# Council Decision (EU) 2015/2021Show full title

Council Decision (EU) 2015/2021 of 10 November 2015 establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union            within the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization on the accession of the Republic of Liberia to the World            Trade Organization         

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U.K.

# Council Decision (EU) 2015/2021                     

# of 10 November 2015

# establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade                        Organization on the accession of the Republic of Liberia to the World Trade Organization                     

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91, Article 100(2) and the                           first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,                        

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1)On 13 June 2007, the Government of the Republic of Liberia applied for accession to the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the                              World Trade Organization (‘the Marrakesh Agreement’), pursuant to Article XII of that Agreement.

(2)On 18 December 2007, a Working Party on the accession of the Republic of Liberia was established in order to reach agreement                              on terms of accession acceptable to the Republic of Liberia and all Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

(3)The Commission, on behalf of the Union, has negotiated a comprehensive series of market opening commitments on the part of                              the Republic of Liberia which are in line with the Guidelines For Accession of Least-Developed Countries set out by the WTO                              General Council and which satisfy the Union's requests, taking into account the bilateral trade relations with the Republic                              of Liberia in the context of the EU-ACP partnership.

(4)Those commitments are now embodied in the Protocol of Accession of the Republic of Liberia to the WTO (‘the Protocol of Accession’).

(5)Accession to the WTO is expected to make a positive and lasting contribution to the process of economic reform and sustainable                              development in the Republic of Liberia.

(6)The Protocol of Accession should therefore be approved.

(7)Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement provides that the terms of accession are to be agreed between the acceding State and                              the WTO, and that the Ministerial Conference of the WTO approves the terms of accession on the WTO side. Article IV.2 of that                              Agreement provides that in the intervals between meetings of the Ministerial Conference, its functions shall be conducted                              by the General Council of the WTO.

(8)It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the Ministerial Conference of the WTO                              on the accession of the Republic of Liberia to the WTO,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

# Article 1U.K.

The position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization                     on the accession of the Republic of Liberia to the World Trade Organization is to approve the accession.                  

# Article 2U.K.

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 10 November 2015.

*For the Council*                            

*The President*                            

P. Gramegna