Additional Protocol

adjusting the trade aspects of the Interim Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part, to take account of the outcome of the negotiations between the parties on reciprocal preferential concessions for certain wines, the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of wine names and the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of designations for spirits and aromatised drinks

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, hereinafter referred to as "the Community",

of the one part, and

THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, hereinafter referred to as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia",

of the other part,

hereinafter referred to as "the Contracting Parties",

WHEREAS the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part, was signed by Exchange of Letters in Luxembourg on 9 April 2001,

WHEREAS Article 27(4) of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement provides that a wine and spirits agreement remains to be negotiated,

WHEREAS an Interim Agreement ensuring the development of trade links through the establishment of a contractual relation and implementing as speedily as possible the provisions of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement on trade and trade-related matters, entered into force on 1 June 2001. Article 14(4) of the Interim Agreement repeats the commitment to a separate wine and spirits agreement,

WHEREAS on this basis negotiations have been undertaken and were concluded between the Parties,

WHEREAS in order to ensure consistency within the overall stabilisation process, the wine and spirits agreement should be integrated into the framework of the Interim Agreement in the form of a Protocol,

WHEREAS this Protocol on wines and spirits should enter into force on 1 January 2002,

WHEREAS to this end it is necessary to implement as speedily as possible the provisions of this Protocol,

DESIROUS of improving the conditions for the marketing of wines, spirits and aromatised drinks on their respective markets, in accordance with the principles of quality, mutual benefit and reciprocity,

HAVING REGARD to the interest of both Contracting Parties in the reciprocal protection and control of wine names, designations for spirits and aromatised drinks,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

This Protocol includes the following elements:

1. an Agreement on reciprocal preferential trade concessions for certain wines (Annex I to this Protocol);

2. an Agreement on the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of wine names (Annex II to this Protocol);

3. an Agreement on the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of designations of spirits and aromatised drinks (Annex III to this Protocol).

The lists referred to in Article 5 of the Agreement mentioned in point 2 and in Article 5 of the Agreement mentioned in point 3 shall be established at a later stage and approved according to the procedure laid down in the respective Articles 13 and 14 of these Agreements.

Article 2

This Protocol shall form an integral part of the Interim Agreement. The Annexes to this Protocol shall form an integral part thereof.

Article 3

This Protocol shall be approved by the Community and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in accordance with their own procedures. The Contracting Parties shall take the necessary measures to implement this Protocol.

The Contracting Parties shall notify each other of the accomplishment of the corresponding procedures according to the first paragraph of Article 3.

Article 4

Subject to completion of the procedures referred to in Article 3, this Protocol shall enter into force on 1 January 2002 and become applicable on the same date.

Article 5

This Protocol shall be drawn up in duplicate in each of the official languages of the Contracting Parties, each of these texts being equally authentic.