2006/398/EC: Council Decision of  20 March 2006  on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the People's Republic of China pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic in the course of their accession to the European Union
Date: 2006-03-20
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: China, accession to the European Union, ratification of an agreement, trade agreement (EU)

L 154/22

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

8.6.2006

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 20 March 2006

on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European
Community and the People's Republic of China pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of
the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of
concessions in the schedules of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of
Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic
of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic in the course of
their accession to the European Union

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(4)

(2006/398/EC)

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

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
implementing powers
the exercise of
conferred on the Commission (1),

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

On 22 March 2004 the Council
authorised the
Commission to open negotiations with certain other
the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Members of
the General Agreement on
under Article XXIV:6 of
in the course of the
Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994,
the Czech
accessions
the Republic of
Republic,
the Republic of
Cyprus,
Lithuania,
the Republic of
Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia
and the Slovak Republic.

the Republic of Estonia,
the Republic of Latvia,

to the European Union of

the Republic of Hungary,

Negotiations have been conducted by the Commission in
consultation with the Committee established by Article
the
133 of
negotiating directives issued by the Council.

the Treaty and within the framework of

finalised negotiations

an
The Commission has
Agreement
in the form of an Exchange of Letters
between the European Community and the People's
Republic
should
therefore be approved.

said Agreement

of China. The

for

Article 1

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between
the European Community and the People's Republic of China
pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the
modification of concessions in the schedules of
the Czech
Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the
Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of
Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the
Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic in the course of
their accession to the European Union, is hereby approved on
behalf of the Community.

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

Article 2

The Commission shall adopt the detailed rules for implementing
the Agreement
in the form of an Exchange of Letters in
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 3(2) of
this Decision.

(1) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

8.6.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 154/23

Article 3

3.

The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by the Management
Committee for Cereals instituted by Article 25 of Council Regu-
lation (EC) No 1784/2003 of 29 September 2003 on the
common organisation of
the
relevant committee instituted by the corresponding Article of
the Regulation for the common market organisation for the
product concerned.

in cereals (1) or

the market

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.

(1) OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 78. Regulation as

(EC) No 1154/2005 (OJ

amended by
L 187,

Commission Regulation
19.7.2005, p. 11).

Article 4

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate
the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement in order to
bind the Community (2).

Done at Brussels, 20 March 2006.

For the Council
The President

U. PLASSNIK

(2) The date of entry into force of the Agreement will be published in

the Official Journal of the European Union.