The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Association Agreement) (Central America) Order 2018

Statutory Instruments

2018 No. 1065

European Union

The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Association Agreement) (Central America) Order 2018

Made

10th October 2018

Coming into force in accordance with article 2

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 10th day of October 2018

Present,

The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

A draft of this Order has been laid before Parliament in accordance with section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972(1) and has been approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.

Accordingly, Her Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred on Her by section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order as follows:

1.  This Order may be cited as the European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Association Agreement) (Central America) Order 2018.

2.  This Order comes into force on the date on which the treaty specified in article 3 enters into force for the United Kingdom(2).

3.  The Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other hand, signed at Tegucigalpa on 29th June 2012(3) is to be regarded as an EU Treaty as defined in section 1(2) of the European Communities Act 1972(4).

Richard Tilbrook

Clerk of the Privy Council

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order declares the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other hand, signed at Tegucigalpa on 29th June 2012 (the Agreement), to be an EU Treaty as defined in section 1(2) of the European Communities Act 1972.

The Agreement is intended to strengthen relations between the European Union, its Member States and Central America by promoting political dialogue and co-operation in areas of common interest including climate change and environment, counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, human rights and migration. It also makes extensive provision for future trade relations. The Central America republics that the Agreement applies to are: the Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Guatemala, the Republic of Honduras, the Republic of Nicaragua and the Republic of Panama.

The principal effect of declaring the Agreement to be an EU Treaty is that the provisions of section 2 of the European Communities Act 1972 (which provide for implementation of treaties specified in orders made under section 1(3) of that Act) apply to it.

A full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that the Agreement will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH and is published with the Explanatory Memorandum alongside the instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.

(1)

1972 c. 68; section 1(3) was amended by section 3(3) of, and Part 1 of the Schedule to, the European Union (Amendment) Act 2008 (c. 7).

(2)

It will be possible to find out the date on which the treaty enters into force for the United Kingdom by referring to the relevant page on UK Treaties Online which can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/uk-treaties.

(3)

Cm 8633.

(4)

Section 1(2) was amended by: section 3(1) and (3) of, and Part 1 of the Schedule to, the European Union (Amendment) Act 2008; section 15(2) of the European Union Act 2011 (c. 12); section 3 of the European Union (Croatian Accession and Irish Protocol) Act 2013 (c. 5); and section 1(2) of the European Union (Finance) Act 2015 (c. 32). There are other amending instruments but none are relevant.