THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 207(4) in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)
Protocol 3 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation, (‘the Agreement’), concerns the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation, (‘Protocol 3’).
(2)
The Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin, (‘the Convention’), lays down provisions on the origin of goods traded under relevant Agreements concluded between the Contracting Parties.
(3)
The Union and Switzerland signed the Convention on 15 June 2011.
(4)
The Union and Switzerland deposited their instruments of acceptance with the depositary of the Convention on 26 March 2012 and 28 November 2011, respectively. As a consequence, in application of Article 10(3) of the Convention, the Convention entered into force in relation to the Union and Switzerland on 1 May 2012 and 1 January 2012, respectively.
(5)
Article 6 of the Convention provides that each Contracting Party is to take appropriate measures to ensure that the Convention is effectively applied. To that effect, the Joint Committee established by the Agreement should adopt a decision replacing Protocol 3 by a new Protocol which, with regard to the rules of origin, refers to the Convention.
(6)
The position of the Union within the Joint Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft decision,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: