RESTRICTED  
  
GPA/ACC/GBR/32  
 
12 June 2020  
(20-4184) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Government Procurement  Original: English  
 
 
ACCESSION OF THE UNI TED KINGDOM TO THE A GREEMENT ON GOVERNME NT 
PROCUREMENT IN ITS O WN RIGHT  
Draft Decision of the Committee on Government Procurement of [ …] 
 
 
 
The Committee on Government Procurement,  
Having regard  to the Committee's Decisions (GPA/CD/2) taken on 27  February 2019 with 
respect to accession to the Agreement on Government Procurement by the United Kingdom in its 
own right and the Committee's Decision (GPA/CD/2/Add.1) taken on 26 June 2019 regarding the  
extension of the period for submission of the United Kingdom's instrument of accession to the 
Agreement on Government Procurement and the United Kingdom's consequential changes to its 
Appendix I arising from the entry into force of the Agreement on Govern ment Procurement for 
Australia;  
Having regard  to the Withdrawal Agreement between the European Union and the United 
Kingdom, which provides for a transition period as referred to in paragraph 1 of the Decision taken 
on 27 February 2019 (GPA/CD/2). The tran sition period entered into force on 1 February 2020 and 
will expire on 31 December 2020, unless it is extended;  
Noting  that the period for submission of the United Kingdom's instrument of accession to the 
Agreement on Government Procurement set out in para graph 1 of the Decision taken on 
26 June 2019 (GPA/CD/2/Add.1) expired on 27 February 2020, the continued desire of the United 
Kingdom to accede to the Agreement on Government Procurement in its own right after the expiry 
of the transition period, and the time needed by the United Kingdom to complete its internal process 
in order to deposit its instrument of accession in a timely manner; and  
Considering the additional documentation submitted by the United Kingdom, including its 
updated replies to the Checkl ist of Issues (GPA/ACC/GBR/2/Rev.1, dated 27 March 2020), pursuant 
to paragraph 10 of the Committee's Decision of 27 February 2019, and further consultations between 
the United Kingdom and the Parties;  
Decides  as follows:  
1. The period for submission of the U nited Kingdom's instrument of accession pursuant to 
subparagraph 3.b. of the Decision taken on 27 February 2019 (GPA/CD/2) and paragraph 1 of the 
Decision taken on 26 June 2019 (GPA/CD/2/Add.1) is hereby reopened, in order to allow the United 
Kingdom to su bmit its instrument of accession in a timely manner and become a Party to the 
Agreement on Government Procurement in its own right after the expiry of the transition period 
referred to in paragraph 1 of the Decision taken on 27 February 2019 (GPA/CD/2).  
2. Accordingly, the United Kingdom is invited to submit its instrument of accession on the terms 
attached to the Decision taken on 27 February 2019 (GPA/CD/2), as amended by the Decision taken 
on 26 June 2019 (GPA/CD/2/Add.1), provided the United Kingdom does s o: 
a. no earlier than thirty days before the date of expiry of the transition period; and  
b. within [six] months of the date of this Decision, unless the period for submission of the 
instrument is extended by the Committee.  GPA/ACC/GBR/32  
 
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  3. In all other respects, the terms of the Decisions taken on 27 February 2019 (GPA/CD/2), in 
particular its paragraph 4, and 26 June 2019 (GPA/CD/2/Add.1) are unchanged. As provided for in 
paragraph 1 of the Decision taken on 27 February 2019 (GPA/CD/2), it is acknowledged that the 
United Kingdom is covered by the Agreement on Government Procurement until the date of expiry 
of the transition period, and that during such a transition period, European Union law applies to and 
in the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom is treated as a m ember State of the European Union.  
 
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