1999/790/EC: Council Decision of 18 May 1998 on the conclusion of a Protocol adjusting trade aspects of the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Latvia, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union and the outcome of the Uruguay Round negotiations on agriculture, including improvements to the existing preferential arrangements
Date: 1998-05-18
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: GATT, Latvia, association agreement (EU), enlargement of the Union, protocol to an agreement, trade agreement (EU)

10.12.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 317/1

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 18 May 1998

on the conclusion of a Protocol adjusting trade aspects of the Europe Agreement establishing an
association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
Republic of Latvia, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Austria,
the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union and the outcome of
including improvements to the existing
the Uruguay Round negotiations on agriculture,

preferential arrangements

(1999/790/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

preferential arrangements applied under those Regulations and
those provided for by the Protocol,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 113, in conjunction with
the first sentence of Article 228(2) thereof,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Article 1

Whereas the Protocol adjusting trade aspects of the Europe
Agreement establishing an association between the European
Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and
the Republic of Latvia, of the other part, should be approved
with a view to taking account of the accession of the Republic
the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of
of Austria,
Sweden to the European Union and the outcome of
the
including
Uruguay Round
improvements to the existing preferential arrangements;

negotiations

agriculture,

on

Whereas
the Commission should be authorised to take
measures to implement the Protocol, notably with regard to
basic and processed agricultural products;

(EC) No 1926/96 (1),

(EC) No.
Whereas by Regulations
921/96 (2) and (EC) No 340/97 (3) the Community brought
forward implementation of
the measures contained in the
relating to basic agricultural products, processed
Protocol
agricultural products,
textile products and fishery products,
respectively; whereas, therefore, appropriate measures should
smooth transition between the
be

taken to ensure

a

(1) OJ L 254, 8.10.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 126, 24.5.1996, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 58, 27.2.1997, p. 25.

The Protocol adjusting trade aspects of the Europe Agreement
establishing an association between the European Communities
and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of
Latvia, of the other part, to take account of the accession of
the Republic of Finland and the
the Republic of Austria,
Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union and the outcome
of the Uruguay Round negotiations on agriculture, including
improvements
arrangements,
hereinafter referred to as (cid:145)the Protocol(cid:146), is hereby approved on
behalf of the Community.

existing preferential

to the

The text of the Protocol is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

1.
Detailed rules for the application of this Decision shall be
adopted by the Commission according to the procedure
provided for in Article 23 of Regulation (EEC) No 1766/92 (4),
or, where appropriate, in the relevant provisions of the other
Regulations on the common organisation of the market or of
Regulations (EC) No 3448/93 (5) or (EC) No 2178/95 (6).

(4) OJ L 181, 1.7.1992, p. 21. Regulation as

last amended by

Regulation (EC) 923/96 (OJ L 126, 24.5.1996, p. 37).

(5) OJ L 318, 20.12.1993, p. 18.
(6) OJ L 223, 20.9.1995, p.1.

L 317/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

10.12.1999

2.
Upon this Decision taking effect, the regulations adopted
by the Commission pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EC)
No 1926/96,
relating to
products covered by the Protocol, shall be deemed to be
governed by paragraph 1.

implementing the

concessions

Article 3

by

necessary

amendments

and TARIC codes, or

1.
Provisions for the application of tariff quotas and tariff
ceilings provided for in the new Annexes to the Europe
including amendments and technical adaptations
Agreement,
made
Combined
from the
Nomenclature
conclusion by the Council of agreements, protocols or
exchanges of letters between the Community and Latvia, shall
be adopted by the Commission, assisted by the Customs Code
Committee set up by Article 247 of Regulation (EEC) No
2913/92 (1), according to the procedure set out in paragraph 2
of this Article.

the
arising

to

communicated by the Commission to the Council forthwith. In
that event:

(cid:151) the Commission may defer application of the measures
which it has decided for a period of not more than three
months from the date of such communication,

(cid:151) the Council, acting by qualified majority, may take a
different decision within the period referred to in the first
indent.

The Committee may examine any question concerning
3.
the application of
tariff quotas and tariff ceilings which is
raised by its Chair either at the latter’s initiative or at the
request of a Member State.

As

the

soon as

4.
the
Commission may adopt a regulation re-establishing, until the
end of the calendar year, the customs duties applicable to third
countries.

reached,

ceilings

tariff

are

to be

The representative of the Commission shall submit to the
2.
Committee a draft of
taken. The
the measures
Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time
limit which the Chair may lay down according to the urgency
of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority
the Treaty in the case of
laid down in Article 148(2) of
decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal
from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the
Member States within the Committee shall be weighted in the
manner set out in that Article. The Chair shall not vote.

The Commission shall adopt
the measures, which apply
immediately. However, if these measures are not in accordance
be
with the

the Committee,

opinion of

shall

they

Article 4

The President of
the
Community, give the notification provided for in Article 7 of
the Protocol.

shall, on behalf of

the Council

Done at Brussels, 18 May 1998.

For the Council

The President

C. SHORT

(1) OJ L 302, 14.10.1992, p. 1.