COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2022/2341

of 21 November 2022

amending Decision (EU) 2021/1345 as regards authorising the opening of negotiations with Colombia and Mexico with a view to concluding agreements on trade in organic products

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(3) and (4) thereof,

Having regard to the recommendation from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) establishes the possibility to grant access to the Union market for organic products coming from third countries that have been recognised under a trade agreement as having a system of production meeting the same objectives and principles by applying rules which ensure the same level of assurance of conformity as those of the Union.

(2) The Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations on agreements on trade in organic products between the Union and Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Tunisia and the United States by Council Decision (EU) 2021/1345 (2).

(3) The Commission initiated negotiations with Colombia and Mexico under Council Decision of 16 June 2014 (3). That Decision contained a limitation of the duration of negotiations, which could not be concluded before the time limit was reached.

(4) Therefore, negotiations should be opened with a view to concluding agreements on trade in organic products with Colombia and Mexico. Those negotiations should be conducted on the basis of the negotiating directives set out in the addendum to Decision (EU) 2021/1345.

(5) It is therefore appropriate to amend Decision (EU) 2021/1345 in order to include Colombia and Mexico within its scope.

(6) The negotiating directives set out in the addendum to Decision (EU) 2021/1345 should be amended in order to include references to Colombia and Mexico.

(7) Decision (EU) 2021/1345 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 Decision (EU) 2021/1345 is amended as follows: (1) the title is replaced by the following: ‘Council Decision (EU) 2021/1345 of 28 June 2021 authorising the opening of negotiations with Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Tunisia and the United States with a view to concluding agreements on trade in organic products’ ; (2) in Article 1, paragraph (1) is replaced by the following: ‘1. The Commission is hereby authorised to open negotiations with Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Tunisia and the United States with a view to concluding agreements on trade in organic products.’ (3) the addendum is replaced by the text set out in the addendum to this Decision.

Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the Commission.

Done at Brussels, 21 November 2022. For the Council The President Z. NEKULA

(1) Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 (OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 1).

(2) Council Decision (EU) 2021/1345 of 28 June 2021 authorising the opening of negotiations with Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Tunisia and the United States with a view to concluding agreements on trade in organic products (OJ L 306, 31.8.2021, p. 2).

(3) Council Decision of 16 June 2014 authorising the opening of negotiations on agreements between the European Union and third countries on trade in organic products (See document ST 10474/14 on http://register.consilium.europa.eu).