0013 | II Série A - Número 080S2 | 26 de Janeiro de 2006

d) The Representatives of each Group shall enjoy the same treatment as accorded to diplomatic representatives in the same circumstances, including customs privileges, unless they have residence in Portugal.

2 - The provisions of the above paragraph are without prejudice to any other immunity to which the Representative may be entitled under international law.
3 - The privileges and immunities mentioned in paragraph 1 may not be enjoyed by representatives of the Portuguese Government or Portuguese nationals.
4 - Each Group shall inform the Portuguese Government of the names of Representatives of members before they enter Portugal.

Article 16
Staff members

1 - The Secretary-General of the International Copper Study Group, the International Lead and Zinc Study Group and the International Nickel Study Group shall enjoy the same privileges and immunities normally granted to heads of diplomatic missions and shall be included in the diplomatic list organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2 - Staff members shall be entitled to the following privileges:

a) Immunity from legal proceedings in respect of acts performed by them in the course of the performance of their functions for each Group, including words spoken or written;
b) Inviolability of papers and documents in whatever form and materials relating to their functions for each Group;
c) When required by Portuguese or European Union laws, issuance of passport visas for Staff members and their spouses, partners, as well as to other dependants such as ascendants or descendants in direct line and first degree, including adoptive children in the same circumstances, free of any cost and as rapidly as possible;
d) The same facilities in respect to currency exchange as the ones given to members of the diplomatic missions of comparable rank, except when the Staff member has Portuguese nationality or permanent residence in Portugal;
e) Exemption from taxes on income and complementary remuneration to be paid by each Group; however, the Government shall take into consideration the value of all such remuneration for the purposes of estimating the taxation to apply relatively to income derived from other sources;
f) As they commence their functions in Portugal, the Staff members shall be exempt from importation duties, VAT and special consumer taxes, except for costs destined for the payment of services, relative to the importation of furniture and other personal goods they own or shall acquire within six months of changing their residence to Portugal;
g) The imported goods that are exempt from importation duties cannot be sold or otherwise alienated within one year after importation and are subject to European Union regulations on this matter;
h) The right to import temporarily an automobile for personal use, while working in Portugal, exempt from importation duties, VAT, and automobile tax. The temporary importation request shall be presented to the customs authorities within six months from the beginning of functions;
i) The Secretary-General may import, under the same conditions, a second automobile to be used by his family;
j) The alienation of automobiles imported under sub-paragraphs h) and i) above shall be subject, with the necessary modifications, to the rules in force under Portuguese law, applicable to automobiles owned by members of diplomatic missions and consular posts;
k) Neither the Groups nor their employees are obliged to contribute to the Portuguese National Social Security System, provided that they have chosen to contribute only to the Groups' provident fund schemes.

3 - The regularisation of the status of each Group's Staff members as expatriated citizens, as well as spouses or partners, dependent ascendants or descendants in direct line and first degree, as well as adoptive children in the same circumstances, is subject to the same regime as applied to the members of diplomatic missions.
4 - The conditions of work of the staff members shall be governed by the provisions of the Staff Rules and Regulations of each Group. No Staff member can claim additional rights than those defined in the said rules and regulations.

Article 17
Experts

Paragraphs a), b) and c) of paragraph 1 of Article 15 shall apply to experts who are not Staff members of a Group during the exercise of their functions while on a mission for a Group.