THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 113 thereof, in conjunction with Article 228(2), first sentence, thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas the Commission has negotiated on behalf of the community an Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Community and the People's Republic of China amending the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the People's Republic of China on trade in textile products as last amended by Agreements initialled on 13 December 1995;

Whereas this Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters should be applied on a provisional basis from 1 January 1999 pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its conclusion, subject to reciprocal provisional application of the Agreement by the People's Republic of China,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: