2009/156/EC: Council Decision of 21 November 2008 on the signature and provisional application of the stepping stone Economic Partnership Agreement between Côte d'Ivoire, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part
Date: 2008-11-21
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Côte d'Ivoire, cooperation agreement, economic cooperation, negotiation of an agreement (EU), signature of an agreement

3.3.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 59/1

II

(Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory)

DECISIONS

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 21 November 2008

on the signature and provisional application of the stepping stone Economic Partnership Agreement
between Côte d'Ivoire, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the
other part

(2009/156/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity, and in particular Articles 133 and 181 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) On 12 June 2002, the Council authorised the Commission
to open negotiations of Economic Partnership Agreements
with ACP countries.

(2) Negotiations of a stepping stone Economic Partnership
Agreement have been concluded and the stepping stone
Economic Partnership Agreement between Côte d'Ivoire, of
the one part, and the European Community and its Member
States, of the other part (hereinafter the stepping stone EPA)
was initialled on 7 December 2007.

(3) Article 75(4) of the stepping stone EPA provides for its
provisional application of the Agreement pending its entry
into force.

Article 1

The signing of
the stepping stone Economic Partnership
Agreement between Côte d'Ivoire, of the one part, and the
European Community and its Member States, of the other part, is
hereby approved on behalf of the Community, subject to the
Council Decision concerning the conclusion of
the said
Agreement.

The text of the stepping stone EPA is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

the Council and of

For the purposes of Article 73(2) of the stepping stone EPA, the
EPA Committee shall be composed, on the one hand, of the
members of
the
Commission and, on the other hand, of representatives of the
Government of the Côte d'Ivoire. The Commission shall propose
to the Council, for its decision, the position of the European
Community with a view to the negotiation of
the EPA
Committee's rules of procedure.

representatives of

(4)

The stepping stone EPA should be signed on behalf of the
Community and applied, as concerns elements falling
within the competence of the Community, on a provisional
basis subject to its conclusion at a later date,

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate
the person(s) empowered to sign the stepping stone EPA on
behalf of the European Community subject to its conclusion.

Article 3

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Article 4

As concerns elements falling within the competence of the Community, the stepping stone EPA shall be
applied on a provisional basis as provided for in Article 75(4) of this Agreement, pending completion of the
procedures necessary for its conclusion. The Commission will publish a notice providing information on the
date of provisional application.

Done at Brussels, 21 November 2008.

For the Council

The President

E. WOERTH