Contents

Membership of the committee
Resolution of Appointment
List of abbreviations
List of recommendations

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Treaty between Australia and the Kingdom of Thailand on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters
Chapter 3 The Agreement on Health Care Insurance between Australia and the Kingdom of Belgium
Chapter 4 Agreements for the Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes with Antigua and Barbuda and with the Netherlands in respect of the Netherlands Antilles
Chapter 5 Agreement on Operational and Strategic Cooperation between Australia and the European Police Office (Europol) (The Hague, 20 February 2007)
Chapter 6 Amendment to the Hong Kong Extradition Treaty
Chapter 7 Extension of the Agreement in relation to the functioning of the Australian Patent Office as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty
Chapter 8 Report on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (London, 13 February 2004)
Appendix A - Submissions
Appendix B - Witnesses

Membership of the Committee

Chair	Dr Andrew Southcott MP	Senator Andrew Bartlett
Deputy Chair	Mr Kim Wilkie MP	Senator Simon Birmingham (from 20/6/2007)
Members	Hon Dick Adams MP	Senator Carol Brown
	Mr Michael Johnson MP	Senator The Hon Ian Macdonald
	Mr Michael Keenan MP	Senator Julian McGauran
	Mr Andrew Laming MP	Senator Glenn Sterle
	Mrs Margaret May MP	Senator Russell Trood (until 20/6/2007)
	Mr Bernie Ripoll MP	Senator Dana Wortley
	Hon Bruce Scott MP

Committee Secretariat

Secretary	James Rees
Inquiry Secretary	Serica Mackay
Research Officers	Sonya Fladun
	Clare James
Administrative Officers	Heidi Luschtinetz
	Doris Cooley

Resolution of appointment

The Resolution of Appointment of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties allows it to inquire into and report upon:

1. matters arising from treaties and related National Interest Analyses and proposed treaty actions presented or deemed to be presented to the Parliament;
2. any question relating to a treaty or other international instrument, whether or not negotiated to completion, referred to the committee by:
1. either House of the Parliament, or
2. a Minister; and
• such other matters as may be referred to the committee by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and on such conditions as the Minister may prescribe.

List of abbreviations

AFP	Australian Federal Police
APO	Australian Patent Office
ATO	Australian Taxation Office
Cth	Commonwealth
DAFF	Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
IMO	International Maritime Organization
IP	Intellectual Property
IPEA	International Preliminary Examining Authorities
ISA	International Searching Authorities
JSCOT	Joint Standing Committee on Treaties
MBS	Medical Benefits Scheme
NIA	National Interest Analysis
OECD	Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
SCOT	Commonwealth-State/Territory Standing Committee on Treaties
TIEA	Tax Information Exchange Agreement
WIPO	World Intellectual Property Organization

List of recommendations

2 Treaty between Australia and the Kingdom of Thailand on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters

Recommendation 1

The Committee supports the Treaty between Australia and the Kingdom of Thailand on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, Kuala Lumpur, 27 July 2006, and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

3 The Agreement on Health Care Insurance between Australia and the Kingdom of Belgium

Recommendation 2

The Committee supports the Agreement on Health Care Insurance between Australia and the Kingdom of Belgium and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

4 Agreements for the Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes with Antigua and Barbuda and with the Netherlands in respect of the Netherlands Antilles

Recommendation 3

The Committee supports the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda on the Exchange of Information with Respect to Taxes, Saint John’s, Antigua 30 January 2007 and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

Recommendation 4

The Committee supports the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Respect of the Netherlands Antilles for the Exchange of Information with Respect to Taxes, Canberra, 1 March 2007 and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

5 Agreement on Operational and Strategic Cooperation between Australia and the European Police Office (Europol) (The Hague, 20 February 2007)

Recommendation 5

The Committee supports the Agreement on Operational and Strategic Cooperation between Australia and the European Police Office (The Hague, 20 February 2007) and recommends binding treaty action be taken.

6 Amendment to the Hong Kong Extradition Treaty

Recommendation 6

The Committee supports the Protocol between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China Amending the Agreement for the Surrender of Accused and Convicted Persons of 15 November 1993, Hong Kong, 19 March 2007 and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

7 Extension of the Agreement in relation to the functioning of the Australian Patent Office as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty

Recommendation 7

The committee supports the Extension of the Agreement in relation to the functioning of the Australian Patent Office as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty and recommends binding treaty action be taken.

8 Report on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (London, 13 February 2004)

Recommendation 8

The Committee supports the Convention on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

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