COUNCIL DECISION

of 21 February 2005

on the signing and provisional application of the agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and Ukraine concerning the extension and amendment of the Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine on trade in textile products

(2005/196/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) The Commission has negotiated on behalf of the Community an agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and Ukraine concerning the extension and amendment of the Agreement on trade in textile products with Ukraine.

(2) Subject to its possible conclusion at a later date, the Agreement should be signed on behalf of the Community.

(3) It is appropriate to apply this Agreement on a provisional basis as from 1 January 2005 pending the completion of the relevant procedures for its conclusion, subject to reciprocity,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Subject to a possible conclusion at a later date, the President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign on behalf of the Community the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and Ukraine concerning the extension and amendment of the Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine on trade in textile products.

Article 2

Subject to reciprocity, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters referred to in Article 1 shall be applied on a provisional basis as from 1 January 2005 pending the completion of the procedures for its conclusion.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 3

The Commission may, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93, of 12 October 1993, on common rules for imports of certain textile products from third countries (1), adopt the measures foreseen in point 6 of the Exchange of Letters signed on 19 December 2000 (2), consisting of reinstating the quota-regime applicable during the year 2000 in case of non-application by Ukraine of the tariff rates described in paragraph 1.5 of the Exchange of Letters referred to in Article 1 of this Decision.

Done at Brussels, 21 February 2005.

For the Council

J. ASSELBORN

The President

(1)

OJ L 275, 8.11.1993, p. 1

. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2200/2004 (

OJ L 374, 22.12.2004, p. 1

(2)

OJ L 16, 18.1.2001, p. 3

AGREEMENT IN THE FORM OF AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS

between the European Community and Ukraine, represented by the Government of Ukraine, concerning the extension and amendment of the Agreement between the European Economic Community and Ukraine on trade in textile products of 1993

A. Letter from the Council of the European Union

Sir,

I have the honour to refer to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and Ukraine on trade in textile products of 1993, as last amended by the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters signed on 19 December 2000 (hereafter referred to as the ‘Agreement’).

According to Article 20(1) thereof, the Agreement is to apply only until 31 December 2004. The European Community proposes to extend the duration of the Agreement, subject to the following amendments and conditions:

1.1.

Annex I to the Agreement which lists the products referred to in Article 1 of the Agreement and contains the category and goods descriptions for textiles products, shall be replaced by Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 (1). Without prejudice to the general rules for the interpretation of the combined nomenclature, the description of goods is only indicative, since the products covered by each category are determined within that Annex by CN codes. Where there is an ‘ex’ symbol in front of a CN code, the products covered in each category are determined by the scope of the CN code and by that of the corresponding description.

1.2.

The second sentence of Article 2(1) and Title III of Protocol A of the Agreement shall be repealed.

1.3.

The second sentence of Article 20(1) of the Agreement shall be replaced by the following:

‘It shall apply until 31 December 2005.’

1.4.

The following sentence shall be added to Article 20(1):

‘Thereafter, the application of all of the provisions of this Agreement shall be extended automatically for a period of one more year up to 31 December 2006, unless either Party notifies the other at least six months before 31 December 2005 that it does not agree to this extension.’

1.5.

The tariff rates applied by Ukraine to exports of EC origin of products of HS chapters 50-63 shall not exceed the rates agreed in the Exchange of Letters signed on 19 December 2000.

Should Ukraine become a Member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) before the date of the expiry of the Agreement, the Agreements and rules of the WTO shall be applied from the date of Ukraine’s accession to the WTO.

I should be obliged if you could kindly confirm your Government’s acceptance of the foregoing. Should this be the case, this letter, together with your letter of acceptance, will constitute an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters which shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the day on which the Parties have notified each other that the internal legal procedures necessary to this end have been completed. In the meantime, it shall be applied provisionally from 1 January 2005 on conditions of reciprocity.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Hecho en Bruselas, el

V Bruselu dne

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den

Geschehen zu Brüssel am

Brüssel,

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις

Done at Brussels,

Fait à Bruxelles, le

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì

Briselÿ,

Priimta Briuselyje,

Kelt Brüsszelben,

Magÿmula fi Brussel,

Gedaan te Brussel,

Sporzÿdzono w Brukseli, dnia

Feito em Bruxelas,

V Bruseli

V Bruslju,

Tehty Brysselissä

Utfärdat i Bryssel den

Вчинено в м.

[Bild bitte in Originalquelle ansehen]

Por la Comunidad Europea

Za Evropské společenství

For Det Europæiske Fællesskab

Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft

Euroopa Ühenduse nimel

Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα

For the European Community

Pour la Communauté européenne

Per la Comunità europea

Eiropas Kopienas vārdā

Europos bendrijos vardu

az Európai Közösség részéről

Għall-Komunità Ewropea

Voor de Europese Gemeenschap

W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej

Pela Comunidade Europeia

Za Európske spoločenstvo

za Evropsko skupnost

Euroopan yhteisön puolesta

På Europeiska gemenskapens vägnar

За Європейське Спiвтовариство

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B. Letter from the Government of Ukraine

Sir,

I have the honour to confirm the receipt of your letter of today’s date which reads as follows:

‘Sir,

1.1.

Annex I to the Agreement which lists the products referred to in Article 1 of the Agreement and contains the category and goods descriptions for textiles products, shall be replaced by Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 (2). Without prejudice to the general rules for the interpretation of the combined nomenclature, the description of goods is only indicative, since the products covered by each category are determined within that Annex by CN codes. Where there is an “ex” symbol in front of a CN code, the products covered in each category are determined by the scope of the CN code and by that of the corresponding description.

1.2.

The second sentence of Article 2(1) and Title III of Protocol A of the Agreement shall be repealed.

1.3.

The second sentence of Article 20(1) of the Agreement shall be replaced by the following:

“It shall apply until 31 December 2005.”

1.4.

The following sentence shall be added to Article 20(1):

“Thereafter, the application of all of the provisions of this Agreement shall be extended automatically for a period of one more year up to 31 December 2006, unless either Party notifies the other at least six months before 31 December 2005 that it does not agree to this extension.”

1.5.

The tariff rates applied by Ukraine to exports of EC origin of products of HS chapters 50-63 shall not exceed the rates agreed in the Exchange of Letters signed on 19 December 2000.

I have the honour to confirm that the foregoing is acceptable to the Government of Ukraine and that your letter and this letter constitute an Agreement in accordance with your proposal.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Вчинено в м.

Hecho en Bruselas, el

V Bruselu dne

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den

Geschehen zu Brüssel am

Brüssel,

Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις

Done at Brussels,

Fait à Bruxelles, le

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì

Briselÿ,

Priimta Briuselyje,

Kelt Brüsszelben,

Magÿmula fi Brussel,

Gedaan te Brussel,

Sporzÿdzono w Brukseli, dnia

Feito em Bruxelas,

V Bruseli

V Bruslju,

Tehty Brysselissä

Utfärdat i Bryssel den

[Bild bitte in Originalquelle ansehen]

За Уряд України

Por el Gobierno de Ucrania

Za vládu Ukrajiny

For regeringen for Ukraine

Für die Regierung der Ukraine

Ukraina valitsuse nimel

Για την Κυβέρνηση της Ουκρανίας

For the Government of Ukraine

Pour le gouvernement ukrainien

Per il governo dell’Ucraina

Ukrainas valdības vārdā

Ukrainos Vyriausybės vardu

Ukrajna kormánya részéről

Għall-Gvern ta’ l-Ukrajna

Voor de Regering van Oekraïne

W imieniu Rządu Ukrainy

Pelo Governo da Ucrânia

Za vládu Ukrajiny

Za Vlado Ukrajine

Ukrainan hallituksen puolesta

För Ukrainas regering

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(1)

OJ L 275, 8.11.1993, p. 1

. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2200/2004 (

OJ L 374, 22.12.2004, p. 1

(2)

OJ L 275, 8.11.1993, p. 1

. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2200/2004 (

OJ L 374, 22.12.2004, p. 1