COUNCIL DECISION
of 22 December 2004
on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 2 to the EC-Palestinian Authority Interim Association Agreement
(2005/4/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133, in conjunction with the first sentence of Article 300(2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1)
Article 12 of the Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (1) (hereinafter the Palestinian Authority), of the other part, in force since 1 July 1997 and hereinafter referred to as the Interim Association Agreement, states that the Community and the Palestinian Authority shall progressively establish a greater liberalisation, inter alia, of their trade in agricultural products. Further, Article 14 provides that, from 1 January 1999, the Community and the Palestinian Authority are to examine the situation in order to determine the liberalisation measures to be applied by the Community and the Palestinian Authority from 1 January 2000, in accordance with the objective referred to in the said Article 12.
(2)
The Commission has, on behalf of the Community, negotiated an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters with a view to replacing Protocols 1 and 2 to the Interim Association Agreement.
(3)
The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (2),
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 2 to the EC-Palestinian Authority Interim Association Agreement between the European Community and the Palestinian Authority is hereby approved on behalf of the Community.
The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.
Article 2
The measures necessary for the implementation of Protocols 1 and 2 shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 3.
Article 3
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the committees established by the corresponding provisions of the regulations on the common organisation of markets or by the Customs Code Committee established by Article 248a of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code (3).
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.
The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at one month.
3. The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.
Article 4
The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person empowered to sign the Agreement so as to bind the Community.
Done at Brussels, 22 December 2004.