COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2021/1854

of 18 October 2021

on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Association Council set up by 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, as regards the extension of the validity of the EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities until new Partnership Priorities are adopted by the Association Council

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 217 in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) 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) (the ‘Agreement’) was signed on 24 November 1997 and entered into force on 1 May 2002.

(2) The Association Council adopted the EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities by its Decision No 1/2016 (2) and extended them by its Decision No 1/2018 (3) until the end of 2020.

(3) In an Exchange of Letters, both sides agreed that the validity of the EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities should be extended as a guiding document to consolidate the partnership pending the adoption of new updated Partnership Priorities.

(4) Under Article 91 of the Agreement, the Association Council has the power to take decisions for the purpose of attaining the objectives of the Agreement.

(5) The Association Council is to adopt a decision by written procedure to extend the validity of the Partnership Priorities until new updated Partnership Priorities are adopted by the Association Council.

(6) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the Association Council, as the decision of the Association Council will have legal effects.

(7) The position of the Union within the Association Council should therefore be based on the draft Decision of the Association Council,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf within the Association Council set up by 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, as regards the extension of the validity of the EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities until new updated Partnership Priorities are adopted by the Association Council, shall be based on the draft Decision of the Association Council (4).

Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Luxembourg, 18 October 2021. For the Council The President J. BORRELL FONTELLES

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

(2) Decision No 1/2016 of the EU-Jordan Association Council of 19 December 2016 agreeing on EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities (OJ L 355, 24.12.2016, p. 31).

(3) Decision No 1/2018 of the EU-Jordan Association Council of 12 December 2018 agreeing on a two-year extension of the EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities (OJ L 8, 10.1.2019, p. 34).

(4) See document ST 12261/21 on http://register.consilium.europa.eu.