EN Official Journal of the European Union L 297/48

COUNCIL DECISION

of 20 October 2011

on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein amending the Additional Agreement between the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein extending to the Principality of Liechtenstein the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products

(2011/739/EU)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(4), first subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a)(v) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament (1),

Whereas:

(1) The Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products (2) (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agricultural Agreement’) entered into force on 1 June 2002.

(2) An Additional Agreement between the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein extending to the Principality of Liechtenstein the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products (3) (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Additional Agreement’) entered into force on 13 October 2007.

(3) The Commission has negotiated, on behalf of the European Union, an Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the protection of designations of origin and geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs, which amends the Agricultural Agreement by inserting a new Annex 12.

(4) The European Union, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Swiss Confederation have agreed that the Additional Agreement should also be amended in order to take into account the protection of designations of origin and geographical indications.

(5) The Agreement between the European Union, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein amending the Additional Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agreement’) should be concluded,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Agreement between the European Union, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein amending the Additional Agreement between the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein extending to the Principality of Liechtenstein the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agreement’) is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The President of the Council shall designate the person empowered to proceed, on behalf of the Union, with the deposit of the instrument of approval provided for in Article 3 of the Agreement in order to bind the Union.

Article 3

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

Done at Luxembourg, 20 October 2011. For the Council The President M. SAWICKI

(1) Consent of 24 June 2011 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(2) OJ L 114, 30.4.2002, p. 132.

(3) OJ L 270, 13.10.2007, p. 6.

EN Official Journal of the European Union L 297/49

AGREEMENT

between the European Union, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein amending the Additional Agreement between the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein extending to the Principality of Liechtenstein the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products

THE EUROPEAN UNION, hereinafter referred to as ‧the Union‧,

THE SWISS CONFEDERATION, hereinafter referred to as ‧Switzerland‧ and

THE PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN, hereinafter referred to as ‧Liechtenstein‧,

hereinafter referred to as ‧the Parties‧,

Committing themselves to promoting among themselves the harmonious development of designations of origin and geographical indications (hereinafter ‧GIs‧) and facilitating, through their protection within the framework of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products (hereinafter ‧Agricultural Agreement‧), bilateral trade flows in agricultural products and foodstuffs originating in the Parties that have been granted a GI within the meaning of the Parties' respective legislation, and regularly updating the list of GIs protected by this Agreement,

Whereas:

(1) Swiss legislation on GIs for agricultural products and foodstuffs applies in Liechtenstein;

(2) GIs in the Swiss national register may be composed of geographical names in the territory of Liechtenstein and the geographical area of these GIs may include the territory of Liechtenstein;

(3) Pursuant to the Additional Agreement between the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein extending to the Principality of Liechtenstein the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products (hereinafter the ‧Additional Agreement‧), the Agricultural Agreement also applies to Liechtenstein;

(4) Pursuant to the Additional Agreement, Liechtenstein products are deemed to be products of Swiss origin;

(5) The Additional Agreement should be amended so that the insertion of a new annex to the Agricultural Agreement concerning the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin from Switzerland and the Union relative to agricultural products and foodstuffs also applies to Liechtenstein,

HAVE AGREED UPON THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS:

Article 1

Amendments

The Additional Agreement is hereby amended as follows:

(1) Article 1(2) is replaced by the following: ‧The adjustments specific to Liechtenstein concerning Annexes 4 to 12 of the Agricultural Agreement are laid down in the Annex to this Agreement (Additional Agreement), which shall constitute an integral part thereof.‧;

(2) The title ‧Adjustments/additions concerning Annexes 4 to 11 of the Agricultural Agreement‧ in the Annex is replaced as follows:

(3) The following paragraph is added to the above-mentioned title: ‧Annex 12, Protection of designations of origin and geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs. The geographical area of the following Swiss GIs that are protected pursuant to Appendix 1 to Annex 12 also includes the territory of Liechtenstein: — Rheintaler Ribel/Türggen Ribel (PDO), — St. Galler Bratwurst/St. Galler Kalbsbratwurst (PGI).‧.

Article 2

Language versions

This Agreement shall be drawn up in triplicate in the Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish languages, each of those texts being equally authentic.

Article 3

Entry into force

1. This Agreement shall be ratified or approved by the Parties in accordance with their internal procedures.

2. The Parties shall notify each other of the completion of these procedures.

3. This Agreement shall enter into force on the day of the entry into force of the Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the protection of designations of origin and geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs, amending the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products.