Legal provisions of COM(2008)858 - Signature and provisional application of the Interim Partnership Agreement with the Pacific States

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16.10.2009   ENOfficial Journal of the European UnionL 272/1



COUNCIL DECISION

of 13 July 2009

on the signature and provisional application of the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part

(2009/729/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 12 June 2002 the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements with ACP countries.

(2)Negotiations for an Interim Partnership Agreement, which establishes a framework for an Economic Partnership Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the ‘interim EPA’) were concluded on 23 November 2007 with Papua New Guinea and Republic of the Fiji Islands.

(3)Article 76(3) of the interim EPA provides for its provisional application pending its entry into force.

(4)The interim EPA should be signed on behalf of the Community and applied on a provisional basis subject to its conclusion at a later date,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The signing of the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Pacific States is hereby approved on behalf of the Community, subject to the Council Decision concerning the conclusion of the said interim EPA.

The text of the interim EPA is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the interim EPA on behalf of the European Community, subject to its conclusion.

Article 3

The interim EPA shall be applied on a provisional basis as provided for in Article 76(3) of the Agreement, pending completion of the procedures for conclusion. The Commission will publish a notice providing information on the date of provisional application.