Commission Decision (EU) 2026/1852 of 28 July 2026 approving, on behalf of the European Union, the modification of Annex XVIII to the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other (notified under document C(2026) 5236)
Date: 2026-07-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Costa Rica, association agreement (EU), cows’ milk cheese, designation of origin, labelling, multilateral agreement, product designation, revision of an agreement




L_202601852EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2026/1852


30.7.2026







            COMMISSION DECISION (EU) 2026/1852
of 28 July 2026
         
approving, on behalf of the European Union, the modification of Annex XVIII to the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other


(notified under document C(2026) 5236)




THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Council Decision (EU) 2024/1156 of 12 April 2024 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other (1), and in particular Article 3 thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


The Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other (2), signed at Tegucigalpa on 29 June 2012, has entered into force on 1 May 2024.












(2)


Article 247 of the Agreement provides for the possibility to add new geographical indications to Annex XVIII (‘Protected Geographical Indications’) to the Agreement after having been successfully examined by the competent national or regional authorities in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures of the Association Council.












(3)


On 29 October 2024, Costa Rica has submitted to the Union a request to add one new geographical indication to Part B of Annex XVIII to the Agreement. The Commission has completed the objection procedure after having successfully examined that new geographical indication.












(4)


Pursuant to Articles 6 and 247 of the Agreement, the Association Council established pursuant to Article 4 of the Agreement has the power to modify the list of geographical indications set out in Annex XVIII to the Agreement.












(5)


Article 274 of the Agreement establishes a Sub-Committee on Intellectual Property, which may recommend, for approval by the Association Council, modifications of the list of geographical indications set out in Annex XVIII to the Agreement.












(6)


On 3 June 2026, the Sub-Committee on Intellectual Property concluded, following prior assessment of the information provided in relation to the new geographical indication of Costa Rica, to complete through a written procedure the recommendation to the Association Council to modify the list of geographical indications set out in Annex XVIII to the Agreement accordingly.












(7)


Part B of Annex XVIII to the Agreement should therefore be modified accordingly and the modification should be approved on behalf of the Union,





HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:



Article 1
The modification of Part of B of Annex XVIII to the Agreement set out in the draft Decision of the Association Council, are hereby approved on behalf of the Union.
The draft Decision of the Association Council is attached to this Decision.


Article 2
The representative of the Union in the Association Council is authorised to approve the Decision of the Association Council on behalf of the Union.


Article 3
This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

After its adoption, the Decision of the Association Council shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Brussels, 28 July 2026.


For the Commission

Christophe HANSEN
            

Member of the Commission






(1)  
            OJ L, 2024/1156, 17.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/1156/oj.

(2)  
            OJ L 346, 15.12.2012, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2012/734/oj.




ANNEX



DRAFT DECISION No […]/2026 OF THE EU-CENTRAL AMERICA ASSOCIATION COUNCIL
of XXX
modifying Annex XVIII (‘Protected Geographical Indications’) to the Agreement establishing the Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other hand


THE EU-CENTRAL AMERICA ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Agreement establishing the Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other hand (1) (‘the Agreement’), and in particular Articles 6 and 247 thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Article 274 of the Agreement establishes a Sub-Committee on Intellectual Property, which may recommend, for approval by the Association Council, modifications of the list of geographical indications set out in Annex XVIII to the Agreement.












(2)


On 29 October 2024, Costa Rica submitted to the Union its request to add one new geographical indication to Annex XVIII (Protected Geographical Indications) to the Agreement pursuant to Article 247 of the Agreement. The Commission has completed the examination and the objection procedure of Costa Rica’s new geographical indication.












(3)


On 3 June 2026, pursuant to Article 274(2) of the Agreement, the Sub-Committee on Intellectual Property, in a joint meeting between the European Union and Central America parties, concluded, following prior assessment of the information provided in relation to the new geographical indication of Costa Rica, to complete through a written procedure the recommendation to the Association Council to modify the list of geographical indications set out in Annex XVIII to the Agreement accordingly.












(4)


The Association Council has the power to take the decision by mutual agreement in accordance with Article 11 of its Rules of Procedure.












(5)


Annex XVIII to the Agreement should therefore be modified,





HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:



Article 1
The entry in the Annex to this Decision is added to the table in Part B of Annex XVIII ‘Protected Geographical Indications’ to the Agreement, as established by Decision No 5/2014 of the EU-Central America Association Council (2).


Article 2
This Decision, done in duplicate, shall be signed by representatives of the EU-Central America Association Council who are authorized to act on behalf of the Parties for purposes of modifying the Agreement.
This Decision shall take effect from the date of the later of these signatures.




Done at


For the EU Party,




For the Association Council


For the CA Party,


(each CA country signs the decision)








(1)  ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2012/734/2023-12-26.

(2)  Decision No 5/2014 of the EU-Central America Association Council of 7 November 2014 on the Geographical Indications to be included in Annex XVIII of the Agreement (OJ L 196, 24.7.2015, p. 59).





ANNEX







Country


Name


Products




Costa Rica


Queso Turrialba


Cheese







ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1852/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)