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COUNCIL DECISION

of 31 January 2005

on the signing and provisional application of a Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic to the European Union

(2006/376/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 310 in conjunction with Articles 300(2) and 300(3) thereof,

Having regard to the 2003 Act of Accession and in particular Article 6(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign, on behalf of the European Community and its Member States, the Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic to the European Union.

The text of the Protocol is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The European Community and its Member States hereby agree to apply provisionally the terms of the Protocol, subject to its conclusion.

Done at Brussels, 31 January 2005.

For the Council

The President

J. ASSELBORN

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(1)OJ L 147, 21.6.2000, p. 3.

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PROTOCOL

to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic to the European Union

THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM,

THE CZECH REPUBLIC,

THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK,

THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY,

THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA,

THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC,

THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN,

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC,

IRELAND,

THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC,

THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS,

THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA,

THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA,

THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG,

THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY,

THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA,

THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS,

THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA,

THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND,

THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC,

THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA,

THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC,

THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND,

THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN,

tHE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND,

(hereinafter referred to as Member States),

represented by the Council of the European Union, and

the European Community and the European Atomic Energy Community,

(hereinafter referred to as the Communities),

represented by the Council of the European Union and the European Commission

of the one part, and

the State of Israel

of the other part

WHEREAS the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement’, was signed in Brussels on 20 November 1995 and entered into force on 1 June 2000.

WHEREAS the Treaty concerning the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union and the Act of Accession thereto was signed in Athens on 16 April 2003 and entered into force on 1 May 2004.

WHEREAS, pursuant to Article 6(2) of the Act of Accession the accession of the new Contracting Parties to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement must be agreed by the conclusion of a protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement.

WHEREAS consultations pursuant to Article 21 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement have taken place in order to ensure that account has been taken of the mutual interests of the Community and Israel,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic, hereinafter ‘the new Member States’ hereby become contracting parties to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part and shall respectively adopt and take note, in the same manner as the other Member States of the Community, of the texts of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, as well as the Joint Declarations, Declarations and Exchanges of Letters.

Article 2

To take into account recent institutional developments within the European Union, the Parties agree that following the expiry of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, existing provisions in the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement referring to the European Coal and Steel Community shall be deemed to refer to the European Community, which has taken over all rights and obligations contracted by the European Coal and Steel Community.

CHAPTER 1

AMENDMENTS TO THE TEXT OF THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN AGREEMENT INCLUDING ITS ANNEXES AND PROTOCOLS

Article 3

Agricultural products

Protocols 1 and 2 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement are replaced by Protocols 1 and 2 of this Protocol and their Annexes.

Article 4

Processed agricultural products

Table 2 of Annex VI to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, setting out tariff concessions on imports into Israel of goods originating in the Community, is complemented by one additional tariff concession, defined as follows:

Article 5

Rules of origin

Protocol 4 is amended as follows:

Article 6

Presidency of the Association Committee

Article 71(3) is amended as follows:

‘The Association Committee shall be chaired in turn by a representative of the Commission of the European Communities and by a representative of the Government of the State of Israel.’

CHAPTER 2

TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

Article 7

Proofs of origin and administrative cooperation

1.   Proofs of origin properly issued by either Israel or a new Member State under preferential agreements or autonomous arrangements applied between them shall be accepted in the respective countries under this Protocol, provided that:

Where goods were declared for importation in either Israel or a new Member State, prior to the date of accession, under preferential agreements or autonomous arrangements applied between Israel and that new Member State at that time, proof of origin issued retrospectively under those agreements or arrangements may also be accepted provided that it is submitted to the customs authorities within a period of four months from the date of accession.

2.   Israel and the new Member States are authorised to retain the authorisations with which the status of ‘approved exporters’ has been granted under preferential agreements or autonomous arrangements applied between them, provided that:

These authorisations shall be replaced no later than one year after the date of accession, by new authorisations issued under the conditions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement.

3.   Requests for subsequent verification of proof of origin issued under the preferential agreements or autonomous arrangements referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be accepted by the competent customs authorities of either Israel or the Member States for a period of three years after the issue of the proof of origin concerned and may be made by those authorities for a period of three years after acceptance of the proof of origin submitted to those authorities in support of an import declaration.

Article 8

Goods in transit

1.   The provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement may be applied to goods exported either from Israel to one of the new Member States or from one of the new Member States to Israel, which comply with the provisions of Protocol 4 and which, on the date of accession are either en route or in temporary storage, in a customs warehouse or in a free zone in Israel or in that new Member State.

2.   Preferential treatment may be granted in such cases, subject to the submission to the customs authorities of the importing country, within four months of the date of accession, of a proof of origin issued retrospectively by the customs authorities of the exporting country.

General and final provisions

Article 9

By this Protocol it is agreed that no claim, request or referral can be submitted nor any concession pursuant to GATT 1994 Articles XXIV.6 and XXVIII can be modified or withdrawn in relation to this enlargement of the Community.

Article 10

For the year 2004, the volumes of the new tariff quotas and the increases in the volumes of existing tariff quotas shall be calculated as a pro rata of the basic volumes, taking into account the part of the period elapsed before the date of entry into force of this Protocol.

Article 11

This Protocol shall form an integral part of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement. The Annexes and declarations to this Protocol shall form an integral part thereof.

Article 12

1.   This Protocol shall be approved by the Communities, by the Council of the European Union on behalf of the Member States and by the State of Israel in accordance with their own procedures.

2.   The Parties shall notify each other of the accomplishment of the corresponding procedures referred to in the preceding paragraph. The instruments of approval shall be deposited with the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.

Article 13

1.   This Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the first month following the date of deposit of the last instrument of approval.

2.   This Protocol shall apply provisionally as from 1 May 2004.

Article 14

This Protocol is drawn up in duplicate in the Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Hebrew languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.

Article 15

The text of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, including the Annexes and Protocols forming an integral part thereof, and the Final Act together with the declarations annexed thereto shall be drawn up in the Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovenian languages and these texts shall be authentic in the same way as the original texts. The Association Council shall approve these texts.

Hecho en Bruselas, el veintitrés de febrero del dos mil seis.

V Bruselu dne dvacátého třetího února dva tisíce šest.

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den treogtyvende februar to tusind og seks.

Geschehen zu Brüssel am dreiundzwanzigsten Februar zweitausendsechs.

Kahe tuhande kuuenda aasta veebruarikuu kahekümne kolmandal päeval Brüsselis.

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις είκοσι τρεις Φεβρουαρίου δύο χιλιάδες έξι.

Done at Brussels on the twenty-third day of February in the year two thousand and six.

Fait à Bruxelles, le vingt-trois février deux mille six.

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì ventitré febbraio duemilasei.

Briselē, divtūkstoš sestā gada divdesmit trešajā februārī.

Priimta du tūkstančiai šeštų metų vasario dvidešimt trečią dieną Briuselyje.

Kelt Brüsszelben, a kettőezer hatodik év február huszonharmadik napján.

Magħmul fi Brussel, fit-tlieta u għoxrin jum ta' Frar tas-sena elfejn u sitta.

Gedaan te Brussel, de drieëntwintigste februari tweeduizend zes.

Sporządzono w Brukseli, dnia dwudziestego trzeciego lutego roku dwutysięcznego szóstego.

Feito em Bruxelas, em vinte e três de Fevereiro de dois mil e seis.

V Bruseli dňa dvadsiateho tretieho februára dvetisícšest'.

V Bruslju, triindvajsetega februarja leta dva tisoč šest.

Tehty Brysselissä kahdentenakymmenentenäkolmantena päivänä helmikuuta vuonna kaksituhattakuusi.

Som skedde i Bryssel den tjugotredje februari tjugohundrasex.

Por los Estados miembros

Za členské státy

For medlemsstaterne

Für die Mitgliedstaaten

Liikmesriikide nimel

Για τα κράτη μέλη

For the Member States

Pour les États membres

Per gli Stati membri

Dalībvalstu vārdā

Valstybių narių vardu

A tagállamok részéről

Għall-Istati Membri

Voor de lidstaten

W imieniu Państw Członkowskich

Pelos Estados-Membros

Za členské štáty

Za države članice

Jäsenvaltioiden puolesta

På medlemsstaternas vägnar

Por las Comunidades Europeas

Za Evropská společenství

For De Europæiske Fællesskaber

Für die Europäischen Gemeinschaften

Euroopa ühenduste nimel

Για τις Ευρωπαϊκές Κοινότητες

For the European Communities

Pour les Communautés européennes

Per le Comunità europee

Eiropas Kopienu vārdā

Europos Bendrijų vardu

Az Európai Közösségek részéről

Għall-Komunitajiet Ewropej

Voor de Europese Gemeenschappen

W imieniu Wspólnot Europejskich

Pelas Comunidades Europeias

Za Európske spoločenstvá

Za Evropske skupnosti

Euroopan yhteisöjen puolesta

På europeiska gemenskapernas vägnar

Por el Estado de Israel

Za Stát Izrael

For Staten Israel

Für den Staat Israel

Iisraeli Riigi nimel

Για το Κράτος του Ισραήλ

For the State of Israel

Pour l'État d'Israël

Per lo Stato di Israele

Izraēlas Valsts vārdā

Izraelio Valstybės vardu

Izrael Állam részéről

Għall-Istat ta' l-Iżrael

Voor de Staat Israël

W imieniu Państwa Izrael

Pelo Estado de Israel

Za Izraelský štát

Za Državo Izrael

Israelin valtion puolesta

På Staten Israels vägnar

ANNEX I

PROTOCOL 1

concerning the arrangements applicable to imports into the Community of agricultural products originating in Israel

ANNEX TO PROTOCOL 1

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(1)  CN codes corresponding to Regulation (EC) No 1789/2003 (OJ L 281, 30.10.2003).

(2)  Notwithstanding the rules for the interpretation of the combined nomenclature, the wording for the description of the products is to be considered as having no more than an indicative value, the preferential scheme being determined, within the context of this Annex, by the coverage of the CN codes. Where “ex” CN codes are indicated, the preferential scheme is to be determined by the application of the CN codes and corresponding description taken together.

(3)  Duty reduction only applies to ad valorem customs duties except for the products corresponding to the following codes: 0105 12 00, 0207, 0404 10, 0407 00, 0709 90 60, 2204 21and 2209.

(4)  Entry under this subheading is subject to the conditions laid down in the relevant Community provisions (Regulation (EC) No 790/2000 (OJ No L 95, 15.4.2000), and subsequent amendments.

(5)  Within this tariff quota, the specific duty provided in the Community's list of concessions to the WTO is reduced to zero, for the period from 1 December to 31 May, if the entry price is not less than EUR 264/tonne, being the entry price agreed between the European Community and Israel. If the entry price for a consignment is 2, 4, 6 or 8 % lower than the agreed entry price, the specific customs quota duty shall be equal respectively to 2, 4, 6 or 8 % of this agreed entry price. If the entry price of a consignment is less than 92 % of the agreed entry price, the specific customs duty bound within the WTO shall apply.

ANNEX II

PROTOCOL 2

concerning the arrangements applicable to imports into Israel of agricultural products originating in the Community

ANNEX TO PROTOCOL 2

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(1)  Notwithstanding the rules for the interpretation of the Harmonised System (HS) or of the Israeli tariff nomenclature, the wording for the description of the products is to be considered as having no more than an indicative value, the preferential scheme being determined, within the context of this Annex, by the coverage of the HS codes or of the Israeli tariff codes. Where “ex” HS codes or “ex” Israeli tariff codes are indicated, the preferential scheme is to be determined by the application of the HS codes or Israeli tariff codes and corresponding description taken together.

DECLARATION BY THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

The amendments to the Association Agreement adopted under the Additional Protocol do not concern outstanding questions about rules of origin and related issues thereto.

DECLARATION BY THE STATE OF ISRAEL

The amendments of the Association Agreement adopted under the Additional Protocol are without prejudice to any future outcome of the issue of rules of origin.

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