Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Republic of Belarus amending the Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Belarus on trade in textile products
Date: 2007-12-21
Institutions: Belarus, European Community
Subjects: Belarus, quantitative restriction, signature of an agreement, textile product, trade agreement (EU)

L 337/114

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

21.12.2007

in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Republic of
Belarus amending the Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Belarus on
trade in textile products

AGREEMENT

A. Letter from the European Community

Sir,

1.

I have the honour to refer to the Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of
Belarus on trade in textile products initialled on 1 April 1993, as last amended and extended by the
Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters initialled on 27 October 2006 (hereafter referred to
as the Agreement).

2.

In view of the expiry of the Agreement on 31 December 2007 and in accordance with Article 19(1) of
the Agreement, the European Community and the Republic of Belarus agree to extend the duration of
the Agreement, for a further period of one year, subject to the following amendments and conditions:

2.1. The text of Article 19(1) of the Agreement shall read as follows:

‘This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date on which the
Parties notify each other of the completion of the procedures necessary for that purpose. It shall be
applicable until 31 December 2008.’

2.2. Annex II which sets out the quantitative restrictions for exports from the Republic of Belarus to the

European Community shall be replaced by Appendix 1 to this Letter.

2.3. The Annex to Protocol C which sets out the quantitative restrictions for exports from the Republic of
Belarus to the European Community after OPT operations in the Republic of Belarus shall be replaced
for the period of 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 by Appendix 2 to this letter.

2.4. Imports into Belarus of textile and clothing products of European Community origin shall be subject in
2008 to custom duties not exceeding those provided for 2003 in Appendix 4 of the Agreement in the
form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Republic of Belarus
initialled on 11 November 1999.

3.

4.

5.

In the case of non-application of these rates the Community will have the right to reintroduce for the
period of the Agreement remaining unexpired on a pro rata basis the levels for quantitative restrictions
applicable for 2007 as specified in the Exchange of Letters initialled on 27 October 2006.

The European Community and Belarus recall their agreement to enter into consultations not later than
six months before the expiration of the present Agreement with a view to possibly concluding a new
agreement.

Should the Republic of Belarus become a Member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) before the
date of the expiry of the Agreement, the agreements and rules of the WTO shall be applied from the
date of the Republic of Belarus' accession to the WTO.

I should be obliged if you could kindly confirm the acceptance of your Government of the foregoing.
Should this be the case, this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters shall enter into force on
the first day of the month following the day on which the Parties have notified each other that the
legal procedures necessary to this end have been completed. In the meantime,
it shall be applied
provisionally from 1 January 2008 on the condition of reciprocity.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

For the European Community

21.12.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 337/115

Appendix 1

‘ANNEX II

Belarus

Category

Group IA

Group IB

Group IIA

Group IIB

Group IIIA

Group IIIB

Group IV

T pieces: thousand of pieces’

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

20

22

23

39

12

13

15

16

21

24

26/27

29

73

83

33

36

37

50

67

74

90

115

117

118

Unit

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

T pairs

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

T pieces

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

T pieces

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

tonnes

Quota as from 1 January 2008

1 586

7 307

242

1 839

1 105

1 705

1 377

1 160

363

329

524

255

241

5 959

2 651

1 726

186

930

844

1 117

468

329

184

387

1 312

463

207

359

377

208

322

2 543

471

L 337/116

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

21.12.2007

Appendix 2

‘ANNEX TO PROTOCOL C

Unit

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

1 000 pieces

Tonnes

1 000 pieces

As from 1 January 2008

6 190

8 628

11 508

8 638

2 941

5 815

911

5 044

1 027

3 356

864

4 206

1 705

6 535

868

1 140’

Category

4

5

6

7

8

12

13

15

16

21

24

26/27

29

73

83

74

21.12.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 337/117

B. Letter from the Government of the Republic of Belarus

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of … which reads as follows:

‘Sir,

1.

I have the honour to refer to the Agreement between the European Community and the Republic
of Belarus on trade in textile products initialled on 1 April 1993, as last amended and extended by
the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters initialled on 27 October 2006 (hereafter
referred to as the Agreement).

2.

In view of the expiry of the Agreement on 31 December 2007 and in accordance with Article
19(1) of the Agreement, the European Community and the Republic of Belarus agree to extend
for a further period of one year, subject to the following
the duration of
amendments and conditions:

the Agreement,

2.1. The text of Article 19(1) of the Agreement shall read as follows:

“This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date on which
the Parties notify each other of the completion of the procedures necessary for that purpose. It
shall be applicable until 31 December 2008.”

2.2. Annex II which sets out the quantitative restrictions for exports from the Republic of Belarus to

the European Community shall be replaced by Appendix 1 to this Letter.

2.3. The Annex to Protocol C which sets out the quantitative restrictions for exports from the Republic
of Belarus to the European Community after OPT operations in the Republic of Belarus shall be
replaced for the period of 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 by Appendix 2 to this letter.

2.4. Imports into Belarus of textile and clothing products of European Community origin shall be
subject in 2008 to custom duties not exceeding those provided for 2003 in Appendix 4 of the
Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the
Republic of Belarus initialled on 11 November 1999.

In the case of non-application of these rates the Community will have the right to reintroduce for
the period of the Agreement remaining unexpired on a pro rata basis the levels for quantitative
restrictions applicable for 2007 as specified in the Exchange of Letters initialled on 27 October
2006.

The European Community and Belarus recall their agreement to enter into consultations not later
than six months before the expiration of
the present Agreement with a view to possibly
concluding a new agreement.

Should the Republic of Belarus become a Member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) before
the date of the expiry of the Agreement, the agreements and rules of the WTO shall be applied
from the date of the Republic of Belarus' accession to the WTO.

I should be obliged if you could kindly confirm the acceptance of your Government of the
foregoing. Should this be the case, this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters shall
enter into force on the first day of the month following the day on which the Parties have notified
each other that the legal procedures necessary to this end have been completed. In the meantime,
it shall be applied provisionally from 1 January 2008 on the condition of reciprocity.

3.

4.

5.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.’

L 337/118

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

21.12.2007

I have the honour to confirm that my Government is in agreement with the content of your letter.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

For the Government of the Republic of Belarus