The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josef Borrell, announced on Friday 24 January the extension of the timetable for the dispute resolution mechanism under the Iranian nuclear agreement.
On 14 January (see EUROPE 12403/19), with regard to the Joint Commission, the High Representative had received a question from the Foreign Ministers of the E3 (Germany, France and the United Kingdom) concerning the implementation of Iran's commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), "which triggered the dispute resolution mechanism".
After "extensive bilateral and collective consultations" and despite differences on modalities, there is, according to Mr Borrell, "agreement that more time is needed due to the complexity of the issues involved". "The timeline is therefore extended", he said in a statement.
Article 36 of the JCPOA, which deals with the dispute settlement mechanism, provides that a party to the agreement may refer the question of non-compliance by another party to the Joint Commission for resolution and that the Commission shall then have 15 days to resolve the matter, unless the time limit has been extended by consensus.
According to the High Representative, all JCPOA participants reaffirmed their commitment to preserve the agreement and agreed to continue expert-level discussions to address concerns regarding the implementation of the agreement as well as the broader implications of the United States' withdrawal from the agreement and its re-imposition of sanctions.
The Joint Commission will regularly review progress, Borrell said, announcing that the next meeting would be held in February. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)