Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the conclusion of the Protocol maintaining in force the Arrangement regarding international trade in textiles (MFA)
Date: 1994-03-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: international trade, multifibre agreement, protocol to an agreement, textile product

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

C0M(94) 101 final 
Brussels, 29.03.1994 

94/0097 (ACC) 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

ON THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROTOCOL MAINTAINING IN FrtPrc 

THE ARRANGEMENT REGARDING  I N T E R N A T I O N A L ^^ 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

1. 

In view of  the expiry  of  the MFA on  31  December  1993 and  since  the 
Uruguay  Round  agreement  on  textiles  is not  expected  to enter  into 
force until  1 January  1995, the GATT Textiles Committee  decided  on 9 
December  1993  to extend  the MFA  for  a period  of  12 months  from 
1  January  to 31  December  1994. This  decision  is  in accordance  with 
the negotiating  directives  that  the Commission  received  from  the 
Council  on  2 December  1993. 

2. 

The Commission  therefore  proposes  that  the Council  approve  the 
decision  concluding  the Protocol  maintaining  in force  the MFA  for1994 
on  behalf  of  the Community. 

PROPOSAL  FOR A COUNCIL  DECISION 

on  the conclusion of  the Protocol  maintaining  in force 
the Arrangement  regarding  international  trade  in textiles  (MFA) 

THE COUNCIL OF THE  EUROPEAN  UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the Treaty  establishing  the European  Community,  and  in 
particular  Article  113 and Article  228(2), 

Having  regard  to the proposal  from  the Commission, 

Whereas  the Commission  took  part, on  behalf  of  the Community,  in the 
negotiations on  the maintenance  in force of  the Arrangement  regarding 
international  trade  in textiles  (MFA);1 

Whereas  these  negotiations  led  to  the establishment  of  a Protocol 
maintaining  in force  the MFA  for  a further  period  of  12 months until 
31  December  1994; 

Whereas  this Protocol  should  be approved  on  behalf  of  the  European 
Commun i t y, 

HAS DECIDED  AS FOLLOWS: 

Art icle 1 

The Protocol  maintaining  in force  the Arrangement  regarding  internationa 
trade  in textiles, which  was adopted  by  the GATT Textiles Committee  on  9 
December  1993,  is hereby  approved  on  behalf  of  the European  Community. 

The  text of  the Protocol  is attached  to this Decision. 

Art icle 2 

The  President  of  the Council  is hereby  authorized  to designate  the  person 
empowered  to notify  acceptance  of  the Protocol  on  behalf  of  the  European 
Community,  in accordance  with  paragraph  3 of  the Protocol. 

Done  at Brussels, 

OJ  L  341,  4.12.1986,  p. 34 

9  December 1993 

PROTOCOL MAINTAINING IN FORCE THE ARRANGEMENT REGARDING 

INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN TEXTILES 

The PARTIES to the Arrangement Regarding International Trade in 

Textiles (hereinafter referred to as "the Arrangement" or  "MFA"), 

ACTING pursuant to paragraph 5 of Article 10 of the Arrangement, 

REAFFIRMING that the terms of the Arrangement regarding the competence 

of the Textiles Committee and the Textiles Surveillance Body are 
ma inta ined, and 

FOLLOWING the Decision of the Textiles Committee adopted on 

9 December 199-3 

HEREBY AGREE as follows : 

1-  The Arrangement, including the. Conclusions of the Textiles Committee, 
adopted on 31 July 1986, as amended by the 1989 Protocol Amending the 1986 
Protocol Extending the Arrangement Regarding International Trade in 
Textiles, shall be maintained in fc-ce for a further period of 
twelve months until 31 December 1994-

2.  This Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General to the 
CONTRACTING PARTIES - to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. • It ' 
shall be open for acceptance, by signature or otherwise, by the Parties to 
the Arrangement, by other governments accepting or acceding to the 
Arrangement pursuant to the provisions of Article 13 thereof and by the 
European 

Community. 

3.  This Protocol shall enter into force with effect from 1 January 1994 
for the parties which have accepted it by that date and it shall enter into 
force for a party which accepts it on a later date as of the date of such 
acceptance.  It shall be applied provisionally, taking into account their 
constitutional and/or legislative procedures for ratification, as from 
1 January 1994, by parties which have signed it subject to completion of 
constitutional procedures, or notified the depositary of their intention to 
apply it provisionally, by that date, and by other parties from the date of 
their signature or notification of provisional application. 

DONE at Geneva this ninth day of December one thousand nine hundred 

and ninety-t.Kr.eein a single copy, in the English, French and Spanish 
languages, each text being authentic. 

3 

9  December  1993 

DECISION BY THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE  TO MAINTAIN  IN FORCE 
THE ARRANGEMENT  REGARDING  INTERNATIONAL  TRADE  IN TEXTILES 
FOR A PERIOD OF TWELVE  MONTHS 

1.1.94 TO  31.12.94 

The  Textiles  Committee  met  on  9  December  1993  to  resume  the 
discussion  that  it  had  begun  at  its meeting  on  9  December  1992  on 
the  future  of  the  Arrangement  Regarding  International  Trade  in 
Textiles  (MFA),  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Article  10.5 
of  the Arrangement. 

The  Committee  decided  to  maintain  in  force  the  existing  MFA,  as 
extended  by  the  1986  Protocol,  and  as  maintained  in  force  by  the 
1992  Protocol,  for  a  further  period  of  12  months  from  1  January 
1994  to 31 December  1994  in view of  the  fact  that  the Uruguay  Round 
has not  been  completed. 

The  Committee  reaffirmed  the  Conclusions  of  the  Textiles  Committee 
adopted  on  31  July  1986 and  the obligations contained  therein. 

As  to  the  necessary  legal  steps  in  this  regard,  the  Textiles 
Committee  drew  up  the  attached  text  of  a  Protocol  Maintaining  in 
Force  the MFA  for  a  further  period  of  12 months. The Protocol  would 
enter  into force on  1 January  1994. 

¥ 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(94) 101  final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

11 

Catalogue number : CB-CO-94-lll-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-66926-8 

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