2015 US Code
Title 22 - Foreign Relations and Intercourse (Sections 1 - 9141)
Chapter 7 - International Bureaus, Congresses, Etc. (Sections 261 - 290q)
Subchapter XVIII - Privileges and Immunities of International Organizations (Sections 288 - 288l)
Sec. 288h - Commission of European Communities; extension of privileges and immunities to members

Under such terms and conditions as he shall determine and consonant with the purposes of this section, the President is authorized to extend, or to enter into an agreement extending, to the Mission to the United States of America of the Commission of the European Communities, and to members thereof, the same privileges and immunities subject to corresponding conditions and obligations as are enjoyed by diplomatic missions accredited to the United States and by members thereof. Under such terms and conditions as the President may determine, the President is authorized to extend to other offices of the Commission of the European Communities which are established in the United States, and to members thereof—

(1) the privileges and immunities described in the preceding sentence; or

(2) as appropriate for the functioning of a particular office, privileges and immunities, equivalent to those accorded consular premises, consular officers, and consular employees, pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

(Pub. L. 92–499, Oct. 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 815; Pub. L. 100–204, title VII, §741, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1394.)

Section was not enacted as part of the International Organizations Immunities Act which comprises this subchapter.

1987—Pub. L. 100–204 inserted sentence at end.

Ex. Ord. No. 12651, Sept. 9, 1988, 53 F.R. 35287, provided:

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, and the Act to extend diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Mission to the United States of America of the Commission of the European Communities and the members thereof, 22 U.S.C. Sec. 288h, I hereby extend to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Delegation of the Commission of the European Communities to the United Nations the same privileges and immunities as are accorded to permanent observer missions of states to the United Nations. I also hereby extend to the members of the diplomatic staff of that mission assigned to New York to observe the work of the United Nations and duly notified to the United States Government and the United Nations in that capacity, and to their families, the same privileges and immunities, subject to corresponding conditions and obligations, as are accorded to members of the diplomatic staff of missions accredited to the United Nations.

Pursuant to the same authority, I also hereby extend to the West Coast Office of the Delegation of the Commission of the European Communities and to the officers and employees of that mission assigned to San Francisco to represent the Commission to the Government of the United States and duly notified to and accepted by the Secretary of State, and to their families, the privileges and immunities, subject to corresponding conditions and obligations, substantively equivalent to those accorded consular premises, consular officers, and consular employees pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. For the purpose of extending privileges and immunities to the West Coast Office of the Delegation of the Commission of the European Communities, its official functions shall consist in:

(a) protecting in the United States the interests of the European Communities within the limits permitted by domestic and international law;

(b) furthering the development of commercial, economic, cultural, and scientific relations between the European Communities and the United States and otherwise promoting friendly relations between them;

(c) ascertaining by all lawful means conditions and developments in the commercial, economic, cultural, and scientific life of the United States, reporting thereon to the European Communities and giving information to persons interested.

Pursuant to the same authority, I also hereby extend to the members of the administrative and technical staff and members of the service staff of the Delegation of the Commission of the European Communities assigned to Washington to represent the Commission to the Government of the United States and duly notified to and accepted by the Secretary of State, and to their families, the same privileges and immunities, subject to corresponding conditions and obligations, as are enjoyed by members of the administrative and technical staff and members of the service staff of diplomatic missions accredited to the United States.

This order is not intended to abridge in any respect privileges, exemptions or immunities that the Delegation of the Commission of the European Communities may have acquired or may acquire by international agreements or by Congressional action.

Ronald Reagan.      

Ex. Ord. No. 11689, Dec. 5, 1972, 37 F.R. 25987, provided:

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Act of October 18, 1972 (Public Law 92–499) [this section], and as President of the United States, I hereby extend to the Mission to the United States of America of the Commission of the European Communities, and to the officers of that Mission assigned to Washington to represent the Commission to the Government of the United States and duly notified to and accepted by the Secretary of State, and to their families, the same privileges and immunities, subject to corresponding conditions and obligations, as are enjoyed by diplomatic missions accredited to the United States and by members of the diplomatic staffs thereof.

Richard Nixon.