Considerations on COM(2024)328 -

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dossier COM(2024)328 - .
document COM(2024)328
date July 30, 2024
 
(1) The Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, of the other part (the Agreement) was concluded by the Union by Council Decision 97/430/EC1 and entered into force on 1 July 1997.

(2) Pursuant to Article 63 of the Agreement, the Joint Committee, established according to the provisions of article 63 of the Agreement, may adopt decisions.

(3) The Joint Committee, during its next meeting, is to adopt a decision establishing the general requirements on proofs of origin issued electronically.

(4) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the Joint Committee as the Decision of the Joint Committee will be binding on the Union.

(5) During the first technical meeting on Transitional rules of origin held in Brussels on 5 February 2020, the majority of the Contracting Parties to the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin (the Convention)2 agreed to implement the revised rules of the Convention3 (the Transitional rules of origin) in parallel with the rules of the Convention, on a transitional bilateral basis, pending the adoption of the revised rules of the Convention.

(6) The application of the Transitional rules of origin ensures the adaptation of the trade flows and customs practices pending the entry into force on 1 January 2025 of the revised rules of the Convention, on which the Transitional rules of origin are based. 

(7) Since 1 September 2021, a network of bilateral protocols on rules of origin among several Contracting Parties to the Convention4 is in force rendering the Transitional rules of origin applicable5pending the entry into force of the amendment of the Convention.

(8) The main two objectives of the Transitional rules of origin6 are to introduce more relaxed rules to facilitate the qualification of the preferential originating status for goods; and to create the possibility to use proofs of origin issued electronically or submitted electronically.

(9) The EU and Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip agreed to apply the provisions of Article 17(4) of Appendix A to Protocol 3 to the Agreement as regards proofs of origin issued electronically. Therefore, a framework of general requirements should be determined.