COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2020/608

of 24 April 2020

on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on certain aspects of air services

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 100(2), in conjunction with Article 218(5) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) On 5 June 2003 the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with third countries on the replacement of certain provisions in existing bilateral agreements with an agreement at Union level.

(2) The Commission has negotiated, on behalf of the Union, an Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on certain aspects of air services (the ‘Agreement’). The negotiations were successfully concluded with the initialling of the Agreement on 12 November 2008.

(3) On 31 March 2009 the Council adopted a decision on the signing of the Agreement (the ‘2009 decision’). However, because of the reluctance of the Republic of Korea, the Agreement was not signed.

(4) In 2018 the Republic of Korea expressed a new interest in signing and concluding the Agreement. Given that a number of new bilateral air services agreements between Member States and the Republic of Korea have been initialled or signed since the 2009 decision, the Agreement has been updated. A new Council decision on the signing of the Agreement is therefore required.

(5) The objective of the Agreement is to bring bilateral air services agreements between 22 Member States and the Republic of Korea into line with Union law.

(6) The Agreement should be signed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The signing on behalf of the Union of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on certain aspects of air services is hereby authorised, subject to the conclusion of the said Agreement (1).

Article 2

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement on behalf of the Union.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 24 April 2020.

For the Council

The President

G. GRLIĆ RADMAN

(1)  The text of the Agreement will be published together with the decision on its conclusion.