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( 1 ) OJ N L 61 , 14 . 3 . 1971 , P . 3 .

( 2 ) THE DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE AGREEMENT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES .

COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) N 666/76

OF 25 MARCH 1976

CONCLUDING THE AGREEMENT EXTENDING THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AS ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND MALTA

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY , AND IN PARTICULAR ARTICLE 238 THEREOF ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE OPINION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ,

WHEREAS THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND MALTA ( 1 ) , SIGNED AT VALLETTA ON 5 DECEMBER 1970 , EXPIRE ON 31 MARCH 1976 ;

WHEREAS THE AGREEMENT IN QUESTION PROVIDES FOR THE OPENING OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH A VIEW TO DEFINING THE CONTENT OF THE SECOND STAGE ;

WHEREAS , PENDING THE ADOPTION AND ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE SECOND STAGE , AN AGREEMENT SHOULD BE CONCLUDED EXTENDING THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE SAID AGREEMENT ,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :

ARTICLE 1

THE AGREEMENT EXTENDING THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND MALTA IS HEREBY CONCLUDED ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY .

THE TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT IS ANNEXED TO THIS REGULATION .

ARTICLE 2

THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL SHALL GIVE THE NOTIFICATION REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 2 OF THE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY ( 2 ) .

ARTICLE 3

THIS REGULATION SHALL ENTER INTO FORCE ON THE THIRD DAY FOLLOWING ITS PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES .

THIS REGULATION SHALL BE BINDING IN ITS ENTIRETY AND DIRECTLY APPLICABLE IN ALL MEMBER STATES .

DONE AT BRUSSELS , 25 MARCH 1976 .

FOR THE COUNCIL

THE PRESIDENT

M . MART

AGREEMENT

EXTENDING THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND MALTA

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,

OF THE ONE PART , AND

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA ,

OF THE OTHER PART ,

CONSIDERING THAT THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND MALTA , SIGNED AT VALLETTA ON 5 DECEMBER 1970 , HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS " THE AGREEMENT " , EXPIRE ON 31 MARCH 1976 ;

CONSIDERING THAT THE CONTRACTING PARTIES HAVE MADE IT THEIR AIM TO NEGOTIATE A SECOND STAGE PROVIDING FOR A FURTHER ELIMINATION OF OBSTACLES TO TRADE BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND MALTA AND THE ADOPTION BY MALTA OF THE COMMON CUSTOMS TARIFF ;

RECOGNIZING THAT IT HAS PROVED IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE NEGOTIATIONS RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF THE CONTENT OF THE SECOND STAGE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME ;

HAVE DECIDED TO EXTEND THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE AGREEMENT UNTIL THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE SECOND STAGE BUT NOT LATER THAN 30 JUNE 1977 , AND TO THIS END HAVE DESIGNATED AS THEIR PLENIPOTENTIARIES :

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES :

JEAN DONDELINGER ,

AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY , PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LUXEMBOURG ,

CHAIRMAN OF THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ;

THEODORUS HIJZEN ,

DIRECTOR - GENERAL OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS OF THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ;

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA :

JOSEPH ATTARD KINGSWELL ,

AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY ,

PERMANENT DELEGATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA TO THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY ;

WHO , HAVING EXCHANGED THEIR FULL POWERS , FOUND IN GOOD AND DUE FORM ,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS :

ARTICLE 1

ARTICLE 2 ( 2 ) OF THE AGREEMENT SHALL BE REPLACED BY THE FOLLOWING :

" 2 . THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR TWO SUCCESSIVE STAGES . THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE FIRST STAGE SHALL APPLY UNTIL THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE SECOND STAGE BUT NOT LATER THAN 30 JUNE 1977 . THE SECOND STAGE SHALL BE , IN PRINCIPLE , OF FIVE YEARS " DURATION " .

ARTICLE 2

1 . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL REQUIRE RATIFICATION , ACCEPTANCE OR APPROVAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURES OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES WHO SHALL NOTIFY EACH OTHER OF THE COMPLETION OF THE PROCEDURES NECESSARY TO THAT END .

2 . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL ENTER INTO FORCE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE DATE ON WHICH THE NOTIFICATIONS REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 1 HAVE BEEN EFFECTED .

ARTICLE 3

THIS AGREEMENT IS DRAWN UP IN TWO COPIES IN THE DANISH , DUTCH , ENGLISH , FRENCH , GERMAN AND ITALIAN LANGUAGES , EACH OF THESE TEXTS BEING EQUALLY AUTHENTIC .