COUNCIL DECISION

of 22 February 2007

on the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and the Government of Canada on the conclusion of GATT Article XXIV:6 Negotiations

(2007/444/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 the first subparagraph of Article 300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) On 22 March 2004 the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with certain other Members of the WTO under Article XXIV:6 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT), in the course of the accessions to the European Union of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic.

(2) Negotiations have been conducted by the Commission in consultation with the Committee established by Article 133 of the Treaty and within the framework of the negotiating directives issued by the Council.

(3) The Commission has finalised negotiations for an Agreement between the European Community and the Government of Canada on the conclusion of GATT Article XXIV:6 Negotiations. The Agreement 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 (1),

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Agreement between the European Community and the Government of Canada on the conclusion of GATT Article XXIV:6 Negotiations with respect to the withdrawal of specific concessions in relation to the withdrawal of the schedules of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic in the course of accession to the European Union, is hereby approved on behalf of the Community.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The Commission shall adopt the detailed rules for implementing the Agreement in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 3(2) of this Decision.

Article 3

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Management Committee for Cereals instituted by Article 25 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 of 29 September 2003 on the common organisation of the market in cereals (2) or by the relevant committee instituted by the corresponding Article of the Regulation for the common market organisation for the product concerned.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at one month.

3. The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.

Article 4

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement referred to in Article 1 in order to bind the Community.

Done at Brussels, 22 February 2007.

For the Council

The President

F. MÜNTEFERING

(1)

OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23

. Decision as amended by Decision 2006/512/EC (

OJ L 200, 22.7.2006, p. 11

(2)

OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 78

AGREEMENT

between the European Community and the Government of Canada on the conclusion of GATT Article XXIV:6 Negotiations

FOLLOWING the initiation of negotiations between the European Communities and the Government of Canada under Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of GATT 1994 for the modification of concessions in the schedules of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic in the course of their accession to the European Community (EC), and following the EC's notification of 19 January 2004 to the WTO pursuant to Article XXIV:6 of GATT 1994,

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (EC)

and

THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA (Canada),

hereinafter jointly referred to as the ‘Parties’,

HAVE AGREED THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS:

The EC shall incorporate in its schedule, valid for the customs territory of the European Communities of 25 (EC 25), the concessions that were included in its previous Schedule CLX of the European Communities of 15 (EC 15).

In addition, the EC shall incorporate in its schedule, valid for the customs territory of EC 25, the concessions contained in the Annex to this Agreement.

The EC shall reduce its tariffs and adjust tariff rate quotas as indicated in the Annex no later than 1 August 2007.

This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of Canada's notification of the completion of its appropriate domestic procedures, following the signing of the Agreement by the Parties.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorised, have signed this Agreement.

Done at Brussels, this twenty-fifth day of June 2007, in two original copies, in the English and French languages, each version being equally authentic.

For the European Community

[Bild bitte in Originalquelle ansehen]

For the Government of Canada

[Bild bitte in Originalquelle ansehen]

ANNEX

— a country allocated (Canada) tariff rate quota of 4 624 tonnes of pork (tariff item numbers 0203 12 11, 0203 12 19, 0203 19 11, 0203 19 13, 0203 19 15, ex 0203 19 55, 0203 19 59, 0203 22 11, 0203 22 19, 0203 29 11, 0203 29 13, 0203 29 15, ex 0203 29 55 and 0203 29 59), in quota rate 233-434 EUR/t,

— add 35 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for cuts of domestic swine (tariff item numbers 0203 12 11, 0203 12 19, 0203 19 11, 0203 19 13, 0203 19 15, ex 0203 19 55, 0203 19 59, 0203 22 11, 0203 22 19, 0203 29 11, 0203 29 13, 0203 29 15, ex 0203 29 55 and 0203 29 59), in quota rate 233-434 EUR/t,

— add 1 265 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for frozen boneless hams and loins (ex 0203 19 55 and ex 0203 29 55), in quota rate 250 EUR/t,

— add 49 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for ‘chicken carcass fresh, chilled or frozen’ (tariff item numbers 0207 11 10, 0207 11 30, 0207 11 90, 0207 12 10, 0207 12 90), in quota rate 131-162 EUR/t,

— add 4 070 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for ‘chicken cuts, fresh, chilled or frozen’ (tariff item numbers 0207 13 10, 0207 13 20, 0207 13 30, 0207 13 40, 0207 13 50, 0207 13 60, 0207 13 70, 0207 14 20, 0207 14 30, 0207 14 40, 0207 14 60), in quota rate 93-512 EUR/t,

— add 1 605 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for ‘cuts of fowls’, (tariff item number 0207 14 10), in quota rate 795 EUR/t,

— add 201 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for ‘turkey meat, fresh, chilled or frozen’ (tariff item numbers 0207 24 10, 0207 24 90, 0207 25 10, 0207 25 90, 0207 26 10, 0207 26 20, 0207 26 30, 0207 26 40, 0207 26 50, 0207 26 60, 0207 26 70, 0207 26 80, 0207 27 30, 0207 27 40, 0207 27 50, 0207 27 60, 0207 27 70), in quota rate 93-425 EUR/t,

— add 2 485 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for ‘turkey cuts, frozen’ (tariff item numbers 0207 27 10, 0207 27 20, 0207 27 80), in quota rate 0 %,

— add 537 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for skimmed milk powder (tariff item number 0402 10 19), in quota rate 475 EUR/t,

— open a tariff rate quota 20 000 HLT (erga omnes) for wine (tariff item numbers 2204 29 65, 2204 29 75), in quota rate 8,0 EUR/hlt,

— open a tariff rate quota 40 000 HLT (erga omnes) for wine (tariff item numbers 2204 21 79, 2204 21 80), in quota rate 10,0 EUR/hlt,

— open a tariff rate quota 13 810 HLT (erga omnes) for wine (tariff item number 2205 90 10), in quota rate 7,0 EUR/hlt,

— open a tariff rate quota 2 838 tonnes (erga omnes) for preserved pineapples, citrus fruit, pears, apricots, cherries, peaches and strawberries (tariff item numbers 2008 20 11, 2008 20 19, 2008 20 31, 2008 20 39, 2008 20 71, 2008 30 11, 2008 30 19, 2008 30 31, 2008 30 39, 2008 30 79, 2008 40 11, 2008 40 19, 2008 40 21, 2008 40 29, 2008 40 31, 2008 40 39, 2008 50 11, 2008 50 19, 2008 50 31, 2008 50 39, 2008 50 51, 2008 50 59, 2008 50 71, 2008 60 11, 2008 60 19, 2008 60 31, 2008 60 39, 2008 60 60, 2008 70 11, 2008 70 19, 2008 70 31, 2008 70 39, 2008 70 51, 2008 70 59, 2008 80 11, 2008 80 19, 2008 80 31, 2008 80 39, 2008 80 70), in quota rate 20 %,

— add 6 215 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for barley (tariff item number 1003 00), in quota rate 16 EUR/t,

— expansion of 853 tonnes of Canada's existing country allocation in the EC tariff rate quota for soft wheat (tariff item number 1001 90 99), in quota rate 12 EUR/t,

— open a tariff rate quota 242 074 tonnes (erga omnes) for maize (tariff item numbers 1005 90 00, 1005 10 90), in quota rate 0 %,

— open a tariff rate quota 2 058 tonnes (erga omnes) for dog and cat food (tariff item numbers 2309 10 13, 2309 10 15, 2309 10 19, 2309 10 33, 2309 10 39, 2309 10 51, 2309 10 53, 2309 10 59, 2309 10 70), in quota rate 7 %,

— add 2 700 tonnes (erga omnes) in EC tariff rate quota for preparations of a kind used in animal feeding (tariff item numbers 2309 90 31, 2309 90 41, 2309 90 51, 2309 90 95, 2309 90 99), in quota rate 7 %.