COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2024/412

of 16 January 2024

on the signing, on behalf of the Union, and provisional application of the Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Arab Republic of Egypt on the general principles for the participation of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Union programmes

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 212 in conjunction with Article 218(5) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part (1), was concluded by the Union by means of Council Decision 2004/635/EC (2).

(2) On 18 June 2007, the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate a Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Arab Republic of Egypt on the general principles for the participation of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Union programmes (‘the Protocol’).

(3) The negotiations have been concluded on 8 March 2023.

(4) The objective of the Protocol is to lay down the financial and technical rules enabling the Arab Republic of Egypt to participate in certain Union programmes. The horizontal framework established by the Protocol sets out principles for economic, financial and technical cooperation measures and allows the Arab Republic of Egypt to receive assistance, in particular financial assistance, from the Union pursuant to those programmes.

(5) The framework set up by the Protocol applies only to those programmes for which the relevant constitutive legal acts provide for the possibility of the participation of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The signing and provisional application of the Protocol does not, therefore, entail the exercise of powers under the various sectoral policies which are exercised when establishing the programmes.

(6) The Protocol should be signed on behalf of the Union and applied on a provisional basis, pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The signing on behalf of the Union of the Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Arab Republic of Egypt on the general principles for the participation of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Union programmes is hereby authorised, subject to the conclusion of the said Protocol (3).

Article 2

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

Article 3

The Protocol shall be applied on a provisional basis, in accordance with Article 10(2) thereof, from the date of its signature, pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force (4).

Article 4

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

Done at Brussels, 16 January 2024.

For the Council

The President

V. VAN PETEGHEM

(1)

OJ L 304, 30.9.2004, p. 39

(2) Council Decision 2004/635/EC of 21 April 2004 concerning the conclusion of a Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part (

OJ L 304, 30.9.2004, p. 38

(3) The text of the Protocol is published in

OJ L, 2024/409, 30.1.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree/2024/409/oj

(4) The date of signature of the Protocol will be published in the

Official Journal of the European Union

by the General Secretariat of the Council.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/412/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)