Proposal for a Council Decision regarding the position to be taken by the Community within the International Tropical Timber Council on the extension of the International Agreement on Tropical Timber, 1994
Date: 2006-08-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: UNO, forest conservation, international agreement, renewal of an agreement, trade agreement, tropical wood

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 29.8.2006 
COM(2006) 469 final 

2006/0160 (ACC) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

regarding the position to be taken by the Community within 
the International Tropical Timber Council on the extension of  
the International Agreement on Tropical Timber, 1994 

(presented by the Commission) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

The  International  Agreement  on  Tropical  Timber  of  1994  entered  into  force  on  1 January 
1996. It is due to expire on 31 December 2006, after two periods of extension. 

A  successor  Agreement  to  the  International  Tropical  Timber  Agreement  of  1994  was 
successfully negotiated and concluded within UNCTAD in January 2006. 

Under the provisions of Article 46 of the International Tropical Timber Agreement of 1994, a 
proposal was made at the 40th session of the International Tropical Timber Council held from 
29 May to 3 June 2006 in Mérida (Mexico) to extend the Agreement until the entry into force 
of the successor Agreement of 2006. 

Under  the  legal  basis,  the  proposed  decision  does  not  affect  the  European  Community’s 
contribution  to  the  Administrative  budget  of  the  International  Tropical  Timber  Organisation 
(ITTO), which is still zero. 

The  purpose  of  this  proposal  is  to  authorise  the  European  Community  to  vote  in  favour  of 
extending the Agreement. 

The Commission therefore suggests that the Council adopts the attached decision. 

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2006/0160 (ACC) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

regarding the position to be taken by the Community within 
the International Tropical Timber Council on the extension of  
the International Agreement on Tropical Timber, 1994 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

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

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

The  International  Agreement  on  Tropical  Timber  of  1994  has  been  signed  and 
provisionally applied by the Community by Council Decision 96/493/EC2. 

The successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement of 1994 was 
successfully concluded within UNCTAD in January 2006. 

The  International  Tropical  Timber  Agreement  of  1994  remains  in  force  until  31 
December  2006  unless,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Article  46(3),  it  is 
extended  beyond  that  date  by  decision  of  the  International  Tropical  Timber  Council 
until such time as the successor Agreement enters into force. 

(4) 

The extension of that Agreement is in the interest of the Community. 

(5) 

The  European  Community’s  position  in  the  International  Tropical  Timber  Council 
should be determined, 

1 
2 

OJ Cxxx p.xx 
OJ L 208, of 17.08.1996, p.1 

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HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:  

Sole Article 

The European Community’s position within the International Tropical Timber Council shall 
be to vote in favour of extending of the International Agreement on Tropical Timber, 1994, 
until the provisional or definitive entry into force of the successor Agreement of 2006. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

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