PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

NON LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2011/768/EU on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

BACKGROUND: with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, the European Union has enlarged its customs union. Consequently, the EU was obliged under WTO rules (GATT Article XXIV: 6) to enter into negotiations with WTO Members having negotiating rights in the schedules of any of the acceding Members in order to agree on compensatory adjustment. Such adjustment is due if the adoption of the EU's external tariff regime results in an increase in tariff beyond the level for which the acceding country has bound itself at the WTO.

These negotiations have been concluded and an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union was signed on 24 May 2011, subject to its conclusion at a later date, in accordance with Council Decision 2011/256/EU.

The Agreement should now be approved on behalf of the European Union.

CONTENT: this Council Decision approves, on behalf of the Union, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

The implementing Regulation will be adopted by the Commission, pursuant to Article 144 of the Single Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation .

ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Decision enters into force on 27 October 2011. The Agreement will enter into force when all the procedures to this effect have been completed.

The European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement.

The Committee on International Trade adopted the report drafted by Vital MOREIRA (S&D, PT) in which it recommends the European Parliament to give its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: on 29 January 2007, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with certain other Members of the World Trade Organization under Article XXIV:6 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 in the course of the accessions to the European Union of Bulgaria and Romania.

Negotiations were conducted by the Commission within the framework of the negotiating directives adopted by the Council. They were concluded and the Agreement was initialled on 15 June 2010.

The Agreement was signed on behalf of the Union but subject to its conclusion at a later date.

It is now necessary to approve the Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a)(v) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: by this proposal, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision. For further details on the content of the Agreement, please refer to the summary of the previous initial legislative document dated 14/02/2011.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the proposal has no implication for the Union budget.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: on 29 January 2007, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with certain other Members of the World Trade Organization under Article XXIV:6 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 in the course of the accessions to the European Union of Bulgaria and Romania.

Negotiations were conducted by the Commission within the framework of the negotiating directives adopted by the Council. They were concluded and the Agreement was initialled on 15 June 2010.

The Agreement was signed on behalf of the Union but subject to its conclusion at a later date.

It is now necessary to approve the Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a)(v) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: by this proposal, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision. For further details on the content of the Agreement, please refer to the summary of the previous initial legislative document dated 14/02/2011.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the proposal has no implication for the Union budget.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, the European Union enlarged its customs union. Consequently, the European Union was obliged under WTO rules (GATT Article XXIV:6) to enter into negotiations with WTO Members having negotiating rights in the schedules of any of the acceding Members in order to agree on compensatory adjustment. Such adjustment is due if the adoption of the EU’s external tariff regime results in an increase in tariff beyond the level for which the acceding country has bound itself at the WTO, whilst taking ‘due account of reductions of duties on the same tariff line made by other constituents of the customs union upon its formation’.

On 29 January 2007, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations under Article XXIV:6 of GATT 1994. The Commission has negotiated with the Members of the WTO holding negotiating rights with respect to the withdrawal of specific concessions in relation to the withdrawal of the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania, in the course of their accession to the European Union.

Negotiations with Australia resulted in a draft Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters that was initialled on 15 June 2010 in Geneva.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: the first sub-paragraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with point (a)(v) of Article 218(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

COTNENT: this proposal asks the Council to adopt a decision concluding the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters with Australia. In parallel, a separate proposal on the signature of this Agreement is also submitted.

The implementing Regulation will consequently be adopted by the Commission, pursuant to Article 144 of the Single Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation .

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: this proposal has no implications on the EU budget.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and Australia pursuant to Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions in the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania in the course of their accession to the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, the European Union enlarged its customs union. Consequently, the European Union was obliged under WTO rules (GATT Article XXIV:6) to enter into negotiations with WTO Members having negotiating rights in the schedules of any of the acceding Members in order to agree on compensatory adjustment. Such adjustment is due if the adoption of the EU’s external tariff regime results in an increase in tariff beyond the level for which the acceding country has bound itself at the WTO, whilst taking ‘due account of reductions of duties on the same tariff line made by other constituents of the customs union upon its formation’.

On 29 January 2007, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations under Article XXIV:6 of GATT 1994. The Commission has negotiated with the Members of the WTO holding negotiating rights with respect to the withdrawal of specific concessions in relation to the withdrawal of the schedules of Bulgaria and Romania, in the course of their accession to the European Union.

Negotiations with Australia resulted in a draft Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters that was initialled on 15 June 2010 in Geneva.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: the first sub-paragraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with point (a)(v) of Article 218(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

COTNENT: this proposal asks the Council to adopt a decision concluding the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters with Australia. In parallel, a separate proposal on the signature of this Agreement is also submitted.

The implementing Regulation will consequently be adopted by the Commission, pursuant to Article 144 of the Single Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation .

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: this proposal has no implications on the EU budget.