1. This Order may be cited as the European Union Military Staff (Immunities and Privileges) Order 2009. It shall come into force on the date on which the Agreement ( 2 ) enters into force in respect of the United Kingdom. This date shall be notified in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.

2. In this Order:

“the 1961 Convention Articles” means the articles (being certain articles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations signed in 1961) which are set out in Schedule 1 to the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 ( 3 );

“the Agreement” means the Agreement between the Member States of the European Union concerning the status of military and civilian staff seconded to the institutions of the European Union, of the headquarters and forces which may be made available to the European Union in the context of the preparation and execution of the tasks referred to in Article 17(2) of the Treaty on European Union, including exercises, and of the military and civilian staff of the Member States put at the disposal of the European Union to act in this context;

“the EUMS” means the Military Staff of the European Union, established under the Council Decision of 22 January 2001 on the establishment of the Military Staff of the European Union, which forms part of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union;

“experts” means persons who are military or civilian staff seconded to the European Union institutions in accordance with Article 1 of the Agreement;

“the Organisation” means the European Union established under Article 1 of the Treaty on European Union 1992;

“the Treaty on European Union” means the Treaty on European Union signed at Maastricht on 7 February 1992 (as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon).

3. The Organisation is an organisation of which the United Kingdom and other sovereign Powers are members.

4. Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or immunity is waived under Article 8(3) of the Agreement, experts shall enjoy immunity from suit and legal process, in respect of things done or omitted to be done in the course of the performance of official duties, even after their secondment to the European Union institutions has ceased.

5. The Organisation shall have the like inviolability of official archives as, in accordance with the 1961 Convention Articles, is accorded in respect of the official archives of a diplomatic mission, where the official archives are kept in premises used by the EUMS or are in the possession of a properly authorised member of the EUMS.