accordance with Article 25, with a time limit within which Members must make known any reservations or amendments they wish to make.

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Section III
Preparation and implementation of Commission decisions

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Article 18

Instruments adopted by the Commission in the course of a meeting shall be attached, in the authentic language or languages, in such a way that they cannot be separated, to a summary note prepared at the end of the meeting at which they were adopted. They shall be authenticated by the signatures of the President and the Secretary-General on the last page of the summary note.

Instruments adopted by written procedure shall be attached in the authentic language or languages, in such a way that they cannot be separated, to the day note referred to in Article 12. These instruments shall be authenticated by the signature of the Secretary-General on the last page of the day note.

Instruments adopted by empowerment procedure shall be attached in the authentic language or languages, in such a way that they cannot be separated, to the day note referred to in Article 15. They shall be authenticated by the signature of the Secretary-General on the last page of the day note.

Instruments adopted by delegation procedure, or by subdelegation in accordance with the third paragraph of Article 13, shall be attached in the authentic language or languages, in such a way that they cannot be separated, to the day note referred to in Article 15. They shall be authenticated by a certifying statement signed by the Director-General or Head of Service.

For the purposes of these Rules, ‘instruments’ means any instrument as referred to in Article 14 of the ECSC Treaty, Article 249 of the EC Treaty and Article 161 of the Euratom Treaty.

For the purposes of these Rules, ‘authentic language or languages’ means the official languages of the Communities in the case of instruments of general application and the language or languages of those to whom they are addressed in other cases.

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FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 25

The Commission shall, as necessary, lay down rules to give effect to these Rules of Procedure.

The Commission may adopt supplementary measures relating to the functioning of the Commission and of its departments, which shall be annexed to these Rules of Procedure.

ANNEX
CODE OF GOOD ADMINISTRATIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR STAFF OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC

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4. DEALING WITH INQUIRIES

The Commission undertakes to answer enquiries in the most appropriate manner and as quickly as possible.

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Correspondence
In accordance with Article 21 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the Commission shall reply to letters in the language of the initial letter, provided that it was written in one of the official languages of the Community.

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