2003/913/EC: Council Decision of 19 December 2003 concerning the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning the provisional application of the trade and trade-related provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part
Date: 2003-12-19
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Egypt, agricultural product, agricultural trade, association agreement (EU), tariff quota

31.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 345/113

COUNCIL DECISION

of 19 December 2003

concerning the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning the
provisional application of the trade and trade-related provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agree-
ment establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of
the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part

(2003/913/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity, and in particular Article 133 thereof, in conjunction
with the first sentence of the first subparagraph of Article
300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Pending the entry into force of the Euro-Mediterranean
Agreement establishing an Association between the
European Communities and their Member States, of the
one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other
part, signed on 25 June 2001,
the Community and
Egypt have undertaken to adopt procedures for the
provisional application of
its trade and trade-related
provisions.

The trade and trade-related provisions provisionally
applied will replace the relevant provisions of the Coop-
eration Agreement between the European Economic
Community and the Arab Republic of Egypt (1), signed
on 18 January 1977 and the Agreement between the
Member States of the European Coal and Steel Com-
munity and the Arab Republic of Egypt (2), signed in
Brussels on 18 January 1977.

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council
Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down
the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers
conferred on the Commission (3).

The text of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of
Letters is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The measures necessary for the implementation of the Agree-
ment in the form of an Exchange of Letters including the
Declarations, Annexes, Protocols and Exchange of Letters
attached to the Association Agreement shall be adopted in
accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 3(2).

Article 3

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by a committee on
horizontal questions concerning trade in processed agricultural
products not listed in Annex I, established by Article 16 of
Regulation (EC) No 3448/1993 (4), by the Management
Committee for Sugar established by Article 42 of Regulation
(EC) No 1260/2001 (5), or, where appropriate, by the commit-
tees established by the corresponding provisions of other regu-
lations on the common organisation of markets or by the
Customs Code Committee established by Article 248a of Regu-
lation (EEC) No 2913/92 (6).

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

(4)

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters
should therefore be approved,

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at one month.

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

3.

The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.

Article 1

Article 4

The Agreement
in the form of an Exchange of Letters
concerning the provisional application of the trade and trade-
related provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement estab-
lishing an Association between the European Communities and
their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of
Egypt, of the other part, is hereby approved on behalf of the
Community.

(1) OJ L 266, 27.9.1978, p. 2.
(2) OJ L 316, 12.12.1979, p. 2.
(3) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate
the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement in the form of
an Exchange of Letters so as to bind the Community during the
period of provisional application.

(4) OJ L 318, 20.12.1993, p. 18; Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2580/2000 (OJ L 298, 25.11.2000, p. 5).

(5) OJ L 178, 30.6.2001, p. 1; Regulation as amended by Commission

Regulation (EC) No 680/2002 (OJ L 104, 20.4.2002, p. 26).

(6) OJ L 302, 19.10.1992, p. 1; Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2700/2000 (OJ L 311, 12.12.2000 p. 17).

L 345/114

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

31.12.2003

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 5

Done at Brussels, 19 December 2003.

For the Council

The President

G. ALEMANNO