COMMISSION DECISION (EU) 2022/796

of 12 May 2022

approving, on behalf of the European Union, an amendment to Annex XVIII to the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to the Council Decision 2012/734/EU of 25 June 2012 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other, and the provisional application of Part IV thereof concerning trade matters (1) and in particular Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The entry into force of the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other, (‘the Agreement’) is pending.

(2) However, Article 353(4) of the Agreement provides for the provisional application of Part IV of the Agreement concerning trade matters. Consequently, Part IV of the Agreement has been provisionally applied since 1 August 2013 in respect of Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, since 1 October 2013 in respect of Costa Rica and El Salvador, and since 1 December 2013 in respect of Guatemala.

(3) Article 247 of the Agreement provides for the possibility to add new geographical indications to Annex XVIII (‘Protected Geographical Indications’) to the Agreement after having completed the objection procedure and after having been successfully examined by the competent national or regional authorities in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures for the Association Council.

(4) Costa Rica submitted to the Union a request to add one new geographical indication to Part B of Annex XVIII to the Agreement. The Union completed the objection procedure and the examination of that new geographical indication.

(5) El Salvador submitted to the Union a request to add ten new geographical indications to Part B of Annex XVIII to the Agreement. The Union completed the objection procedure and the examination of those new geographical indications.

(6) Pursuant to Article 6 of the Agreement, the Association Council established pursuant to Article 4 of the Agreement has the power to modify the list of geographical indications set out in Annex XVIII to the Agreement.

(7) Article 274 of the Agreement establishes a Sub-Committee on Intellectual Property, which may recommend, for approval by the Association Council, modifications of the list of geographical indications set out in Annex XVIII to the Agreement.

(8) On 13 June 2022, the Sub-Committee on Intellectual Property assessed the information in relation to the additional geographical indication of Costa Rica and El Salvador and recommended to the Association Council to modify Part B of Annex XVIII to the Agreement accordingly.

(9) Part B of Annex XVIII to the Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly and the amendments should be approved on behalf of the Union,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1 The amendments to part B of Annex XVIII, to the Agreement set out in the draft Decision of the Association Council, are hereby approved on behalf of the Union. The draft Decision of the Association Council is attached to this Decision.

Article 2 The representative of the Union in the Association Council is authorised to approve the decision of the Association Council on behalf of the Union.

Article 3 This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. After its adoption, the Decision of the Association Council shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 12 May 2022. For the Commission Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 346, 15.12.2012, p. 1.