EN Official Journal of the European Union L 207/16

COUNCIL DECISION

of 18 June 2007

on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan amending the EC-Jordan Association Agreement

(2008/637/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133, in conjunction with the first sentence of the first subparagraph of Article 300(2), thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) In accordance with the provisions of Article 15 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part (1) (hereinafter referred to as the Association Agreement), the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and amending the EC-Jordan Association Agreement as well as replacing Annexes I, II, III and IV and Protocols 1 and 2 to that Agreement (2) (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters), approved by Council Decision 2006/67/EC (3), introduced further bilateral trade concessions in agricultural and processed agricultural products with effect from 1 January 2006.

(2) After the adoption of Decision 2006/67/EC, the Jordanian authorities informed the Commission services of discrepancies relating to certain Jordanian customs nomenclature codes.

(3) It should be clarified that the new reciprocal liberalisation measures introduced by the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters only relate to agricultural and processed agricultural products, and not to fish and fisheries products covered by Chapter 3, headings 1604 and 1605, and sub-headings 0511 91, 2301 20 and ex19 02 20 (stuffed pasta containing more than 20 % by weight of fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates).

(4) Therefore, Articles 11a and 16, as well as Annex III and the Annex to Protocol 2 to the Association Agreement should be amended in order to correct these discrepancies.

(5) For processed agricultural products, which are subject to a revision clause, a reference to the time schedule of the revision should be added,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan amending the EC-Jordan Association Agreement is hereby approved on behalf of the Community.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters in order to bind the Community.

Article 3

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Luxembourg, 18 June 2007. For the Council The President F.-W. STEINMEIER

(1) OJ L 129, 15.5.2002, p. 3.

(2) OJ L 41, 13.2.2006, p. 3.

(3) OJ L 41, 13.2.2006, p. 1.

EN Official Journal of the European Union L 207/18

AGREEMENT

in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan amending the EC-Jordan Association Agreement

Sir,

I have the honour of referring to the information provided by your authorities after the adoption of Council Decision 2006/67/EC of 20 December 2005 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and amending the EC-Jordan Association Agreement as well as replacing Annexes I, II, III and IV and Protocols 1 and 2 to that Agreement, as regards discrepancies in reference to certain Jordanian customs nomenclatures codes.

In order to refer to the timing foreseen for the revision of the concessions applicable to processed agricultural products, a new paragraph 5a is inserted in Article 11a of the Association Agreement:

‘5a. From 1 January 2009 the Community and Jordan shall assess the situation with a view to determining the liberalisation measures to be applied by the Community and Jordan with effect from 1 January 2010.’

In order to confirm that the new reciprocal liberalisation measures introduced by the Agreement approved by Decision 2006/67/EC only relate to agricultural and processed agricultural products and not to fisheries products, Article 16 of the Association Agreement is replaced by the following:

‘Article 16 1. Agricultural products other than fish and fisheries products covered by Chapter 3, headings 1604 and 1605, and subheadings 0511 91, 2301 20 and ex19 02 20 (stuffed pasta containing more than 20 % by weight of fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates) originating in Jordan shall benefit on import into the Community from the provisions set out in Protocol 1. 2. Agricultural products other than fish and fisheries products covered by Chapter 3, headings 1604 and 1605, and sub-headings 0511 91, 2301 20 and ex19 02 20 (stuffed pasta containing more than 20 % by weight of fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates) originating in the Community shall benefit on import into Jordan from the provisions set out in Protocol 2.’

In order to correct the abovementioned discrepancies in reference to certain Jordanian customs nomenclature codes, Annex III and the Annex to Protocol 2 to the Association Agreement are amended as follows:

1. in Annex III: (a) in list A, codes 210690300, 210690400 and 210690600 are deleted; (b) in list B, codes 1301100000, 130120100, 130120900, 130190100, 130190900, 130211100, 130211200, 130239100, 130239900, 190211100, 190211900, 190590210 and 210690900 are deleted; (c) in list D, code 350190000 is deleted; (d) in list E, codes 190300000, 200520100 and 210690990 are deleted; (e) in list F, code 190539000 is replaced by code 190532000; (f) in list G, the text shall read as follows: ‘List of processed agricultural products for which customs duties shall not be abolished.’;

2. in the Annex to Protocol 2: (a) under category A, one iteration of code 130110100 is deleted; (b) under category B, code 130213000 is deleted; (c) under category E, one iteration of code 130110900 is deleted.

This Agreement shall be applicable retroactively from 1 January 2006.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that your Government is in agreement with the above.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Съставено в Брюксел на

Hecho en Bruselas, el

V Bruselu dne

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den

Geschehen zu Brüssel am

Brüssel,

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις

Done at Brussels,

Fait à Bruxelles, le

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì

Briselē,

Priimta Briuselyje,

Kelt Brüsszelben,

Gedaan te Brussel,

Sporządzono w Brukseli, dnia

Feito em Bruxelas,

Adoptat la Bruxelles,

V Bruseli

V Bruslju,

Tehty Brysselissä

Utfärdat i Bryssel den

26.9.2007

За Европейската общност Por la Comunidad Europea Za Evropské společenství For Det Europæiske Fællesskab Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft Euroopa Ühenduse nimel Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα For the European Community Pour la Communauté européenne Per la Comunità europea Eiropas Kopienas vārdā — Europos bendrijos vardu Az Európai Közösség részéről Voor de Europese Gemeenschap W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej Pela Comunidade Europeia Pentru Comunitatea Europeană Za Európske spoločenstvo Za Evropsko skupnost Euroopan yhteisön puolesta För Europeiska gemenskapen

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of today’s date, worded as follows:

‘I have the honour of referring to the information provided by your authorities after the adoption of Council Decision 2006/67/EC of 20 December 2005 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and amending the EC-Jordan Association Agreement as well as replacing Annexes I, II, III and IV and Protocols 1 and 2 to that Agreement, as regards discrepancies in reference to certain Jordanian customs nomenclatures codes.

In order to refer to the timing foreseen for the revision of the concessions applicable to processed agricultural products, a new paragraph 5a is inserted in Article 11a of the Association Agreement:

“5a. From 1 January 2009 the Community and Jordan shall assess the situation with a view to determining the liberalisation measures to be applied by the Community and Jordan with effect from 1 January 2010.”

In order to confirm that the new reciprocal liberalisation measures introduced by the Agreement approved by Decision 2006/67/EC only relate to agricultural and processed agricultural products and not to fisheries products, Article 16 of the Association Agreement is replaced by the following:

“Article 16 1. Agricultural products other than fish and fisheries products covered by Chapter 3, headings 1604 and 1605, and sub-headings 0511 91, 2301 20 and ex19 02 20 (stuffed pasta containing more than 20 % by weight of fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates) originating in Jordan shall benefit on import into the Community from the provisions set out in Protocol 1. 2. Agricultural products other than fish and fisheries products covered by Chapter 3, headings 1604 and 1605, and subheadings 0511 91, 2301 20 and ex19 02 20 (stuffed pasta containing more than 20 % by weight of fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates) originating in the Community shall benefit on import into Jordan from the provisions set out in Protocol 2.”

In order to correct the abovementioned discrepancies in reference to certain Jordanian customs nomenclature codes, Annex III and the Annex to Protocol 2 to the Association Agreement are amended as follows:

1. in Annex III: (a) in list A, codes 210690300, 210690400 and 210690600 are deleted; (b) in list B, codes 1301100000, 130120100, 130120900, 130190100, 130190900, 130211100, 130211200, 130239100, 130239900, 190211100, 190211900, 190590210 and 210690900 are deleted; (c) in list D, code 350190000 is deleted; (d) in list E, codes 190300000, 200520100 and 210690990 are deleted; (e) in list F, code 190539000 is replaced by code 190532000; (f) in list G, the text shall read as follows: “List of processed agricultural products for which customs duties shall not be abolished.”;

2. in the Annex to Protocol 2: (a) under category A, one iteration of code 130110100 is deleted; (b) under category B, code 130213000 is deleted; (c) under category E, one iteration of code 130110900 is deleted.

This Agreement shall be applicable retroactively from 1 January 2006.

I should be obliged if you would confirm that your Government is in agreement with the above.’

I am able to inform you that my Government is in agreement with the contents of your letter.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Done at Brussels,

Съставено в Брюксел на

Hecho en Bruselas, el

V Bruselu dne

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den

Geschehen zu Brüssel am

Brüssel,

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις

Fait à Bruxelles, le

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì

Briselē,

Priimta Briuselyje,

Kelt Brüsszelben,

Gedaan te Brussel,

Sporządzono w Brukseli, dnia

Feito em Bruxelas,

Adoptat la Bruxelles,

V Bruseli

V Bruslju,

Tehty Brysselissä

Utfärdat i Bryssel den

26.9.2007