Council Decision (EU) 2016/877

of 23 May 2016

on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, within the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Subcommittee established by the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part

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)
Article 464(3) and (4) of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part1 (‘the Agreement’), provides for the provisional application of the Agreement in part, as specified by the Union.
(2)
Article 3 of Council Decision 2014/492/EU2 specifies the provisions of the Agreement to be applied provisionally, which include the provisions on the sanitary, phytosanitary and animal welfare measures, the establishment and functioning of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Subcommittee, and the related Annexes XVII to XXV to the Agreement. In accordance with Article 464(4) of the Agreement, the provisional application of those provisions has been effective since 1 September 2014.
(3)

Article 181(1) of the Agreement provides that the Republic of Moldova is to gradually approximate its sanitary and phytosanitary and animal welfare law to that of the Union as set out in Annex XXIV to the Agreement.

(4)

Article 181(4) of the Agreement provides that the Republic of Moldova is to submit a list of the Union acquis regarding sanitary, phytosanitary and animal welfare to which it intends to approximate its domestic legislation (‘the list’), no later than three months after the entry into force of the Agreement. The list is to serve as a reference document for the implementation of Chapter 4 (Sanitary and phytosanitary measures) of Title V (Trade and trade-related matters) of the Agreement, and is to be added, pursuant to Article 181(5) of the Agreement, to Annex XXIV to the Agreement. Accordingly, Annex XXIV-B to the Agreement is to be modified by a decision of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Subcommittee, as set out in point (d) of Article 191(2) of the Agreement.

(5)

The Republic of Moldova submitted the list and finalised it, in consultation with the Commission, in July 2015.

(6)

It is therefore appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union's behalf within the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Subcommittee, in relation to the modification of Annex XXIV-B to the Agreement,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: