Considerations on COM(2023)784 - EU position in the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference on the accession of the Comoros to the WTO

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dossier COM(2023)784 - EU position in the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference on the accession of the Comoros to the WTO.
document COM(2023)784
date January 23, 2024
 
(1) The Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (‘the WTO Agreement’) was concluded by the Union by Council Decision 94/800/EC of 22 December 19945 and entered into force on 1 January 1995.

(2) Pursuant to Articles IV:1 and IX:1 of the WTO Agreement, the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (‘WTO’) may adopt decisions by consensus.

(3) The WTO Ministerial Conference, during its 13th meeting on 26-29 February 2024, may adopt a decision on the accession of Comoros to the WTO.

(4) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union's behalf in the WTO Ministerial Conference, as the decisions are binding on the Union.

(5) Negotiations for the WTO accession of Comoros started in 2007. The Working Party on the accession of the Union of the Comoros was established on 9 October 2007. The ninth Working Party meeting took place on 5 October 2023. The multilateral negotiations on additional trade related areas are still ongoing. In 2022, the Commission, on behalf of the EU, finalised bilateral negotiations on a comprehensive series of market opening commitments on the part of the Union of the Comoros. Accession to the WTO is expected to make a positive and lasting contribution to the process of economic reform and sustainable development in the Union of the Comoros. The EU should support the accession of Comoros.