COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2020/409

of 17 February 2020

on the accession of Solomon Islands to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(3) and the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with point (a)(v) of the second subparagraph of Article 218(6) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament (1),

Whereas:

(1) On 12 June 2002, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States.

(2) The Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part (2) (the ‘Interim Partnership Agreement’), which establishes a framework for an Economic Partnership Agreement, was signed in London on 30 July 2009. The Interim Partnership Agreement has been provisionally applied by Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa since 20 December 2009, 28 July 2014 and 31 December 2018, respectively.

(3) Article 80 of the Interim Partnership Agreement lays down the provisions regarding the accession of other Pacific Island States.

(4) On 4 June 2018, Solomon Islands submitted an accession request together with a market access offer to the Council.

(5) The Commission has assessed Solomon Islands’ offer and, after amendments, found it acceptable. Accordingly, the Commission concluded negotiations with Solomon Islands on 23 October 2018.

(6) In accordance with Article 76(3) of the Interim Partnership Agreement, the Union and Solomon Islands are to provisionally apply the Interim Partnership Agreement 10 days after notifying each other in writing of the completion of the procedures necessary for that purpose.

(7) The accession of Solomon Islands to the Interim Partnership Agreement should be approved on behalf of the Union, subject to Solomon Islands’ deposit of the act of accession pursuant to Article 80(2) thereof,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. The accession of Solomon Islands to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part (the ‘Interim Partnership Agreement’), is hereby approved on behalf of the Union, subject to Solomon Islands’ deposit of the act of accession pursuant to Article 80(2) thereof.

2. The President of the Council shall, on behalf of the Union, notify the other Contracting Parties to the Interim Partnership Agreement and Solomon Islands of the approval, by the Union, of the accession of Solomon Islands to the Interim Partnership Agreement.

3. The text of the market access offer of Solomon Islands is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

1. For the purposes of provisionally applying the Interim Partnership Agreement between the Union and Solomon Islands, the President of the Council shall, on behalf of the Union, give the notification referred to in Article 76(3) of the Interim Partnership Agreement.

2. The Union and Solomon Islands shall provisionally apply the Interim Partnership Agreement 10 days after they have notified each other in writing of the completion of the procedures necessary for that purpose in accordance with paragraph 1.

Article 3

The approval of the accession of Solomon Islands to the Interim Partnership Agreement shall not be construed as conferring rights or imposing obligations which can be directly invoked before Union or Member State courts or tribunals.

Article 4

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

Done at Brussels, 17 February 2020.

For the Council

The President

J. BORRELL FONTELLES

(1) The European Parliament gave its consent on 17 December 2019.

(2)

OJ L 272, 16.10.2009, p. 2

ANNEX

TARIFF LIBERALISATION SCHEDULES FOR SOLOMON ISLANDS

Solomon Islands

‘preparatory period’

Basket

Base Rate

year 1

year 2

year 3

year 4

year 5

year 6

year 7

year 8

year 9

year 10

year 11

year 12

year 13

year 14

year 15

year 16

year 17

year 18

0,0 %

0,0

B(6)

5,0 %

0,0

B(6)

10,0 %

0,0

B(15)

5,0 %

3,0

2,0

0,0

B(15)

10,0 %

6,0

4,0

0,0

B(15)

15,0 %

10,0

5,0

0,0

B(15)

20,0 %

10,0

5,0

0,0

B(15)

specific duties (*1)

60,0

30,0

0,0

B(18)

5,0 %

4,0

3,0

2,0

0,0

B(18)

10,0 %

8,0

6,0

4,0

0,0

B(18)

15,0 %

13,0

10,0

5,0

0,0

B(18)

specific duties (*1)

90,0

60,0

30,0

0,0

E (excl)

any

U	=	unbound
BR	=	Base Rate

Basket	Tariff Lines	% of total lines
A	25	0,45 %
B(6)	708	12,86 %
B(15)	2 299	41,76 %
B(18)	1 955	35,51 %
E	518	9,41 %