On Friday 17 July, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced the extension of consultations related to the Dispute Resolution Mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Mr Borrell received a letter from Iran on 3 July triggering the mechanism (see EUROPE 12521/17). According to Article 36 of the JCPOA, in the event of triggering, the Joint Committee has 15 days to resolve the question of non-compliance submitted by a party to the Agreement, unless the deadline has been extended by consensus.
While it was not possible to convene a regular meeting of the joint commission because of Covid-19, extensive consultations were undertaken, Borrell said.
“Notwithstanding differences on modalities, there is agreement that more time is needed due to the complexity of the issues involved. The timeline is therefore extended”, he explained in a news release, noting that all participants in the agreement had reconfirmed their commitment to preserve it.
The timetable had already been extended when Europe (Germany, France and the United Kingdom) triggered the mechanism last January (see EUROPE 12403/19, 12411/9).
The High Representative warned that a meeting of the Joint Commission would be scheduled as soon as travel conditions permitted, to review the status of ongoing discussions, both on concerns regarding the implementation of the nuclear agreement and on the broader implications of the United States withdrawal, including the reimposition of sanctions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)