02014A0830(02) — EN — 10.11.2016 — 001.001

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Amended by:





Corrected by:









▼B

ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part







PREAMBLE THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM, THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA, IRELAND, THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN, THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS, THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA, THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA, THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG, HUNGARY, THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA, THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA, THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, ROMANIA, THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA, THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, Contracting Parties to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Member States’, THE EUROPEAN UNION, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Union’ or ‘the EU’ and THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Euratom’ of the one part, and GEORGIA, of the other part, hereafter jointly referred to as ‘the Parties’, CONSIDERING the strong links and common values of the Parties, established in the past through the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part, and being developed within the framework of the Eastern Partnership as a specific dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy and recognising the common desire of the Parties to further develop, strengthen and extend their relations in an ambitious and innovative way; ACKNOWLEDGING the European aspirations and European choice of Georgia; RECOGNISING that the common values on which the EU is built –democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law – lie also at the heart of political association and economic integration as envisaged in this Agreement; RECOGNISING that Georgia, an Eastern European country, is committed to implementing and promoting these values; RECOGNISING that Georgia shares historical links and common values with the Member States; TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that this Agreement shall not prejudice and leaves open the way for future progressive developments in EU-Georgia relations; COMMITTED to further strengthening respect for fundamental freedoms, human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, democratic principles, the rule of law, and good governance, based on common values of the Parties; UNDERSTANDING that internal reforms towards strengthening democracy and market economy will facilitate participation of Georgia in EU policies, programmes and agencies. This process and sustainable conflict settlement will mutually reinforce each other and will contribute to build confidence between communities divided by conflict; WILLING to contribute to the political, socio-economic and institutional development of Georgia through wide-ranging cooperation in a broad spectrum of areas of common interest, such as the development of civil society, good governance, including in the field of taxation, trade integration and enhanced economic cooperation, institution building, public administration and civil service reform and fight against corruption, the reduction of poverty and cooperation in the field of freedom, security and justice necessary to effectively implement this Agreement and noting the EU's readiness to support relevant reforms in Georgia; COMMITTED to all the principles and provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), in particular of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the concluding documents of the Madrid, Istanbul and Vienna Conferences of 1991 and 1992 respectively, and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe of 1990, as well as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950. RECALLING their will to promote international peace and security as well as engaging in effective multilateralism and the peaceful settlement of disputes, in particular by cooperating to that end within the framework of the United Nations (UN) and the OSCE; COMMITTED to international obligations to fighting against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery and to cooperating on disarmament; RECOGNISING the added value of the active participation of the Parties in various regional cooperation formats; DESIROUS to further develop regular political dialogue on bilateral and international issues of mutual interest, including regional aspects, taking into account the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the European Union, including the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP); FULLY RESPECTING the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of the internationally recognised borders under international law, the Charter of the United Nations, the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions; RECOGNISING the importance of the commitment of Georgia to reconciliation and its efforts to restore its territorial integrity and full and effective control over Georgian regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhnivali region/South Ossetia in pursuit of a peaceful and lasting conflict resolution based on principles of international law, and of the EU's commitment to support a peaceful and lasting resolution of the conflict; RECOGNISING in this context the importance of pursuing the implementation of the Six-Point Agreement of 12 August 2008 and its subsequent implementing measures, of meaningful international presence for maintaining peace and security on the ground, of pursuing mutually supportive non-recognition and engagement policies, of supporting the Geneva International Discussions and of safe and dignified return of all internally displaced persons and refugees in line with principles of international law; COMMITTED to provide the benefits of closer political association and economic integration of Georgia with the EU to all citizens of Georgia including the communities divided by conflict; COMMITTED to combating organised crime and illicit trafficking and to further strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism; COMMITTED to deepening their dialogue and cooperation on mobility, migration, asylum and border management taking also into account the EU-Georgia Mobility Partnership, with a comprehensive approach paying attention to legal migration, including circular migration, and to cooperation aimed at tackling illegal migration, trafficking in human beings and efficient implementation of the readmission agreement; RECOGNISING the importance of introducing a visa free travel regime for the citizens of Georgia in due course, provided that conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are in place including the effective implementation of visa facilitation and readmission agreements; COMMITTED to the principles of free market economy and the readiness of the EU to contribute to the economic reforms in Georgia, including in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership; COMMITTED to achieve economic integration in particular through a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), as an integral part of this Agreement including regulatory approximation and in compliance with the rights and obligations arising out of the membership of the Parties in the World Trade Organisation (WTO); BELIEVING that this Agreement will create a new climate for economic relations between the Parties and above all for the development of trade and investment, and will stimulate competition, which are factors crucial to economic restructuring and modernisation; COMMITTED to respecting the principles of sustainable development, to protecting the environment and mitigating climate change, to continuous improvement of environmental governance and meeting environmental needs, including cross-border cooperation and implementation of multilateral international agreements; COMMITTED to enhancing the security of energy supply, including the development of the Southern Corridor by, inter alia, promoting the development of appropriate projects in Georgia facilitating the development of relevant infrastructure, including for transit through Georgia, increasing market integration and gradual regulatory approximation towards key elements of the EU acquis, and promoting energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources; ACKNOWLEDGING the need for enhanced energy cooperation, and the commitment of the Parties to implement the Energy Charter Treaty; WILLING to improve the level of public health safety and protection of human health as an essential element for sustainable development and economic growth; COMMITTED to enhancing people-to-people contacts, including through cooperation and exchanges in the fields of science and technology, business, youth, education and culture; COMMITTED to promoting cross-border and inter-regional cooperation by both sides in the spirit of good neighbourly relations; RECOGNISING the commitment of Georgia to progressively approximating its legislation in the relevant sectors with that of the EU, in accordance with this Agreement and to implementing it effectively; RECOGNISING the commitment of Georgia to developing its administrative and institutional infrastructure to the extent necessary to enforce this Agreement; TAKING ACCOUNT of the willingness of the EU to provide support for the implementation of reforms, and to use all available instruments of cooperation and technical, financial and economic assistance in this endeavour; CONFIRMING that the provisions of this Agreement that fall within the scope of Title V of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union bind the United Kingdom and Ireland as separate Contracting Parties, and not as part of the EU, unless the EU together with the United Kingdom and/or Ireland have jointly notified Georgia that the United Kingdom or Ireland is bound as part of the EU in accordance with Protocol No 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. If the United Kingdom and/or Ireland ceases to be bound as part of the EU in accordance with Article 4a of that Protocol, the EU together with the United Kingdom and/or Ireland shall immediately inform Georgia of any change in their position in which case they shall remain bound by the provisions of this Agreement in their own right. The same applies to Denmark, in accordance with the Protocol No 22 on the position of Denmark, annexed to those Treaties. HAVE DECIDED TO CONCLUDE THIS AGREEMENT:







Article 1

Objectives

1. An association is hereby established between the Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part.

2. The aims of this association are:

(a) to promote political association and economic integration between the Parties based on common values and close links, including by increasing Georgia's participation in EU policies, programmes and agencies;

(b) to provide a strengthened framework for enhanced political dialogue on all areas of mutual interest, allowing the development of close political relations between the Parties;

(c) to contribute to the strengthening of democracy and to political, economic and institutional stability in Georgia;

(d) to promote, preserve and strengthen peace and stability regionally and internationally, based on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, including through joining efforts to eliminate sources of tension, enhance border security, and to promote cross-border cooperation and good neighbourly relations;

(e) to promote cooperation aimed at peaceful conflict resolution;

(f) to enhance cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice with the aim of reinforcing the rule of law and the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;

(g) to support the efforts of Georgia to develop its economic potential through international cooperation, including through the approximation of its legislation to that of the EU;

(h) to achieve Georgia's gradual economic integration into the EU Internal Market, as stipulated in this Agreement, in particular through establishing a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area which will provide for far-reaching market access on the basis of sustained and comprehensive regulatory approximation in compliance with the rights and obligations arising from its WTO membership;

(i) to establish conditions for an increasingly close cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.







TITLE I

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Article 2

General Principles

1. Respect for the democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms, as proclaimed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and as defined in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe of 1990 shall form the basis of the domestic and external policies of the Parties and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement. Countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, related materials and their means of delivery also constitute essential elements of this Agreement.

2. The Parties reiterate their commitment to the principles of a free market economy, sustainable development and effective multilateralism.

3. The Parties reaffirm their respect for the principles of the rule of law and good governance, as well as their international obligations, in particular under the UN, the Council of Europe and the OSCE. In particular, they agree to promoting respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and independence.

4. The Parties commit themselves to the rule of law, good governance, the fight against corruption, the fight against the various forms of transnational organised crime and terrorism, the promotion of sustainable development, effective multilateralism and the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. This commitment constitutes a key factor in the development of the relations and cooperation between the Parties and contributes to regional peace and stability.







TITLE II

POLITICAL DIALOGUE AND REFORM, COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY

Article 3

Aims of political dialogue

1. Political dialogue on all areas of mutual interest, including foreign and security matters as well as domestic reform, shall be further developed and strengthened between the Parties. This will increase the effectiveness of political cooperation and promote convergence on foreign and security matters, strengthening relations in an ambitious and innovative way.

2. The aims of political dialogue shall be:

(a) to deepen political association and increase political and security policy convergence and effectiveness;

(b) to promote the principles of territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognised borders, sovereignty and independence, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe;

(c) to promote peaceful conflict resolution;

(d) to promote international stability and security based on effective multilateralism;

(e) to strengthen cooperation and dialogue between the Parties on international security and crisis management, in particular in order to address global and regional challenges and key threats;

(f) to strengthen the cooperation in the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems including the conversion to alternative employment of scientists formerly employed in WMD programmes;

(g) to foster result-oriented and practical cooperation between the Parties for achieving peace, security and stability on the European continent;

(h) to strengthen respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and good governance, human rights and fundamental freedoms, including media freedom and the rights of persons belonging to minorities, and to contribute to consolidating domestic political reforms;

(i) to develop dialogue and to deepen the cooperation of the Parties in the field of security and defence;

(j) to work to further promote regional cooperation in various formats;

(k) to provide all benefits of closer political association between the EU and Georgia, including increased security policy convergence to all citizens of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders.

Article 4

Domestic reform

The Parties shall cooperate on developing, consolidating and increasing the stability and effectiveness of democratic institutions and the rule of law; on ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; on making further progress on judicial and legal reform, so that the independence of the judiciary is guaranteed, strengthening its administrative capacity and guaranteeing impartiality and effectiveness of law enforcement bodies; on further pursuing the public administration reform and on building an accountable, efficient, effective, transparent and professional civil service; and on continuing effective fight against corruption, particularly in view of enhancing international cooperation on combating corruption, and ensuring effective implementation of relevant international legal instruments, such as the United Nations Convention Against Corruption of 2003.

Article 5

Foreign and security policy

1. The Parties shall intensify their dialogue and cooperation and promote gradual convergence in the area of foreign and security policy, including the common security and defence policy, and shall address in particular issues of conflict prevention, peaceful conflict resolution and crisis management, regional stability, disarmament, non-proliferation, arms control and export control. Cooperation shall be based on common values and mutual interests, and shall aim at increasing policy convergence and effectiveness, making use of bilateral, international and regional fora.

2. The Parties reaffirm their commitment to the principles of territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognised borders, sovereignty and independence, as established in the Charter of the United Nations and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and their commitment to promote these principles in their bilateral and multilateral relations. The Parties also underline their full support for the principle of host nation consent on stationing foreign armed forces on their territories. They agree that the stationing of foreign armed forces on their territory should take place with the explicit consent of the host state, in accordance with international law.

Article 6

Serious crimes of international concern

1. The Parties reaffirm that the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished and that impunity for such crimes must be avoided by taking measures at national and international level including the International Criminal Court.

2. The Parties consider that the establishment and effective functioning of the International Criminal Court constitutes an important development for international peace and justice. The Parties reaffirm their commitment to continue to cooperate with the International Criminal Court by implementing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and its related instruments, giving due regard to preserving its integrity.

Article 7

Conflict prevention and crisis management

The Parties shall enhance practical cooperation in conflict prevention and crisis management, in particular with a view to possible participation of Georgia in EU-led civilian and military crisis management operations as well as relevant exercises and training, on a case-by-case basis and following possible invitation by the EU.

Article 8

Regional stability

1. The Parties shall intensify their joint efforts to promote stability, security and democratic development in the region, as well as to work to further promote regional cooperation in various formats and, in particular, shall work towards peaceful settlement of the unresolved conflicts in the region.

2. These efforts shall follow commonly shared principles of maintaining international peace and security as established by the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and other relevant multilateral documents. The Parties shall also make full use of the multilateral framework of the Eastern Partnership that provides for cooperation activities and open and free dialogue, fostering links among partners countries themselves.

Article 9

Peaceful conflict resolution

1. The Parties reiterate their commitment to peaceful conflict resolution in full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders as well as to facilitating jointly post-conflict rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts. Pending sustainable solution to conflict and without prejudice to the existing formats for addressing conflict-related issues, peaceful conflict resolution will constitute one of the central subjects on the agenda of political dialogue between the Parties, as well as in the dialogue with other relevant international actors.

2. The Parties recognise the importance of the commitment of Georgia to reconciliation and its efforts to restore its territorial integrity in pursuit of a peaceful and lasting conflict resolution, of pursuing the full implementation of the Six-Point Agreement of 12 August 2008 and its subsequent implementing measures, of pursuing mutually supportive non-recognition and engagement policies, of supporting the Geneva International Discussions and of safe and dignified return of all internally displaced persons and refugees to their habitual places of residence in line with principles of international law; and of a meaningful international field involvement, including, as appropriate, that of the EU.

3. The Parties shall coordinate, also with other relevant international organisations, their efforts to contribute to peaceful conflict resolution in Georgia, including in relation to humanitarian issues.

4. All these efforts shall follow commonly shared principles of maintaining international peace and security as established by the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and other relevant multilateral documents.

Article 10

Weapons of mass destruction

1. The Parties consider that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery, both to state and non-state actors, represents one of the most serious threats to international peace and stability. The Parties therefore agree to cooperate and to contribute to countering the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery through full compliance with, and national implementation of, their existing obligations under international disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and agreements, and other relevant international obligations. The Parties agree that this provision constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.

2. The Parties furthermore agree to cooperate and to contribute to countering the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery by:

(a) taking steps to sign, ratify, or accede to, as appropriate, and fully implement, all other relevant international instruments; and

(b) establishing an effective system of national export controls, controlling the export as well as transit of WMD-related goods, including a WMD end-use control on dual-use technologies, and containing effective sanctions for breaches of export controls.

3. The Parties agree to address these issues in their political dialogue.

Article 11

Small arms and light weapons and conventional arms exports control

1. The Parties recognise that the illicit manufacture, transfer and circulation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), including their ammunition, and their excessive accumulation, poor management, inadequately secured stockpiles and uncontrolled spread continue to pose a serious threat to peace and international security.

2. The Parties agree to observe and fully implement their respective obligations to deal with the illicit trade in SALW, including their ammunition, under existing international agreements and UN Security Council resolutions, as well as their commitments within the framework of other international instruments applicable in this area, such as the United Nations Programme of Action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in SALW in all its aspects.

3. The Parties shall undertake to cooperate and to ensure coordination, complementarity and synergy in their efforts to deal with the illicit trade in SALW, including their ammunition, and the destruction of excessive stockpiles, at global, regional, sub-regional and national levels.

4. Furthermore, the Parties agree to continue to cooperate in the area of conventional arms export control, in the light of the Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP of 8 December 2008 defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment.

5. The Parties agree to address these issues in their political dialogue.

Article 12

Fight against terrorism

1. The Parties reaffirm the importance of the fight against and the prevention of terrorism and agree to work together at bilateral, regional and international level to prevent and combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

2. The Parties agree that the fight against terrorism must be conducted with full respect for the rule of law and in full conformity with international law including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and all relevant international counter-terrorism related instruments.

3. The Parties stress the importance of the universal ratification and full implementation of all UN counter-terrorism related conventions and protocols. The Parties agree to continue to promote dialogue on the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and to cooperate in the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as well as all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and Council of Europe conventions. The Parties also agree to cooperate to promote international consensus on the prevention of and fight against terrorism.







TITLE III

FREEDOM, SECURITY AND JUSTICE

Article 13

Rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms

1. In their cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice the Parties shall attach particular importance to further promoting the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary, access to justice, and the right to a fair trial.

2. The Parties will cooperate fully on the effective functioning of institutions in the areas of law enforcement and the administration of justice.

3. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms will guide all cooperation on freedom, security and justice.

Article 14

Protection of personal data

The Parties agree to cooperate in order to ensure a high level of protection of personal data in accordance with the EU, Council of Europe and international legal instruments and standards referred to in Annex I to this Agreement.

Article 15

Cooperation on migration, asylum and border management

1. The Parties reaffirm the importance of a joint management of migration flows between their territories and shall establish a comprehensive dialogue on all migration-related issues, including legal migration, international protection and the fight against illegal migration, smuggling and trafficking in human beings.

2. Cooperation will be based on specific needs assessments conducted in mutual consultation between the Parties and be implemented in accordance with their relevant legislation in force. It will, in particular, focus on:

(a) the root causes and the consequences of migration;

(b) the development and implementation of national legislation and practices as regards international protection, with a view to satisfying the provisions of the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 and of the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees of 1967 and of other relevant international instruments, such as the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950, and to ensuring the respect of the principle of ‘non-refoulement’;

(c) the admission rules and rights and status of persons admitted, fair treatment and integration of lawfully residing non-nationals education and training and measures against racism and xenophobia;

(d) the enhancement of an effective and preventive policy against illegal migration, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings including the issue of how to combat networks of smugglers and traffickers and how to protect the victims of such trafficking;

(e) the implementation of the Working Arrangement on the establishment of operational cooperation between the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (FRONTEX) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia, signed on 4 December 2008;

(f) in the areas of document security and border management, issues such as organisation, training, best practices and other operational measures.

3. Cooperation may also facilitate circular migration for the benefit of development.

Article 16

Movement of persons and readmission

1. The Parties will ensure the full implementation of:

(a) the Agreement between the European Union and Georgia on the readmission of persons residing without authorisation, which entered into force on 1 March 2011; and

(b) the Agreement between the European Union and Georgia on the facilitation of the issuance of visas, which entered into force on 1 March 2011.

2. The Parties shall continue to endeavour to enhance mobility of citizens and shall take gradual steps towards the shared objective of a visa-free regime in due course, provided that the conditions for well-managed and secure mobility set out in the two-phase Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation are in place.

Article 17

The fight against organised crime and corruption

1. The Parties shall cooperate on combating and preventing criminal and illegal activities, in particular transnational activities, organised or otherwise, such as:

(a) smuggling and trafficking in human beings as well as small arms and illicit drugs;

(b) smuggling and trafficking in goods;

(c) illegal economic and financial activities such as counterfeiting, fiscal fraud and public procurement fraud;

(d) embezzlement in projects funded by international donors;

(e) active and passive corruption, both in the private and public sector;

(f) forging documents, submitting false statements; and

(g) cybercrime.

2. The Parties shall enhance bilateral, regional and international cooperation among law enforcement bodies including developing cooperation between Europol and the relevant authorities of Georgia. The Parties are committed to implementing effectively the relevant international standards, and in particular those enshrined in the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) of 2000 and the three Protocols thereto and in the United Nations Convention against Corruption of 2003.

Article 18

Illicit drugs

1. Within their respective powers and competencies, the Parties shall cooperate to ensure a balanced and integrated approach towards drug issues. Drug policies and actions shall be aimed at reinforcing structures for preventing and combating illicit drugs, reducing the supply of, trafficking in and the demand for illicit drugs, addressing the health and social consequences of drug abuse with a view to reducing harm as well as at a more effective prevention of diversion of chemical precursors used for the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

2. The Parties shall agree on the necessary methods of cooperation to attain these objectives. Actions shall be based on commonly agreed principles along the lines of the relevant international conventions, and the EU Drug Strategy (2013-20), the Political Declaration on the guiding principles of drug demand reduction, approved by the Twentieth United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs in June 1998.

Article 19

Money laundering and terrorism financing

1. The Parties shall cooperate in order to prevent the use of their financial and relevant non-financial systems to launder the proceeds of criminal activities in general and drug offences in particular, as well as for the purpose of terrorism financing.

This cooperation extends to the recovery of assets or funds derived from the proceeds of crime.

2. Cooperation in this area shall allow exchanges of relevant information within the framework of respective legislation and the adoption of appropriate standards to prevent and combat money laundering and financing of terrorism equivalent to those adopted by relevant international bodies active in this area, such as the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF).

Article 20

Cooperation in the fight against terrorism

1. In full accordance with the principles underlying the fight against terrorism as set out in Article 12 of this Agreement, the Parties reaffirm the importance of a law enforcement and judicial approach to the fight against terrorism and agree to cooperate in the prevention and suppression of terrorism in particular by:

(a) ensuring the criminalisation of terrorist offences, in line with the definition contained in the Council Framework Decision 2008/919/JHA of 28 November 2008 amending Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on combatting terrorism;

(b) exchanging information on terrorist groups and individuals and their support networks, in accordance with international and national law, in particular as regards data protection and the protection of privacy;

(c) exchanging experience in the prevention and suppression of terrorism, means and methods and their technical aspects, as well as on training, in accordance with applicable law;

(d) sharing information on best practices in addressing and countering radicalisation and recruitment, and on promoting rehabilitation;

(e) exchanging views and experience concerning cross-border movement and travel of terrorist suspects as well as concerning terrorist threats;

(f) sharing best practices as regards the protection of human rights in the fight against terrorism, in particular in relation to criminal justice proceedings;

(g) taking measures against the threat of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear terrorism and undertaking the measures necessary to prevent the acquisition, transfer and use for terrorist purposes of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials as well as to prevent illegal acts against high risk chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear facilities.

2. Cooperation shall be based on relevant available assessments, such as those of the relevant bodies of the UN and the Council of Europe and conducted in mutual consultation between the Parties.

Article 21

Legal cooperation

1. The Parties agree to develop judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters as regards the negotiation, ratification and implementation of multilateral conventions on civil judicial cooperation and, in particular, the conventions of the Hague Conference on Private International Law in the field of international legal cooperation and litigation as well as the protection of children.

2. As regards judicial cooperation in criminal matters, the Parties will seek to enhance cooperation on mutual legal assistance on the basis of relevant multilateral agreements. This would include, where appropriate, accession to, and implementation of, the relevant international instruments of the UN and the Council of Europe and closer cooperation with Eurojust.







TITLE IV

TRADE AND TRADE-RELATED MATTERS







CHAPTER 1

National Treatment and Market Access For Goods







Section 1

Common Provisions

Article 22

Objective

The Parties shall establish a free trade area starting from the entry into force of this Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and in conformity with Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994).

Article 23

Scope and coverage

1. The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to trade in goods ( 1 ) between the Parties.

2. For the purposes of this Chapter, ‘originating’ means qualifying under the rules of origin set out in Protocol I to this Agreement.







Section 2

Elimination of customs duties, fees and other charges

Article 24

Definition of customs duties

For the purposes of this Chapter, a ‘customs duty’ includes any duty or charge of any kind imposed on, or in connection with, the import or export of a good, including any form of surtax or surcharge imposed on or in connection with such import or export. A ‘customs duty’ does not include any:

(a) charge equivalent to an internal tax imposed consistently with Article 31 of this Agreement;

(b) duties imposed consistently with Chapter 2 (Trade Remedies) of Title IV (Trade and Trade-related Matters) of this Agreement;

(c) fees or other charges imposed consistently with Article 30 of this Agreement.

Article 25

Classification of goods

The classification of goods in trade between the Parties shall be that set out in each Party's respective tariff nomenclature in conformity with the 2012 Harmonised System based on the International Convention on the Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System of 1983 (HS) and subsequent amendments thereto.

Article 26

Elimination of customs duties on imports

1. The Parties shall eliminate all customs duties on goods originating in the other Party as from the date of entry into force of this Agreement except as provided in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article and without prejudice to paragraph 4 of this Article.

2. The products listed in Annex II-A to this Agreement shall be imported into the Union free of customs duties within the limits of the tariff rate quotas set out in that Annex. The most-favoured-nation (MFN) customs duty rate shall apply to imports exceeding the tariff rate quota limit.

3. The products listed in Annex II-B to this Agreement shall be subject to an import duty when imported into the Union with exemption of the ad valorem component of that import duty.

4. The import of products originating in Georgia listed in Annex II-C to this Agreement shall be subject to the anti-circumvention mechanism set out in Article 27 of this Agreement.

5. After five years from the entry into force of this Agreement, at the request of either Party, the Parties shall consult to consider broadening the scope of the liberalisation of customs duties in the trade between the Parties. A decision under this paragraph shall be made by the Association Committee in Trade configuration, as set out in Article 408(4) of this Agreement.

Article 27

Anti-circumvention mechanism for agricultural products and processed agricultural products

1. The products listed in Annex II-C to this Agreement are subject to the anti-circumvention mechanism set out in this Article. The average annual volume of imports from Georgia into the Union for each category of those products is provided in Annex II-C to this Agreement.

2. When the volume of imports of one or more categories of products referred to in paragraph 1 reaches 70 % of the volume indicated in Annex II-C to this Agreement in any given year starting on 1 January, the Union shall notify Georgia about the volume of imports of ►C1 the product(s) concerned. ◄ Following this notification and within 14 calendar days from the date on which the volume of imports of one or more categories of products referred to in paragraph 1 reaches 80 % of the volume indicated in Annex II-C to this Agreement, Georgia shall provide the Union with a sound justification that Georgia has the capacity to produce the products for export into the Union in excess of the volumes set out in that Annex. If those imports reach 100 % of the volume indicated in Annex II-C to this Agreement, and in the absence of a sound justification by Georgia, the Union may temporarily suspend the preferential treatment for the products concerned.

The suspension shall be applicable for a period of six months and shall take effect on the date of publication of the decision to suspend preferential treatment in the Official Journal of the European Union.

3. All temporary suspensions adopted pursuant to paragraph 2 shall be notified by the Union to Georgia without undue delay.

4. A temporary suspension shall be lifted before the expiry of six months from its entry into force by the Union if Georgia provides robust and satisfactory evidence within the Association Committee in Trade configuration, as set out in Article 408(4) of this Agreement, that the volume of the relevant category of products imported in excess of the volume referred to in Annex II-C to this Agreement results from a change in the level of production and export capacity of Georgia for the product(s) concerned.

5. Annex II-C to this Agreement may be amended and the volume modified by mutual consent of the Union and Georgia in the Association Committee in Trade configuration at the request of Georgia, in order to reflect changes in the level of production and export capacity of Georgia for the product(s) concerned.

Article 28

Standstill

Neither Party may adopt any new customs duty, on a good originating in the other Party or may increase any customs duty applied on the date of entry into force of this Agreement. This shall not preclude that either Party may maintain or increase a customs duty as authorised by the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the WTO.

Article 29

Customs duties on exports

Neither Party shall adopt or maintain any customs duty or tax, other than internal charges applied in conformity with Article 30 of this Agreement, on, or in connection with, the export of goods to the territory of the other Party.

Article 30

Fees and other charges

Each Party shall ensure, in accordance with Article VIII of GATT 1994 and the interpretative notes thereon, that all fees and charges of whatever character other than customs duties or other measures referred to in Article 26 of this Agreement, imposed on, or in connection with, the import or export of goods are limited in amount to the approximate cost of services rendered and do not represent an indirect protection to domestic goods or a taxation of imports or exports for fiscal purposes.







Section 3

Non-tariff measures

Article 31

National treatment

Each Party shall accord national treatment to the goods of the other Party in accordance with Article III of GATT 1994, including the interpretative notes thereon. To that end, Article III of GATT 1994 and the interpretative notes thereon are incorporated into this Agreement and made an integral part thereof.

Article 32

Import and export restrictions

Neither Party shall adopt or maintain any prohibition or restriction on the import of any good of the other Party or on the export or sale for export of any good destined for the territory of the other Party, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or in accordance with Article XI of GATT 1994 and the interpretative notes thereon. To that end, Article XI of GATT 1994 and the interpretative notes thereon are incorporated into this Agreement and made an integral part thereof.







Section 4

Specific provisions related to goods

Article 33

General exceptions

Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to prevent the adoption or enforcement by any Party of measures in accordance with Articles XX and XXI of GATT 1994 and any relevant interpretative notes to those Articles under GATT 1994, which are hereby incorporated into this Agreement and made an integral part thereof.







Section 5

Administrative cooperation and coordination with other countries

Article 34

Temporary withdrawal of preferences

1. The Parties agree that administrative cooperation and assistance is essential for the implementation and the control of preferential tariff treatment granted under this Chapter and underline their commitment to combat irregularities and fraud in customs and related matters.

2. Where a Party has made a finding, on the basis of objective information, of a failure of the other Party to provide administrative cooperation or assistance and/or of irregularities or fraud under this Chapter, the Party concerned may temporarily suspend the relevant preferential treatment of the product(s) concerned in accordance with this Article.

3. For the purposes of this Article, a failure to provide administrative cooperation or assistance shall mean, inter alia:

(a) a repeated failure to respect the obligations to verify the originating status of the good(s) concerned;

(b) a repeated refusal or undue delay in carrying out and/or communicating the results of subsequent verification of the proof of origin;

(c) a repeated refusal or undue delay in obtaining authorisation to conduct enquiry visits to determine the authenticity of documents or accuracy of information relevant to the granting of the preferential treatment in question.

4. For the purposes of this Article, a finding of irregularities or fraud may be made, inter alia, where there is a rapid increase, without satisfactory explanation, in the volume of imports of goods exceeding the usual level of production and export capacity of the other Party that is linked to objective information concerning irregularities or fraud.

5. The application of a temporary suspension shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) the Party which has made a finding, on the basis of objective information, of a failure to provide administrative cooperation or assistance and/or of irregularities or fraud from the other Party, shall without undue delay notify the Association Committee in Trade configuration, as set out in Article 408(4) of this Agreement, of its finding together with the objective information and enter into consultations within that Committee, on the basis of all relevant information and objective findings, with a view to reaching a solution acceptable to both Parties;

(b) where the Parties have entered into consultations within the Association Committee in Trade configuration and have failed to agree on an acceptable solution within three months following the notification, the Party concerned may temporarily suspend the relevant preferential treatment of the good(s) concerned. A temporary suspension shall be notified to the Association Committee in Trade configuration without undue delay;

(c) temporary suspensions under this Article shall be limited to that necessary to protect the financial interests of the Party concerned. They shall not exceed a period of six months, which may be renewed, if at the date of expiry nothing has changed with respect to the condition that gave rise to the initial suspension. They shall be subject to periodic consultations within the Association Committee in Trade configuration, in particular with a view to their termination as soon as the conditions for their application no longer apply.

6. Each Party shall publish in accordance with its internal procedures, notices to importers concerning any: notification referred to in paragraph 5(a); decision referred to in paragraph 5(b); and extension or termination referred to in paragraph 5(c).

Article 35

Management of administrative errors

In case of an error by the competent authorities in the proper management of the preferential system at export, and in particular in the application of the provisions of Protocol I to this Agreement concerning the definition of originating products and methods of administrative cooperation, where this error leads to consequences in terms of import duties, the Party facing such consequences may request the Association Committee in Trade configuration, as set out in Article 408(4) of this Agreement, to examine the possibilities of adopting all appropriate measures with a view to resolving the situation.

Article 36

Agreements with other countries

1. This Agreement shall not preclude the maintenance or establishment of customs unions, free trade areas or arrangements for frontier traffic except in so far as they conflict with trade arrangements provided for in this Agreement.

2. Consultations between the Parties shall take place within the Association Committee in Trade configuration, as set out in Article 408(4) of this Agreement, at the request of either Party, concerning agreements establishing customs unions, free trade areas or arrangements for frontier traffic and on other major issues related to their respective trade policy with third countries. In particular in the event of a third country acceding to the EU, such consultations shall take place so as to ensure that account be taken of the mutual interests of the Union and Georgia as stated in this Agreement.







CHAPTER 2

Trade remedies







Section 1

Global safeguard measures

Article 37

General provisions

1. The Parties confirm their rights and obligations under Article XIX of GATT 1994 and the Agreement on Safeguards contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement (‘Agreement on Safeguards’) and Article 5 of the Agreement on Agriculture, contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement (‘Agreement on Agriculture’).

2. The preferential rules of origin established under Chapter 1 (National Treatment and Market Access for Goods) of Title IV (Trade and Trade-related Matters) of this Agreement shall not apply to this Section.

3. The provisions of this Section shall not be subject to Chapter 14 (Dispute Settlement) of Title IV (Trade and Trade-related Matters) of this Agreement.

Article 38

Transparency

1. The Party initiating a safeguard investigation shall notify the other Party of such initiation provided the latter has a substantial economic interest.

2. Notwithstanding Article 37 of this Agreement, at the request of the other Party, the Party initiating a safeguard investigation and intending to apply safeguard measures shall provide immediately ad hoc written notification of all the pertinent information leading to the initiation of a safeguard investigation and the imposition of safeguard measures, including, where relevant, information on the initiation of a safeguard investigation, on the provisional findings and on the final findings of the investigation, as well as offer the possibility for consultations to the other Party.

3. For the purposes of this Article, a Party shall be considered as having a substantial economic interest when it is among the five largest suppliers of the imported product during the most recent three-year period of time, measured in terms of either absolute volume or value.

Article 39

Application of measures

1. When imposing safeguard measures, the Parties shall endeavour to impose them in a way that affects their bilateral trade the least.

2. For the purposes of paragraph 1 of this Article, if a Party considers that the legal requirements for the imposition of definitive safeguard measures are met and intends to apply such measures, that Party shall notify the other Party and give the latter the possibility to hold bilateral consultations. If no satisfactory solution has been reached within 30 days of the notification, the importing Party may adopt the appropriate measures to remedy the problem.







Section 2

Anti-dumping and countervailing measures

Article 40

General provisions

1. The Parties confirm their rights and obligations under Article VI of GATT 1994, the Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of GATT 1994, contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement (‘Anti-Dumping Agreement’) and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement (‘SCM Agreement’).

2. The preferential rules of origin established under Chapter 1 (National Treatment and Market Access for Goods) of Title IV (Trade and Trade-related Matters) of this Agreement shall not apply to this Section.

3. The provisions of this Section shall not be subject to Chapter 14 (Dispute Settlement) of Title IV (Trade and Trade-related Matters) of this Agreement.

Article 41

Transparency

1. The Parties agree that anti-dumping and countervailing measures should be used in full compliance with the requirements of the Anti-Dumping Agreement and the SCM Agreement, respectively, and should be based on a fair and transparent system.

2. The Parties shall ensure, immediately after the imposition of provisional measures and before the final determination is made, full and meaningful disclosure of all essential facts and considerations which form the basis for the decision to apply measures, without prejudice to Article 6.5 of the Anti-Dumping Agreement and Article 12.4 of the SCM Agreement. Disclosures shall be made in writing and allow interested parties sufficient time to make their comments.

3. Provided it does not unnecessarily delay the conduct of the investigation, each interested Party shall be granted the possibility to be heard in order to express their views during anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations.

Article 42

Consideration of public interest

Anti-dumping or countervailing measures may not be applied by a Party where, on the basis of the information made available during the investigation, it can clearly be concluded that it is not in the public interest to apply such measures. The public interest determination shall be based on an appreciation of all the various interests taken as a whole, including the interests of the domestic industry, users, consumers and importers to the extent that they have provided relevant information to the investigating authorities.

Article 43

Lesser duty rule

Should a Party decide to impose a provisional or a definitive anti-dumping or a countervailing duty, the amount of such duty shall not exceed the margin of dumping or the total amount of countervailable subsidies, but it should be less than the margin of dumping or the total amount of countervailable subsidies if such a lesser duty would be adequate to remove the injury to the domestic industry.







CHAPTER 3

Technical barriers to trade, standardisation, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment

Article 44

Scope and definitions

1. This Chapter applies to the preparation, adoption and application of standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures as defined in the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement (‘TBT Agreement’) that may affect trade in goods between the Parties.

2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, this Chapter does not apply to sanitary and phytosanitary measures as defined in Annex A to the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement (‘SPS Agreement’), nor to purchasing specifications prepared by public authorities for their own production or consumption requirements.

3. For the purposes of this Chapter, the definitions of ►C1 Annex 1 to ◄ the TBT Agreement shall apply.

Article 45

Affirmation of the TBT Agreement

The Parties affirm their existing rights and obligations with respect to each other under the TBT Agreement which is hereby incorporated into this Agreement and made an integral part thereof.

Article 46

Technical cooperation

1. The Parties shall strengthen their cooperation in the field of standards, technical regulations, metrology, market surveillance, accreditation and conformity assessment systems with a view to increasing the mutual understanding of their respective systems and facilitating access to their respective markets. To that end, they may establish regulatory dialogues at both horizontal and sectoral levels.

2. In their cooperation, the Parties shall seek to identify, develop and promote trade facilitating initiatives which may include, but are not limited to:

(a) reinforcing regulatory cooperation through the exchange of data and experience, and through scientific and technical cooperation, with a view to improving the quality of their technical regulations, standards, market surveillance, conformity assessment and accreditation, and making efficient use of regulatory resources;

(b) promoting and encouraging cooperation between their respective organisations, public or private, responsible for metrology, standardisation, market surveillance, conformity assessment and accreditation;

(c) fostering the development of the quality infrastructure for standardisation, metrology, accreditation, conformity assessment and the market surveillance system in Georgia;

(d) promoting the participation of Georgia in the work of related European organisations;

(e) seeking solutions to technical barriers to trade that may arise; and

(f) where appropriate, undertaking efforts to coordinate their positions on matters of mutual interest in international trade and regulatory organisations such as the WTO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Article 47

Approximation of technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment

1. Having regard to its priorities for approximation in different sectors, Georgia shall take the measures necessary in order to gradually achieve approximation with the Union's technical regulations, standards, metrology, accreditation, conformity assessment, corresponding systems and market surveillance system, and undertakes to follow the principles and the practice laid down in the relevant Union acquis (indicative list in Annex III-B to this Agreement). A list of the measures for approximation is set out in Annex III-A to this Agreement, which may be amended by a decision of the Association Committee in Trade configuration, as set out in Article 408(4) of this Agreement.

2. With a view to reaching these objectives, Georgia shall:

(a) having regard to its priorities, progressively approximate its legislation to the relevant Union acquis; and

(b) achieve and maintain the level of administrative and institutional effectiveness necessary to provide an effective and transparent system that is required for the implementation of this Chapter.

3. Georgia shall refrain from amending its horizontal and sectoral legislation in the priority areas for approximation, except for approximating such legislation progressively to the corresponding Union acquis and for maintaining such approximation; and shall notify the Union of such changes in its domestic legislation.

4. Georgia shall ensure and facilitate the participation of its relevant national bodies in the European and international organisations for standardisation, legal and fundamental metrology, and conformity assessment, including accreditation, in accordance with the respective areas of activity of those bodies and the membership status available to them.

5. With a view to integrating its standardisation system, Georgia shall use best endeavours to ensure that its standards body:

(a) progressively transposes the corpus of European standards (EN) as national standards, including the harmonised European standards, the voluntary use of which shall give presumption of conformity with Union legislation transposed into Georgian legislation;

(b) simultaneously with such transposition, withdraws conflicting national standards;

(c) progressively fulfils the other conditions for full membership of the European standards organisations.

Article 48

Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA)

The Parties may ultimately agree to add an Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA) as a Protocol to this Agreement covering one or more sectors agreed upon following verification by the Union that the relevant Georgian horizontal and sectoral legislation, institutions and standards have been fully approximated to those of the Union. Such an ACAA will provide that trade between the Parties in products in the sectors that it covers shall take place under the same conditions as those applying to trade in such products between the Member States.

Article 49

Marking and labelling

1. Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 47 and 48 of this Agreement, and with respect to technical regulations relating to labelling or marking requirements, the Parties reaffirm the principles of Chapter 2.2 of the TBT Agreement that such requirements are not prepared, adopted or applied with a view to or with the effect of creating unnecessary obstacles to international trade. For this purpose, such labelling or marking requirements shall not be more trade-restrictive than necessary to fulfil a legitimate objective, taking account of the risks that non-fulfilment would create.

2. Regarding obligatory marking or labelling in particular, the Parties agree that:

(a) they will endeavour to minimise their needs for marking or labelling, except as required for the adoption of the Union acquis in this area and for the protection of health, safety or the environment, or for other reasonable public policy purposes;

(b) a Party may determine the form of labelling or marking but shall not require the approval, the registration or the certification of labels; and

(c) the Parties retain the right to require the information on the label or marking to be in a specified language.







CHAPTER 4

Sanitary and phytosanitary measures

Article 50

Objective

1. The objective of this Chapter is to facilitate trade in commodities covered by sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS measures), including all measures listed in Annex IV to this Agreement, between the Parties, whilst safeguarding human, animal or plant life or health, by:

(a) ensuring full transparency as regards measures applicable to trade, listed in Annex IV to this Agreement;

(b) approximating the Georgian regulatory system to that of the Union;

(c) recognising the animal and plant health status of the Parties and applying the principle of regionalisation;

(d) establishing a mechanism for the recognition of equivalence of measures maintained by a Party, listed in Annex IV to this Agreement;

(e) continuing to implement the SPS Agreement;

(f) establishing mechanisms and procedures for trade facilitation; and

(g) improving communication and cooperation between the Parties on measures listed in Annex IV to this Agreement.

2. This Chapter also aims at reaching a common understanding between the Parties concerning animal welfare standards.

Article 51

Multilateral obligations

The Parties re-affirm their rights and obligations under the WTO Agreements, and in particular the SPS Agreement.

Article 52

Scope

This Chapter shall apply to all sanitary and phytosanitary measures of a Party that may, directly or indirectly, affect trade between the Parties, including all measures listed in Annex IV to this Agreement. This scope is without prejudice to the scope of approximation as set out in Article 55 of this Agreement.

Article 53

Definitions

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) ‘sanitary and phytosanitary measures’ means measures as defined in paragraph 1 of Annex A to the SPS Agreement (SPS measures);

(2) ‘animals’ means animals as defined in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code or the Aquatic Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), respectively;

(3) ‘animal products’ means products of animal origin, including aquatic animal products as defined in the Aquatic Animal Health Code of the OIE;

(4) ‘animal by-products not intended for human consumption’ means entire bodies or parts of animals, products of animal origin or other products obtained from animals that are not intended for human consumption as listed in Part 2(II) of Annex IV-A to this Agreement;

(5) ‘plants’ means living plants and specified living parts thereof, including seeds and germplasm:

(a) fruits, in the botanical sense, other than those preserved by deep freezing;

(b) vegetables, other than those preserved by deep freezing;

(c) tubers, corms, bulbs, rhizomes;

(d) cut flowers;

(e) branches with foliage;

(f) cut trees retaining foliage;

(g) plant tissue cultures;

(h) leaves, foliage;

(i) live pollen; and

(j) bud-wood, cuttings, scions.

(6) ‘plant products’ means products of plant origin, unprocessed or having undergone simple preparation in so far as these are not plants, set out in Part 3 of Annex IV-A to this Agreement;

(7) ‘seeds’ means seeds in the botanical sense, intended for planting;

(8) ‘pests’ means any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products (harmful organisms);

(9) ‘protected zones’ means zones within the meaning of Article 2(1)(h) of Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community, or any successor provision;

(10) ‘animal disease’ means a clinical or pathological manifestation in animals of an infection;

(11) ‘aquaculture disease’ means clinical or non-clinical infection with one or more of the aetiological agents of the diseases referred to in the Aquatic Animal Health Code of the OIE;

(12) ‘infection in animals’ means the situation where animals maintain an infectious agent with or without presence of clinical or pathological manifestation of an infection;

(13) ‘animal welfare standards’ means standards for the protection of animals developed and applied by the Parties and, as appropriate, in line with the OIE standards;

(14) ‘appropriate level of sanitary and phytosanitary protection’ means the appropriate level of sanitary and phytosanitary protection as defined in paragraph 5 of Annex A to the SPS Agreement;

(15) ‘region’ means with regard to animal health a zone or a region as defined in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the OIE, and with regard to aquaculture a zone as defined in the Aquatic Animal Health Code of the OIE. For the Union the term ‘territory’ or ‘country’ shall mean the territory of the Union;

(16) ‘pest free area (PFA)’ means an area in which a specific pest does not occur as demonstrated by scientific evidence and in which, where appropriate, this condition is being officially maintained;

(17) ‘regionalisation’ means the concept of regionalisation as described in Article 6 of the SPS Agreement;

(18) ‘consignment of animals or animal products’ means a number of animals or a quantity of animal products of the same type, covered by the same certificate or document, conveyed by the same means of transport, consigned by a single consignor and originating in the same exporting Party or region(s) of the Party. A consignment of animals may be composed of one or more commodities or lots;

(19) ‘consignment of plants or plant products’ means a quantity of plants, plant products and/or other objects being moved from a Party to another Party and covered, when required, by a single phytosanitary certificate. A consignment may be composed of one or more commodities or lots;

(20) ‘lot’ means a number or units of a single commodity, identifiable by its homogeneity of composition and origin, and forming part of a consignment;

(21) ‘equivalence for trade purposes’ (equivalence) means that the measures listed in Annex IV to this Agreement applied in the exporting Party, whether or not different from the measures listed in that Annex applied in the importing Party, objectively achieve the importing Party's appropriate level of protection or acceptable level of risk;

(22) ‘sector’ means the production and trade structure for a product or category of products in a Party;

(23) ‘sub-sector’ means a well-defined and controlled part of a sector;

(24) ‘commodity’ means the products or objects referred to in points 2 to 7;

(25) ‘specific import permit’ means a formal prior authorisation by the competent authorities of the importing Party addressed to an individual importer as a condition for import of a single consignment or multiple consignments of a commodity from the exporting Party, within the scope of this Chapter;

(26) ‘working days’ means weekdays except Sunday, Saturday and public holidays in one of the Parties;

(27) ‘inspection’ means the examination of any aspect of feed, food, animal health and animal welfare in order to verify that such aspect(s) comply with the legal requirements of feed and food law and animal health and animal welfare rules;

(28) ‘plant health inspection’ means official visual examination of plants, plant products or other regulated objects to determine if pests are present and/or to determine compliance with phytosanitary regulations;

(29) ‘verification’ means checking, by examination and consideration of objective evidence, whether specified requirements have been fulfilled.

Article 54

Competent authorities

The Parties shall inform each other about the structure, organisation and division of competences of their competent authorities during the first meeting of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Sub-Committee referred to in Article 65 of this Agreement (‘SPS Sub-Committee’). The Parties shall inform each other of any change of the structure, organisation and division of competences, including of the contact points, concerning such competent authorities.

Article 55

Gradual approximation

1. Georgia shall continue to gradually approximate its sanitary and phytosanitary, animal welfare and other legislative measures as laid down in Annex IV to this Agreement to that of the Union in accordance with the principles and procedure set out in Annex XI to this Agreement.

2. The Parties shall cooperate on gradual approximation and capacity building.

3. The SPS Sub-Committee shall regularly monitor the implementation of the approximation process set out in Annex XI to this Agreement in order to provide necessary recommendations on approximation.

4. No later than six months after the entry into force of this Agreement, Georgia shall submit a list of the EU sanitary and phytosanitary, animal welfare and other legislative measures as defined in Annex IV to this Agreement that Georgia will approximate. The list shall be divided into priority areas, in which trade in a specific commodity or a group of commodities will be facilitated by means of approximation. This approximation list shall serve as a reference document for the implementation of this Chapter.

Article 56

Recognition for trade purposes of animal health and pest status and regional conditions

Recognition of status for animal diseases, infections in animals or pests

1. As regards animal diseases and infections in animals (including zoonosis), the following shall apply:

(a) the importing Party shall recognise for trade purposes the animal health status of the exporting Party or its regions determined in accordance with the procedure set out in Annex VI to this Agreement, with respect to animal diseases specified in Annex V-A to this Agreement;

(b) where a Party considers that it has, for its territory or a region within its territory, a special status with respect to a specific animal disease other than a disease listed in Annex V-A to this Agreement, it may request recognition of this status in accordance with the procedure laid down in Annex VI Part C to this Agreement. In this regard, the importing Party may request guarantees, accompanied with an explanatory note, in respect of imports of live animals and animal products, which are appropriate to the agreed status of the Parties;

(c) the Parties recognise as the basis for trade between them the status of the territories or the regions, or the status in a sector or a sub-sector of the Parties related to the prevalence or the incidence of an animal disease other than a disease listed in Annex V-A to this Agreement, or related to infections in animals and/or the associated risk, as appropriate, as determined by the OIE. In this regard, the importing Party may request guarantees, in respect of imports of live animals and animal products, which are appropriate to the defined status in accordance with the recommendations of OIE; and

(d) without prejudice to Articles 58, 60 and 64 of this Agreement, and unless the importing Party raises an explicit objection and requests supporting or additional information, consultations and/or verification, each Party shall take without undue delay the necessary legislative and administrative measures to allow trade on the basis of the provisions of points (a), (b) and (c) of this paragraph.

2. As regards pests, the following shall apply:

(a) the Parties recognise for trade purposes the pest status in respect of pests specified in Annex V-B to this Agreement as determined in Annex VI-B; and

(b) without prejudice to Articles 58, 60 and 64 of this Agreement, and unless the importing Party raises an explicit objection and requests supporting or additional information, consultations and/or verification, each Party shall take without undue delay the necessary legislative and administrative measures to allow trade on the basis of the provision of point (a) of this paragraph.

Recognition of regionalisation/zoning, pest free areas (PFAs) and protected zones (PZs)

3. The Parties recognise the concept of regionalisation and PFAs as specified in the relevant International Plant Protection Convention of 1997 (IPPC) and the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and of protected zones in accordance with Directive 2000/29/EC, which they agree to apply to trade between them.

4. The Parties agree that regionalisation decisions for animal and fish diseases listed in Annex V-A to this Agreement and for pests listed in Annex V-B to this Agreement shall be taken in accordance with the provisions of Part A and B of Annex VI to this Agreement.

5. As regards animal diseases in accordance with the provisions of Article 58 of this Agreement the exporting Party seeking recognition of its regionalisation decision by the importing Party shall notify its measures with full explanations and supporting data for its determinations and decisions. Without prejudice to Article 59 of this Agreement, and unless the importing Party raises an explicit objection and requests additional information, consultations and/or verification within 15 working days following receipt of the notification, the regionalisation decision so notified shall be deemed accepted.

The consultations referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall take place in accordance with Article 59(3) of this Agreement. The importing Party shall assess the additional information within 15 working days following receipt of the additional information. The verification referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be carried out in accordance with Article 62 of this Agreement within 25 working days following receipt of the request for verification.

6. As regards pests, each Party shall ensure that trade in plants, plant products and other objects takes account, as appropriate, of the pest status in an area recognised as a protected zone or as a PFA by the other Party. A Party seeking recognition of its PFA by the other Party shall notify its measures and, upon request, provide full explanation and supporting data for its establishment and maintenance, as guided by appropriate FAO or IPPC standards, including ISPMs. Without prejudice to Article 64 of this Agreement, and unless a Party raises an explicit objection and requests additional information, consultations and/or verification within three months following the notification, the regionalisation decision for PFA so notified shall be ►C1 deemed accepted. ◄

The consultations referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall take place in accordance with Article 59(3) of this Agreement. The importing Party shall assess the additional information within three months following the receipt of the additional information. The verification referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be carried out in accordance with Article 62 of this Agreement within 12 months following the receipt of the request for verification, taking into account the biology of the pest and the crop concerned.

7. After finalisation of the procedures of paragraphs 4 to 6, and without prejudice to Article 64 of this Agreement, each Party shall take, without undue delay, the necessary legislative and administrative measures to allow trade on that basis.

Compartmentalisation

8. The Parties may engage in further discussions with regard to the issue of compartmentalisation.

Article 57

Recognition of equivalence

1. Equivalence may be recognised in relation to:

(a) an individual measure;

(b) a group of measures; or

(c) a system applicable to a sector, sub-sector, commodities or a group of commodities.

2. As regards recognition of equivalence the Parties shall follow the process set out in paragraph 3 of this Article. This process shall include an objective demonstration of equivalence by the exporting Party and an objective assessment of the request by the importing Party. This assessment may include inspections or verifications.

3. Upon request of the exporting Party concerning recognition of equivalence as set out in paragraph 1 of this Article the Parties shall without delay and no later than three months following the receipt of such a request by the importing Party, initiate the consultation process which includes the steps set out in Annex VIII to this Agreement. In case of multiple requests from the exporting Party, the Parties, upon request of the importing Party, shall agree within the SPS Sub-Committee referred to in Article 65 of this Agreement on a time schedule in which they shall initiate and conduct the process referred to in this paragraph.

4. Georgia shall notify the Union as soon as approximation is achieved in relation to a measure, a group of measures or a system as set out in paragraph 1 of this Article as a result of the monitoring provided for in Article 55(3) of this Agreement. This fact shall be considered as a basis for a request of Georgia to initiate the process of the recognition of equivalence of the measures concerned, as set out in paragraph 3 of this Article.

5. Unless otherwise agreed, the importing Party shall finalise the process for recognition of equivalence referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article within 360 days after the receipt of the request of the exporting Party, including a dossier demonstrating the equivalence. This time-limit may be extended with regard to seasonal crops when it is justifiable to delay the assessment to permit verification during a suitable period of growth of a crop.

6. The importing Party determines equivalence as regards plants, plant products and other objects in accordance with the relevant ISPMs.

7. The importing Party may withdraw or suspend equivalence on the basis of any amendment by one of the Parties of measures affecting equivalence, provided that the following procedure is followed:

(a) in accordance with the provisions of Article 58(2) of this Agreement, the exporting Party shall inform the importing Party of any proposal for amendment of its measures for which equivalence of measures is recognised and the likely effect of the proposed measures on the equivalence which has been recognised. Within 30 working days following the receipt of this information, the importing Party shall inform the exporting Party whether or not equivalence would continue to be recognised on the basis of the proposed measures;

(b) in accordance with the provisions of Article 58(2) of this Agreement, the importing Party shall promptly inform the exporting Party of any proposal for amendment of its measures on which recognition of equivalence has been based and the likely effect of the proposed measures on the equivalence which has been recognised. Should the importing Party not continue to recognise equivalence, the Parties may agree on the conditions under which to reinitiate the process referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article on the basis of the proposed measures.

8. The recognition, suspension or withdrawal of equivalence rests solely with the importing Party acting in accordance with its administrative and legislative framework. That Party shall provide to the exporting Party in writing full explanation and supporting data used for the determinations and decisions covered by this Article. In case of non-recognition, suspension or withdrawal of equivalence, the importing Party shall indicate to the exporting Party the required conditions on the basis of which the process referred to in paragraph 3 may be reinitiated.

9. Without prejudice to Article 64 of this Agreement, the importing Party may not withdraw or suspend equivalence before the proposed new measures of either Party enter into force.

10. In case equivalence is formally recognised by the importing Party, on the basis of the consultation process as set out in Annex VIII to this Agreement, the SPS Sub-Committee shall, in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 65(5) of this Agreement, declare the recognition of equivalence in trade between the Parties. This decision may also provide for the reduction of physical checks at the frontiers, simplification of certificates and pre-listing procedures for the establishments, as applicable.

The status of recognition of equivalence shall be listed in Annex XII to this Agreement.

Article 58

Transparency and exchange of information

1. Without prejudice to Article 59 of this Agreement, the Parties shall cooperate to enhance mutual understanding of the other Party's official control structure and mechanisms tasked with the application of the measures listed in Annex IV to this Agreement and of the performance of such structure and mechanism. This can be achieved, inter alia, through reports of international audits when these are made public and the Parties can exchange information on the results of such audits or other information, as appropriate.

2. In the framework of approximation of legislation as referred to in Article 55 of this Agreement or of recognition of equivalence as referred to in Article 57 of this Agreement, the Parties shall keep each other informed of legislative or procedural changes adopted in the concerned areas.

3. In this context, the Union shall inform Georgia well in advance of changes to the Union legislation to allow Georgia to consider modification of its legislation accordingly.

The necessary level of cooperation should be reached in order to facilitate transmission of legislative documents upon request of one of the Parties.

To this effect, each Party shall notify the other Party of its contact points. The Parties shall also notify each other of any changes to the contact points.

Article 59

Notification, consultation and facilitation of communication

1. Each Party shall notify in writing the other Party within two working days of any serious or significant human, animal or plant health risk, including any food control emergencies or situations where there is a clearly identified risk of serious health effects associated with the consumption of animal or plant products, in particular:

(a) any measures affecting regionalisation decisions referred to in Article 56 of this Agreement;

(b) the presence or evolution of any animal disease listed in Annex V-A to this Agreement or of the regulated pests listed in Annex V-B to this Agreement;

(c) findings of epidemiological importance or important associated risks with respect to animal diseases and pests which are not listed in Annexes V-A and V-B to this Agreement or which are new animal diseases or pests; and

(d) any additional measures beyond the basic requirements to their respective measures taken to control or eradicate animal diseases or pests or protect public or plant health and any changes in prophylactic policies, including vaccination policies.

2. Notifications shall be made in writing to the contact points referred to in Article 58(1) of this Agreement.

A notification in writing means notification by mail, fax or e-mail.

3. Where a Party has serious concerns regarding a risk to human, animal or plant health, consultations regarding the situation shall, upon request of that Party, take place as soon as possible and, in any case, within 15 working days from the date of that request. In such situations, each Party shall endeavour to provide all the information necessary to avoid a disruption in trade, and to reach a mutually acceptable solution consistent with the protection of human, animal or plant health.

4. Upon request of a Party, consultations regarding animal welfare shall take place as soon as possible and, in any case, within 20 working days from the date of notification. In such situations, each Party shall endeavour to provide all the requested information.

5. Upon request of a Party, consultations as referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4 of this Article shall be held by video or audio conference. The requesting Party shall ensure the preparation of the minutes of the consultation, which shall be formally approved by the Parties. For the purposes of this approval, the provisions of Article 58(3) of this Agreement shall apply.

6. A mutually applied rapid alert system and early warning mechanism for any veterinary and phytosanitary emergencies will start at a later stage after Georgia implements the necessary legislation in this field and creates conditions for their proper working on the spot.

Article 60

Trade conditions

1. Import conditions prior to recognition of equivalence:

(a) The Parties agree to subject imports of any commodity covered by Annexes IV-A and IV-C(2) and (3) to this Agreement to conditions prior to recognition of equivalence. Without prejudice to the decisions taken in accordance with Article 56 of this Agreement, the import conditions of the importing Party shall be applicable to the total territory of the exporting Party. Upon entry into force of this Agreement and in accordance with the provisions of Article 58 of this Agreement, the importing Party shall inform the exporting Party of its sanitary and/or phytosanitary import requirements for commodities referred to in Annexes IV-A and IV-C to this Agreement. This information shall include, as appropriate, the models for the official certificates or declarations or commercial documents, as prescribed by the importing Party; and

(b) (i) Any amendment or proposed amendment of the conditions referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article shall comply with the relevant notification procedures of the SPS Agreement; (ii) Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 64 of this Agreement, the importing Party shall take into account the transport time between the Parties to establish the date of entering into force of the amended conditions referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article; and (iii) If the importing Party fails to comply with the notification requirements referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article, it shall continue to accept the certificate or the attestation guaranteeing the previously applicable conditions until 30 days after the amended import conditions enter into force.

2. Import conditions after recognition of equivalence:

(a) Within 90 days following the date of the decision on recognition of equivalence as specified in Article 57(10) of this Agreement, the Parties shall take the necessary legislative and administrative measures to implement the recognition of equivalence in order to allow on that basis trade between them of commodities referred to in Annexes IV-A and IV-C(2) and (3) to this Agreement. For those commodities, the model for the official certificate or official document required by the importing Party may, then, be replaced by a certificate drawn up as provided for in Annex X-B to this Agreement;

(b) For commodities in sectors or sub-sectors for which not all measures are recognised as equivalent, trade shall continue on the basis of compliance with the conditions referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article. Upon request of the exporting Party, the provisions of paragraph 5 of this Article shall apply.

3. From the date of entry into force of this Agreement, the commodities referred to Annexes IV-A and IV-C(2) to this Agreement shall not be subject to an import permit between the Parties.

4. For conditions affecting trade of the commodities referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article, upon request of the exporting Party, the Parties shall enter into consultations within the SPS Sub-Committee in accordance with the provisions of Article 65 of this Agreement, in order to agree on alternative or additional import conditions of the importing Party. Such alternative or additional import conditions may, when appropriate, be based on measures of the exporting Party recognised as equivalent by the importing Party. If agreed, the importing Party shall within 90 days take the necessary legislative and/or administrative measures to allow import on the basis of the agreed import conditions.

5. List of establishments, provisional approval

(a) For the import of animal products referred to in Part 2 of Annex IV-A to this Agreement, upon request of the exporting Party accompanied by the appropriate guarantees, the importing Party shall provisionally approve processing establishments referred to in Annex VII.2 to this Agreement which are situated in the territory of the exporting Party, without prior inspection of individual establishments. Such approval shall be consistent with the conditions and provisions set out in Annex VII to this Agreement. Except when additional information is requested, the importing Party shall take the necessary legislative and/or administrative measures to allow import on that basis within 30 working days following the date of receipt of the request and the relevant guarantees by the importing Party.

The initial list of establishments shall be approved in accordance with the provisions of Annex VII to this Agreement.

(b) For the import of animal products referred to in paragraph 2(a) of this Article, the exporting Party shall inform the importing Party of its list of establishments meeting the importing Party's requirements.

6. Upon request of a Party, the other Party shall provide the necessary explanation and the supporting data for the determinations and decisions covered by this Article.

Article 61

Certification procedure

1. For purposes of certification procedures and issuing of certificates and official documents the parties agree on the principles set out in Annex X to this Agreement.

2. The SPS Sub-Committee referred to in Article 65 of this Agreement may agree on the rules to be followed in case of electronic certification, withdrawal or replacement of certificates.

3. In the framework of approximated legislation as referred to in Article 55 of this Agreement, the Parties shall agree on common models of certificates, where applicable.

Article 62

Verification

1. In order to maintain confidence in the effective implementation of the provisions of this Chapter each Party has the right:

(a) to carry out verification of all or part of the inspection and certification system of the other Party's authorities, and/or of other measures, where applicable, in accordance with the relevant international standards, guidelines and recommendations of Codex Alimentarius, OIE and IPPC;

(b) to receive information from the other Party about its control system and be informed of the results of the controls carried out under that system respecting the confidentiality provisions applicable in either Party.

2. Either Party may share the results of the verifications referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article with third parties and make the results publicly available as may be required by provisions applicable to either Party. Confidentiality provisions applicable to either Party shall be respected in such sharing and/or publication of the results, where appropriate.

3. If the importing Party decides to carry out a verification visit to the exporting Party, the importing Party shall notify the exporting Party of this verification visit at least 60 working days before the verification visit is to be carried out, except in emergency cases or if the Parties agree otherwise. Any modification to this visit shall be agreed by the Parties.

4. The costs incurred in undertaking a verification of all or part of the other Party's competent authorities' inspection and certification systems and/or other measure, where applicable, shall be borne by the Party carrying out the verification or the inspection.

5. The draft written communication of verifications shall be forwarded to the exporting Party within 60 working days after the end of verification. The exporting Party shall have 45 working days to comment on the draft written communication. Comments made by the exporting Party shall be attached to and, where appropriate included in the final outcome. However, where a significant human, animal or plant health risk has been identified during the verification, the exporting Party shall be informed as quickly as possible and in any case within 10 working days following the end of the verification.

6. For clarity the results of verification may contribute to the procedures referred to in Articles 55, 57 and 63 of this Agreement conducted by the Parties or one of the Parties.

Article 63

Import checks and inspection fees

1. The Parties agree that import checks by the importing Party of consignments from the exporting Party shall respect the principles set out in Part A of Annex IX to this Agreement. The results of these checks may contribute to the verification process referred to in Article 62 of this Agreement.

2. The frequencies of physical import checks applied by each Party are set out in Part B of Annex IX to this Agreement. A Party may amend these frequencies within its competences and in accordance with its internal legislation, as a result of progress made in accordance with Articles 55, 57 and 60 of this Agreement, or as a result of verifications, consultations or other measures provided for in this Agreement. SPS Sub-Committee referred to in Article 65 shall modify Part B of Annex IX to this Agreement by decision, accordingly.

3. Inspection fees, if applicable, may only cover the costs incurred by the competent authority for performing import checks. The fee shall be calculated on the same basis as the fees charged for the inspection of similar domestic products.

4. The importing Party shall upon request of the exporting Party inform the latter of any amendment, including the reasons for such an amendment concerning the measures affecting import checks and inspection fees, and of any significant changes in the administrative conduct for such checks.

5. From a date to be determined by the SPS Sub-Committee referred to in Article 65 of this Agreement, the Parties may agree on the conditions to approve each other's controls referred to in Article 62(1)(b) of this Agreement with a view to adapt and reciprocally reduce, where applicable, the frequency of physical import checks for the commodities referred to in Article 60(2)(a) of this Agreement.

From that date the Parties may reciprocally approve each other's controls for certain commodities and, consequently reduce or replace the import checks for these commodities.

Article 64

Safeguard measures

1. Should the exporting Party take measures within its territory to control any cause likely to constitute a serious hazard or risk to human, animal or plant health, the exporting Party, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article, shall take equivalent measures to prevent the introduction of the hazard or risk into the territory of the importing Party.

2. On the basis of serious human, animal or plant health grounds, the importing Party may, take provisional measures necessary for the protection of human, animal or plant health. For consignments en route between the Parties, the importing Party shall consider the most suitable and proportionate solution in order to avoid unnecessary disruptions to trade.

3. The Party adopting measures under paragraph 2 of this Article, shall inform the other Party no later than one working day following the date of the adoption of the measures. Upon request of either Party, and in accordance with the provisions of Article 59(3) of this Agreement, the Parties shall hold consultations regarding the situation within 15 working days of the notification. The Parties shall take due account of any information provided through such consultations and shall endeavour to avoid unnecessary disruption to trade, taking into account, where applicable, the outcome of the consultations provided for in Article 59(3) of this Agreement.

Article 65

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Sub-Committee

1. The SPS Sub-Committee is hereby established. It shall meet within three months after the date of entry into force of this Agreement, upon request of either Party thereafter, or at least once every year. If agreed by the Parties, a meeting of the SPS Sub-Committee may be held by video or audio-conference. The SPS Sub-Committee may also address issues out of session, by correspondence.

2. SPS Sub-Committee shall have the following functions:

(a) to consider any matter relating to this Chapter;

(b) to monitor the implementation of this Chapter and examine all matters which may arise in relation to its implementation;

(c) to review the Annexes IV to XII to this Agreement, notably in the light of progress made under the consultations and procedures provided for under this Chapter;

(d) to modify by mean