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)
On 19 January 2009, the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate a multiparty trade agreement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States with the Member countries of the Andean Community.
(2)
These negotiations have been concluded and the Trade Agreement between the European Union its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia and Peru, of the other part (‘the Agreement’) was signed in Brussels on 26 June 2012.
(3)
Pursuant to its Article 330(3) of the Agreement, the Agreement has been provisionally applied with Peru since 1 March 2013 and with Colombia since 1 August 2013, subject to its conclusion at a later date.
(4)
Article 103 of the Agreement establishes a Sub-committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (‘SPS Sub-committee’), which shall ensure and monitor the implementation of Chapter 5 of the Agreement, relating to Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, and consider any matter that could affect compliance with the provisions of this Chapter. The SPS Sub-committee shall adopt its working procedures at its first meeting.
(5)
The Union should determine the position to be taken with regard to the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the SPS Sub-committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: