TITLE V
ECONOMIC COOPERATION

ARTICLE 59
Objectives

1.

The Parties undertake to intensify economic cooperation in their mutual interest and in accordance with the overall objectives of the Agreement.

The aim of economic cooperation shall be to support Jordan's own efforts to achieve sustainable economic and social development.

ARTICLE 60
Scope

1.

Cooperation shall focus primarily on sectors suffering from internal difficulties or affected by the overall process of liberalization of the Jordanian economy, and in particular by the liberalization of trade between Jordan and the Community.

Similarly, cooperation shall focus on areas likely to bring the economies of the Community and Jordan closer together, particularly those which will generate growth and employment.

The Parties will encourage economic cooperation between Jordan and other countries of the region.

Conservation of the environment and ecological balance shall be taken into account in the implementation of the various sectors of economic cooperation to which it is relevant.

The Parties may agree to extend economic cooperation to other sectors not covered by the provisions of this Title.

ARTICLE 61
Methods and Modalities

a regular economic dialogue between the Parties, which covers all areas of macro economic policy;

regular exchange of information and ideas in every sector of cooperation including meetings of officials and experts;

transfer of advice, expertise and training;

implementation of joint actions such as seminars and workshops;

technical, administrative and regulatory assistance;

encouragement of joint ventures.

ARTICLE 62
Regional cooperation

trade at intra regional level;

environmental issues;

development of economic infrastructures;

scientific and technological research;

cultural matters;

customs matters;

ARTICLE 63
Education and Training

Cooperation shall also encourage the establishment of links between specialized bodies in the Community and in Jordan and shall promote the exchange of information and experiences and the pooling of technical resources.

ARTICLE 64
Scientific and Technological Cooperation

encouraging the establishment of durable links between the scientific communities of the Parties, notably through:

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the access of Jordan to Community R&D programmes, in conformity with the existing provisions concerning the participation of third countries;

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the participation of Jordan in the networks of decentralized cooperation;

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the promotion of synergy between training and research;

strengthening the research capacity of Jordan;

stimulating technological innovation, transfer of new technologies, and dissemination of know how, in particular with a view to accelerating the adjustment of Jordanian industrial capability.

ARTICLE 65
Environment

Cooperation is aimed at preventing deterioration of the environment, controlling pollution and ensuring the rational use of natural resources, with a view to ensuring sustainable development and promoting regional environmental projects.

Cooperation shall focus, in particular, on:

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desertification;

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quality of sea water and the control and prevention of marine pollution;

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water resource management;

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appropriate use of energy;

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waste management;

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the impact of industrial development on the environment in general and the safety of industrial plant in particular;

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the impact of agriculture on soil and water quality;

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environmental education and awareness;

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use of advanced tools of environment management, environmental monitoring methods and surveillance, including in particular the use of the Environmental Information System (EIS) and environmental impact assessment techniques;

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salinization.

Cooperation shall promote and encourage in particular:

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industrial cooperation between economic operators in the Community and in Jordan, including access for Jordan to the Community's networks for the rapprochement of businesses and to networks created in the context of decentralized cooperation;

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the modernization and restructuring of Jordanian industry;

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the establishment and promotion of an environment favourable to the development of private enterprise, in order to stimulate the growth and the diversification of industrial production;

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cooperation between small and medium sized enterprises in the Community and in Jordan;

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technology transfer, innovation and R&D;

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diversification of industrial output in Jordan;

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the enhancement of human resources;

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improvement of access to investment finance;

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stimulation of innovation;

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improvement of information support services.

ARTICLE 67
Investments and promotion of investments

The objective of cooperation will be the creation of a favourable and stable environment for investment in Jordan.  The cooperation will entail the development of:

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harmonized and simplified administrative procedures; co investment machinery, especially for small and medium sized enterprises of both Parties; and information channels and means of identifying investment opportunities;

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a legal environment conducive to investment between the two Parties, where appropriate through the conclusion by the Member States and Jordan of investment protection agreements and agreements to prevent double taxation;

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access to the capital market for the financing of productive investments;

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joint ventures between Jordanian and Community business.

ARTICLE 68
Standardization and conformity assessment

increasing the application of Community rules in the field of standardization, metrology, quality standards, and recognition of conformity;

upgrading the level of Jordanian conformity assessment bodies, with a view to the establishment, in due time and to the extent feasible, of agreements of mutual recognition of conformity assessment;

developing structures and bodies for the protection of intellectual, industrial and commercial property, for standardization and for setting quality standards.

ARTICLE 69
Approximation of laws

ARTICLE 70
Financial services

to strengthen and restructure the financial sector in Jordan;

to improve accounting and supervisory and regulatory systems of banking, insurance and other financial sectors in Jordan.

ARTICLE 71
Agriculture

The Parties shall focus cooperation in particular on:

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support for policies implemented by them to diversify production;

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promotion of environment friendly agriculture;

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closer relations between businesses, groups and organizations representing trades and professions in Jordan and in the Community on a voluntary basis;

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technical assistance and training;

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harmonization of phytosanitary and veterinary standards;

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integrated rural development, including improvement in basic services and development of associated economic activities;

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cooperation among rural regions, exchange of experience and know how concerning rural development.

ARTICLE 72
Transport

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the restructuring and modernization of road, port and airport infrastructures linked to the main trans?European communication routes of common interest;

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the establishment and enforcement of operating standards comparable to those prevailing in the Community;

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the upgrading of technical equipment to bring it up to Community standards for road/rail transport, container traffic and transhipment;

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the gradual easing of transit requirements;

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the improvement of management of airports, railways and air traffic control, including cooperation between the relevant national bodies.

ARTICLE 73
Information infrastructures and telecommunications

telecommunications in general;

standardization, conformity testing and certification for information technology and telecommunications;

dissemination of new information technologies, particularly in relation to networks and the interconnection of networks (ISDN – integrated services digital networks – and EDI – electronic data interchange);

stimulating research on and development of new communication and information technology facilities to develop the market in equipment, services and applications related to information technology and to communications, services and installations.

ARTICLE 74
Energy

the promotion of renewable energies and indigenous energy sources;

the promotion of energy saving and energy efficiency;

applied research into data bank networks in the economic and social sectors, linking Community and Jordanian operators in particular;

support for the modernization and development of energy networks and for their link up to Community networks.

Cooperation will also focus on facilitating transit of gas, oil and electricity.

ARTICLE 75
Tourism

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improving the knowledge of the tourist industry and ensuring greater consistency of policies affecting tourism;

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promoting a good seasonal spread of tourism;

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promoting cooperation between regions and cities of neighbouring countries;

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improving information for tourists and the protection of their interests;

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highlighting the importance of the cultural heritage for tourism;

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ensuring that the interaction between tourism and the environment is suitably maintained;

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making tourism more competitive through support for increased professionalism, in particular with regard to hotel management;

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exchanging information on planned tourism development and tourism marketing projects, tourism shows, exhibitions, conventions and publications.

ARTICLE 76
Customs

The Parties commit themselves to developing customs cooperation to ensure that the provisions on trade are observed.  Cooperation will focus in particular on:

(a)

the simplification of controls and procedures concerning the customs clearance of goods;

(b)

the use of the single administrative document and a system to link up the Community's and Jordan's transit arrangements.

Without prejudice to other forms of cooperation envisaged in this Agreement, notably for the fight against drugs and money laundering, the Parties' administrations will provide mutual assistance in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 4.

ARTICLE 77
Cooperation on statistics

The main objective of cooperation in this field will be to harmonize methodology in order to create a reliable basis for handling statistics on trade, population, migration and generally all the fields which are covered by this Agreement and lend themselves to the establishment of statistics.

ARTICLE 78
Money laundering

The Parties shall cooperate with a view in particular to preventing the use of their financial systems to launder the proceeds arising from criminal activities in general and drug trafficking in particular.

Cooperation in this field shall include, in particular, technical and administrative assistance aimed at establishing standards relating to the fight against money laundering, equivalent to those adopted by the Community and other relevant international bodies, in particular the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).