2003/917/EC: Council Decision of 22 December 2003 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the State of Israel concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 2 to the EC-Israel Association Agreement

Council Decision
of 22 December 2003
on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the State of Israel concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 2 to the EC-Israel Association Agreement
(2003/917/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133, in conjunction with the first sentence of Article 300(2), thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1) Article 11 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part(1) (Association Agreement) in force since 1 June 2000, states that the Community and Israel shall progressively establish a greater liberalisation of their trade in agricultural products of interest to both Parties. It provides that, from 1 January 2000, the Community and Israel are to examine the situation in order to determine the measures to be applied by the Community and Israel from 1 January 2001, in accordance with this objective.
(2) The Commission has, on behalf of the Community, negotiated an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters with a view to replacing Protocols 1 and 2 to the Association Agreement.
(3) The Agreement, initialled on 4 July 2003, should be approved.
(4) 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 the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(2),