COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2022/2517

of 12 December 2022

on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Joint Committee established by the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the carriage of freight by road, as regards the adoption of the rules of procedure of the Joint Committee and the continuation of the Agreement

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91 in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the carriage of freight by road (1) (‘the Agreement’) was signed by the Union in accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2022/1165 (2) and has been provisionally applied from 29 June 2022.

(2) Article 6(1) of the Agreement establishes a Joint Committee to supervise and monitor the application and implementation of the Agreement and periodically review its functioning in light of its objectives.

(3) Article 6(6) of the Agreement provides that the Joint Committee is to adopt its rules of procedure. In order to ensure the proper implementation of the Agreement, the Joint Committee’s rules of procedure should be adopted.

(4) As set out in Article 5 of the Agreement, the Agreement is to apply until 31 March 2023. The Joint Committee is, however, to be convened at the latest three months before the expiry of the Agreement in order to assess and decide on the need for the continuation of the Agreement.

(5) In order for both the Union and the Republic of Moldova to continue benefitting from the Agreement, it should be prolonged until 30 June 2024.

(6) During its meeting on 15 December 2022, the Joint Committee is to adopt decisions adopting its rules of procedure and on the need for the continuation of the Agreement, including the duration thereof.

(7) It is therefore appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the Joint Committee on the adoption of the rules of procedure and the continuation of the Agreement, as its decisions will be binding on the Union.

(8) The position of the Union within the Joint Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft decisions,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf within the Joint Committee established by Article 6 of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the carriage of freight by road (‘the Agreement’), as regards the adoption of its rules of procedure and the continuation of the Agreement, including the duration thereof, shall be based on the draft decisions of the Joint Committee attached to this Decision (3). Minor changes to the draft decisions of the Joint Committee may be agreed to by the representatives of the Union within the Joint Committee without a further decision of the Council.

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

Done at Brussels, 12 December 2022. For the Council The President Z. NEKULA

(1) OJ L 181, 7.7.2022, p. 4.

(2) Council Decision (EU) 2022/1165 of 27 June 2022 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, and provisional application of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the carriage of freight by road (OJ L 181, 7.7.2022, p. 1).

(3) See documents ST 15347/22 ADD1 and ST 15347/22 ADD2 at http://register.consilium.europa.eu.