2013/790/EU: Council Decision of 13 December 2013 on the acceptance on behalf of the European Union of the Amendment to Articles 25 and 26 of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

21.12.2013 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 349/98
COUNCIL DECISION
of 13 December 2013
on the acceptance on behalf of the European Union of the Amendment to Articles 25 and 26 of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes
(2013/790/EU)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1), in conjunction with Article 218(6) (a) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament,
Whereas:
(1) The European Union is a Party to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (‘the Convention’) following its approval in 1995 (1).
(2) The main purpose of the Convention is to establish a framework for bilateral and multilateral cooperation to prevent and control the pollution of transboundary watercourses and to ensure the rational use of water resources in the Member countries of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
(3) At their 2003 Meeting, the Parties to the Convention expressed a wish to allow States situated outside of the UNECE region to become Parties to the Convention in order to promote river basin cooperation throughout the world.
(4) Other UNECE environmental conventions, for instance, the Convention on the Access to Justice in Environmental Matters and the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, are open to States situated outside of the UNECE region.
(5) The European Community participated in the 2003 Meeting of the Parties which adopted the Amendment allowing accession of any State that is a Member of the United Nations to accede to the Convention upon approval by the Meeting of the Parties.
(6) The Amendment will enter into force upon acceptance of all States and organisations that were Parties to the Convention on 28 November 2003.
(7) The Amendment should be accepted on behalf of the Union,