AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR THE EXPLOITATION OF METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITES (EUMETSAT) CONCERNING THE ACCESSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA TO THE CONVENTION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR THE EXPLOITATION OF METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITES (EUMETSAT) AND RELATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Preamble

The Government of the Republic of Latvia, (hereinafter referred to as "Republic of Latvia"),

and

the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, established by the Convention opened for signature in Geneva on 24 May 1983 and entered into force on 19 June 1986 (hereinafter referred to as "EUMETSAT"),

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the EUMETSAT Council at its 15^th meeting on 4 and 5 June 1991 recommended the Members States to accept Amendments to the Convention as proposed in the "Amending Protocol", attached to Resolution EUM/C/Res. XXXVI, and that these Amendments entered into force on 19 November 2000,

CONSIDERING that, according to Article 16 of the EUMETSAT Convention, any State may accede to the said Convention following a decision of the Council taken in conformity with the provisions of Article 5.2(a) of the Convention,

CONSIDERING further that the EUMETSAT Council, at its 34^th meeting on
24-26 June 1997, has defined the "Cooperating State" status as an intermediate step for European countries wishing to become full EUMETSAT Member States,

CONSIDERING that the Republic of Latvia and EUMETSAT signed a Cooperating State Agreement on 21 July 2004,

BEARING IN MIND that Article 7 of the above mentioned Agreement establishes that the Agreement shall remain in force until 31 December 2009, unless the Republic of Latvia becomes a full Member State of EUMETSAT earlier, and that, during the third year following the entry into force of this Agreement, the Parties shall proceed to a formal review of their cooperation with a view to accession by the Republic of Latvia to EUMETSAT as a full Member State,

FOLLOWING the wish expressed by the Republic of Latvia to become a EUMETSAT Member State within the framework conditions established by the EUMETSAT Convention, expressed through a letter from its Minister of Environment dated 14 August 2008,

RECALLING that the EUMETSAT Council at its 66^th meeting on 9-10 December 2008 agreed to welcome the Republic of Latvia as a Member State through adoption of Council Resolution EUM/C/66/08/Res.VI,

CONVINCED that this accession will contribute to the achievement of the objectives set out in the EUMETSAT Convention, and that it will give the Republic of Latvia a unique opportunity to fully participate in the Meteosat Third Generation Programme from the outset,

HAVING REGARD to Articles 16 and 17 of the EUMETSAT Convention,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Republic of Latvia accedes to the EUMETSAT Convention in accordance with Article 16.3 of the EUMETSAT Convention.

Article 2

1. As from the date of accession, the provisions of the EUMETSAT Convention and all EUMETSAT rules, together with all decisions taken by the Council, including all EUMETSAT programmes (General Budget, Meteosat Transition Programme, Meteosat Second Generation Programme and its Extension, EUMETSAT Polar System Programme, Meteosat Third Generation Preparatory Programme, and the Optional EUMETSAT Jason-2 Altimetry Programme) shall be binding for the Republic of Latvia.

2. As from the date of accession, the Republic of Latvia shall be placed in the same situation as the other Member States with regard to decisions, rulings, resolutions or any other acts made by the Council or by any subordinate body and with regard to any Agreement concluded by EUMETSAT. Therefore, the Republic of Latvia shall abide by the principles and policies stemming therefrom, and shall whenever necessary take appropriate measures to ensure their full implementation.

3. The Republic of Latvia shall at the same time as the accession to the EUMETSAT Convention also accede to the Amending Protocol to the EUMETSAT Convention attached to Resolution EUM/C/Res. XXXVI.

4. The Republic of Latvia shall accede to the EUMETSAT Protocol on Privileges and Immunities, which was opened for signature on 1 December 1986 and entered into force on 5 January 1989, at the same time as the accession to the EUMETSAT Convention. This accession to the EUMETSAT Protocol on Privileges and Immunities shall include the editorial amendments as notified to all Member States on 3 December 2002, and which entered into force on 1 January 2004.

5. The Republic of Latvia shall take all the appropriate measures to adapt its internal legislation and rules to the rights and obligations resulting from its accession to EUMETSAT.

Article 3

In accordance with Article 16.5 of the EUMETSAT Convention, the Republic of Latvia shall make a special payment to EUMETSAT of 123,377 EUR. This special payment comprises 63,863 EUR towards the investments already made for the mandatory programmes, and 59,514 EUR towards the investments made for the Optional Jason-2 Altimetry Programme. This payment shall be made no later than 30 days after the date of deposit of the instrument of accession, but not earlier than 31 January 2009.

Article 4

1. The Republic of Latvia shall with regard to the provision of Article 3 above start to contribute to the EUMETSAT annual budgets as from 1 January 2009. The rate of contribution by the Republic of Latvia to the mandatory programme budgets shall be calculated in accordance with Articles 10.2 and 16.5 of the EUMETSAT Convention. The rate of contribution to the Optional EUMETSAT Jason-2 Altimetry Programme Budgets shall be 0,0966%.

2. The Republic of Latvia shall acquire full voting rights at the EUMETSAT Council from the date of deposit of its instrument of accession.

Article 5

1. The present Agreement shall enter into force on the date of deposit of the Republic of Latvia's instrument of accession with the Depositary of the EUMETSAT Convention, the Government of the Swiss Confederation.

2. In accordance with its Article 17.4, the EUMETSAT Convention shall become effective for the Republic of Latvia on the date referred to in Article 5.1 above.

3. In accordance with its Article 24.4, the EUMETSAT Protocol on Privileges and Immunities shall become effective for the Republic of Latvia thirty days after the date referred to in Article 5.1 above.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned being duly authorised, have signed this Agreement.

Done in ………………………………….., on ………………………………… in two originals, in the English and Latvian languages, both texts being equally authentic