COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2015/201

of 27 January 2015

on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Sub-Committee, the Customs Sub-Committee and the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee established by the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part, as regards the adoption of decisions of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Sub-Committee, the Customs Sub-Committee, and the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee on their Rules of Procedure

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first paragraph of Article 207(4) in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) Article 431 of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part (1) (‘the Agreement’) provides for provisional application of the Agreement in part.

(2) Article 3 of Council Decision 2014/494/EU (2) specifies which parts of the Agreement are to be applied provisionally, including the provisions on the establishment and functioning of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Sub-Committee (‘SPS Sub-Committee’), the Customs Sub-Committee, and the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee (‘GI Sub-Committee’).

(3) Pursuant to Article 65(5) of the Agreement, the SPS Sub-Committee is to adopt its own rules of procedure at its first meeting.

(4) Pursuant to Article 74(3)(e) of the Agreement, the Customs Sub-Committee is to adopt its own rules of procedure.

(5) Pursuant to Article 179(2) of the Agreement, the GI Sub-Committee is to determine its own rules of procedure.

(6) It is therefore appropriate to determine the Union position in relation to the rules of procedure to be adopted by those sub-committees,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 1. The position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Sub-Committee established by Article 65 of the Agreement, as regards the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the SPS Sub-Committee shall be based on the draft Decision of that sub-committee attached to this Decision. 2. Minor technical corrections to the draft Decision may be agreed by the representatives of the Union in the SPS Sub-Committee without further decision of the Council.

Article 2 1. The position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the Customs Sub-Committee established by Article 74 of the Agreement, as regards the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the Customs Sub-Committee shall be based on the draft Decision of that sub-committee attached to this Decision. 2. Minor technical corrections to the draft Decision may be agreed by the representatives of the Union in the Customs Sub-Committee without further decision of the Council.

Article 3 1. The position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee established by Article 179 of the Agreement, as regards the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the GI Sub-Committee shall be based on the draft Decision of that sub-committee attached to this Decision. 2. Minor technical corrections to the draft Decision may be agreed by the representatives of the Union in the GI Sub-Committee without further decision of the Council.

Article 4 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 27 January 2015. For the Council The President J. REIRS

(1) OJ L 261, 30.8.2014, p. 4.

(2) Council Decision 2014/494/EU of 16 June 2014 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part (OJ L 261, 30.8.2014, p. 1).