2003/917/EC: Council Decision of 22 December 2003 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the State of Israel concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 2 to the EC-Israel Association Agreement
Date: 2003-12-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU Member State, Israel, agricultural product, association agreement (EU), import, liberalisation of trade, originating product

31.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 346/65

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 22 December 2003

on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European
Community and the State of Israel concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replace-
ment of Protocols 1 and 2 to the EC-Israel Association Agreement

(2003/917/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

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

Article 1

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Article 11 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement estab-
lishing an association between the European Commu-
nities and their Member States, of the one part, and the
State of Israel, of the other part (1) (Association Agree-
ment) in force since 1 June 2000, states that the Com-
munity and Israel shall progressively establish a greater
liberalisation of their trade in agricultural products of
interest to both Parties. It provides that, from 1 January
2000, the Community and Israel are to examine the
situation in order to determine the measures to be
applied by the Community and Israel from 1 January
2001, in accordance with this objective.

The Commission has, on behalf of
the Community,
negotiated an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of
Letters with a view to replacing Protocols 1 and 2 to the
Association Agreement.

The Agreement,
approved.

initialled on 4 July 2003, should be

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 (2),

(1) OJ L 147, 21.6.2000, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between
the European Community and the State of Israel concerning
reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Proto-
cols 1 and 2 to the Association Agreement between the Euro-
pean Communities and their Member States, of the one part,
and the State of Israel, of the other part, is hereby approved on
behalf of the Community.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The Commission shall adopt
the necessary implementation
measures for Protocols 1 and 2 in accordance with the proce-
dure laid down in Article 3.

Article 3

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by the Management
Committee for Sugar (hereinafter referred to as the Committee)
established by Article 42 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/
2001 of 19 June 2001 on the common organisation of the
markets in the sugar sector (3) or, where appropriate, by the
committees established by the corresponding provisions of
other regulations on the common organisation of markets or
by the Customs Code Committee established by Article 248a of
Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992
establishing the Community Customs Code (4).

(3) 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).

(4) OJ L 302, 19.10.1992, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-
lation (EC) No 2700/2000 of the European Parliament and of the
Council (OJ L 311, 12.12.2000, p. 17).

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Official Journal of the European Union

31.12.2003

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

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

3.

The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.

Article 4

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate
the person empowered to sign the Agreement so as to bind the
Community.

Article 5

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

Done at Brussels, 22 December 2003.

For the Council

The President

A. MATTEOLI