Noting that these developments call for a revision of the provisions of the Convention;

NOTING that, in a large number of extradition proceedings, the person claimed consents to his surrender,

RECOGNIZING that the Contracting Parties have appropriate administrative cooperation within their own Member States,

Noting that the principles of free consent, good faith and pacta sunt servanda are universally recognised,

NOTING that space has become a factor in technological, economic, scientific and cultural development,

ESTABLISHING that no reason has occurred for excluding this Arrangement in the concerned Member States regarding data protection aspects,

NOTING the solidarity of Switzerland with the endeavours of the EU to reduce economic and social disparities within the EU;

NOTING that timber is an energy-efficient, renewable and environmentally friendly raw material compared with competing products;

NOTING that it is desirable to reduce to a minimum, in such cases, the time necessary for the extradition and any period of detention for extradition purposes,

Noting that the Convention of 5 October 1961 concerning the powers of authorities and the law applicable in respect of the protection of minors is in need of revision,

Noting that Protocol No. 6 to the Convention, concerning the Abolition of the Death Penalty, signed at Strasbourg on 28 April 1983, does not exclude the death penalty in respect of acts committed in time of war or of imminent threat of war;

NOTING that fraud affecting Community revenue and expenditure in many cases is not confined to a single country and is often committed by organized criminal networks;

Noting that the Member countries participating in the proposed Committee and the European Communities agree as initial commitment to the multilateral guidelines set out in Paragraph 6 of the Annex hereto;

NOTING that the maximum compensation afforded by the 1992 Fund Convention might be insufficient to meet compensation needs in certain circumstances in some Contracting States to that Convention,

NOTING THAT enhancing the capacity of forest-dependent indigenous and local communities, including those who are forest owners and managers, can contribute to achieving the objectives of this Agreement;

Having determined that their joint efforts to prevent and address international terrorism should include efficient cooperation in the timely identification of individuals known or suspected to be terrorists, and

Noting that the Declaration also encouraged States ` to review urgently the scope of the existing international legal provisions on the prevention, repression and elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, with the aim of ensuring that there is a comprehensive legal framework covering all aspects of the matter` ,

NOTING that substantial developments, in particular the increased concern for the protection of the environment, have demonstrated the need to review the international rules presently contained in the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Assistance and Salvage at Sea, done at Brussels, 23 September 1910,

Noting that article 177 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides that the Authority shall enjoy in the territory of each State Party to the Convention the privileges and immunities set forth in section 4, subsection G of Part XI of the Convention and that the privileges and immunities of the Enterprise shall be those set forth in annex IV, article 13,

Noting that while the processes of globalization, which have been facilitated by the rapid development of information and communication technologies, afford unprecedented conditions for enhanced interaction between cultures, they also represent a challenge for cultural diversity, namely in view of risks of imbalances between rich and poor countries,

Noting, in particular, that Lithuania shall fully apply and implement the Union acquis regarding the list of countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement as well the Union acquis regarding the uniform format for a visa as from accession at the latest;

ESTABLISHING that mutual assistance can be provided on the basis of the Agreement between the Government of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Government of the People's Republic of Hungary regarding cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters, signed on 29 March 1978 and on the Council Regulation (EC) No 515/97 on mutual assistance between the administrative authorities of the Member States and cooperation between the latter and the Commission to ensure the correct application of the law on customs and agricultural matters,

NOTING that cooperation between Member States is already covered by the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests of 26 July 1995, but that there is a need, without prejudice to obligations under Community law, for appropriate provision also to be made for cooperation between member States and the Commission to ensure effective action against fraud, active and passive corruption and related money laundering damaging or likely to damage the European Communities' financial interests, including exchange of information between the Member States and the Commission;

NOTING, in particular, that Lithuania shall fully apply and implement the EC acquis regarding the list of countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement as well the EC acquis regarding the uniform format for a visa as from accession at the latest,

NOTING that eleven Member States, that is to say the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Portuguese Republic, wish to continue along the path laid down in the 1989 Social Charter;

NOTING that the Agreements on the gradual abolition of checks at common borders signed by some Member States of the European Union in Schengen on 14 June 1985 and on 19 June 1990, as well as related agreements and the rules adopted on the basis of these agreements, are aimed at enhancing European integration and, in particular, at enabling the European Union to develop more rapidly into an area of freedom, security and justice,

Noting that the Convention does not contain any provisions for financing EMEP and that it is, therefore, necessary to make appropriate arrangements regarding this matter,

NOTING that from time to time differences may arise between the Parties concerning the application of the competition laws of the European Community and Japan respectively,

Recognizing that facilities and services of legitimate business organizations can be surreptiously used by illegal drug traffickers,

Having established that the Handbook of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a valuable aid to Member States in determining refugee status;

NOTING that the carnet issuing the guaranteeing associations operating under the Vehicle Convention 1956 are the same as those which will operate under the Istanbul Convention,

Noting that the sound and effective enforcement of the Parties' competition laws would be enhanced by cooperation and, in appropriate cases, coordination between them in the application of those laws;

NOTING that the sound and effective enforcement of competition laws of the European Community and Japan respectively is a matter of importance to the efficient functioning of their respective markets and to trade between them,

Noting that the Memoranda of Understanding programme initiated by the WCO has been successful worldwide in consolidating cooperation between customs authorities and business organizations;

NOTING the rapid increase of human activities in the Mediterranean Sea area, particularly in the fields of industrialization and urbanization, as well as the seasonal increase in the coastal population due to tourism,

NOTING that the sound and effective enforcement of competition laws of the European Community and Japan respectively would be enhanced by cooperation and, where appropriate, coordination between the Parties in the application of those laws,

NOTING that existing international conventions on the subject do not cover, in spite of the progress achieved, all aspects and sources of marine pollution and do not entirely meet the special requirements of the Mediterranean Sea, area,

NOTING that States should ensure that the generator should carry out duties with regard to the transport and disposal of hazardous wastes and other wastes in a manner that is consistent with the protection of the environment, whatever the place of disposal,

NOTING their commitment to give careful consideration to the important interests of each Party in the application of the competition laws of the European Community and Japan respectively (hereinafter referred to as the "competition laws of each Party"), and

NOTING that the relevant recent international conventions even after having entered into force for the respective Contracting Parties do not cover all special requirements to protect and enhance the marine environment of the Baltic Sea area,

Noting that the Community acquis contained in Annex VII to the EEA Agreement, as adapted for EEA purposes, refers only to diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications conferred mainly in the Contracting Parties;

Noting that the Government of the United States of America and the Commission of the European Communities share the view that the sound and effective enforcement of competition law is a matter of importance to the efficient operation of their respective markets and to trade between them;

Noting that the European Communities and the Government of the United States of America share the view that the sound and effective enforcement of competition law is a matter of importance to the efficient operation of their respective markets and to trade between them;

NOTING that there has been active cooperation and information exchange in a number of scientific or technological areas under the European Communities-Canada Framework Agreement for Commercial and Economic Cooperation signed in 1976;

Noting that there has been active cooperation and information exchange in a number of scientific or technological areas under the Canada-European Communities framework Agreement for commercial and economic cooperation signed in 1976;

NOTING that under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted in New York on 9 May 1992, there is agreement to establish national policies and take corresponding measures to combat climate change, which can be expected to lead to reductions of sulphur emissions,

NOTING that Euratom and the Government of Canada are Parties to the Agreement of cooperation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy of 6 October 1959, as amended, and that the amendment in the form of an exchange of letters dated 15 July 1991 governs transfers of tritium and tritium-related equipment from Canada to Euratom for the purpose of the latter's fusion programme;

NOTING that the coastal States have established areas of national jurisdiction in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, and general principles of international law within which they exercise sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing living marine resources,

Noting that there has also been active cooperation and information exchange in the area of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy under the Agreement between the Government of Canada and Euratom for cooperation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy signed in 1959, as amended, hereinafter referred to as the 'Canada/Euratom Agreement of 1959`;

NOTING that the Government of Canada has extended its jurisdiction over the living resources of its adjacent waters to a limit of up to 200 nautical miles from its coast and exercises within this limit sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing these resources; and that the Member States of the Community have agreed that the limits of their fishing zones (hereinafter referred to as the fishery zone of the Community) shall extend up to 200 nautical miles from the coast, fishing within these limits being subject to the common fisheries policy of the Community;