PURPOSE : to conclude a Protocol between the EU and South Africa regarding the Agreement on Trade Development and Co-operation (TDCA) vis-à-vis the accession of the ten new Member States.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2006/0166/EC.

CONTENT : the Council adopted this Decision concluding the Additional Protocol to the Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation between the EU and South Africa in order to take account of the accession of ten new Member States in May 2004. The Additional Protocol, signed in Pretoria last June, provides for the necessary technical adaptations of the Agreement that ensue from the accession of the new contracting parties, in particular regarding institutional and trade provisions and rules of origin.

More specifically, they refer, in particular, to the following elements:

- on the matter of institutional provisions, the Protocol includes a number of necessary changes arising from the accession of the new Member States as well as including an increase in the number of official languages;

- on the matter of trade provisions, the revised TDCA allows for trade liberalisation between the EU and the Republic of South Africa, which in some cases, is limited to tariff quotas. These tariff quotas have been reviewed on the basis of traditional trade between the new Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of South Africa, on the other. The Additional Protocol makes adjustments to these where required;

- on the matter of rules of origin, the multi-lingual provisions in Protocol 1 to the TDCA on the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative co-operation have been amended to include the languages of the new Member States.

ENTRY INTO FORCE : the protocol shall enter into force as soon as all the necessary procedures have been accomplished.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Miguel Angel MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ (PES, ES) and gave its assent to the conclusion of the protocol to the Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation between the EC and its Member States and South Africa.

The committee adopted the report by Miguel Angel MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ (PES, ES) recommending that Parliament give its assent to the conclusion of the additional Protocol.

This document constitutes the definitive additional protocol to the Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation between the European Union and South Africa taking into account the accession of the ten new Member States.

It should be noted that this text is basically identical to that of the initial proposal (please refer to summary of 12/08/2005).

This document constitutes the definitive additional protocol to the Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation between the European Union and South Africa taking into account the accession of the ten new Member States.

It should be noted that this text is basically identical to that of the initial proposal (please refer to summary of 12/08/2005).

PURPOSE: To conclude a Protocol between the EU and South Africa regarding the Agreement on Trade Development and Co-operation (TDCA) vis-à-vis the accession of the ten new Member States.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: This Decision is being proposed within the context of the May 2004 EU enlargement. With the accession of ten new Member States it has become necessary for the Commission to re-negotiate the EU’s Protocol governing its Agreement on Trade, Development and Co-operation (TDCA) with South Africa. Although, a provisional Protocol was signed in Pretoria in June 2005, this proposal is for a Council Decision concluding the Protocol.

The Additional Protocol provides for the necessary technical adaptations of the TDCA following on from the accession of the new countries. They refer, in particular, to the following elements:

- On the matter of institutional provisions, the Protocol includes a number of necessary changes arising from the accession of the new Member States as well as including an increase in the number of official languages.

- On the matter of trade provisions, the revised TDCA allows for trade liberalisation between the EU and the Republic of South Africa, which in some cases, is limited to tariff quotas. These tariff quotas have been reviewed on the basis of traditional trade between the new Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of South Africa, on the other. The Additional Protocol makes adjustments to these where required.

- On the matter of rules of origin, the multi-lingual provisions in Protocol 1 to the TDCA on the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative co-operation have been amended to include the languages of the new Member States.

PURPOSE: To conclude a Protocol between the EU and South Africa regarding the Agreement on Trade Development and Co-operation (TDCA) vis-à-vis the accession of the ten new Member States.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: This Decision is being proposed within the context of the May 2004 EU enlargement. With the accession of ten new Member States it has become necessary for the Commission to re-negotiate the EU’s Protocol governing its Agreement on Trade, Development and Co-operation (TDCA) with South Africa. Although, a provisional Protocol was signed in Pretoria in June 2005, this proposal is for a Council Decision concluding the Protocol.

The Additional Protocol provides for the necessary technical adaptations of the TDCA following on from the accession of the new countries. They refer, in particular, to the following elements:

- On the matter of institutional provisions, the Protocol includes a number of necessary changes arising from the accession of the new Member States as well as including an increase in the number of official languages.

- On the matter of trade provisions, the revised TDCA allows for trade liberalisation between the EU and the Republic of South Africa, which in some cases, is limited to tariff quotas. These tariff quotas have been reviewed on the basis of traditional trade between the new Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of South Africa, on the other. The Additional Protocol makes adjustments to these where required.

- On the matter of rules of origin, the multi-lingual provisions in Protocol 1 to the TDCA on the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative co-operation have been amended to include the languages of the new Member States.