PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union
and its Member States, the Protocol to the Framework Agreement on
Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its
Member States, of the one part, and Mongolia, of the other part, to
take account of the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the
European Union.
PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the
act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.
BACKGROUND: the Act of Accession of the Republic of
Croatia to the EU specifies that Croatia will accede to the
international agreements signed or concluded by the European Union
and its Member States by means of protocols to these
agreements.
The
Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the
European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and
Mongolia, of the other part, was signed in Ulaan Baatar on 30 April
2013. This Agreement is currently being ratified and has not yet
entered in force.
On 14 September 2012, the Council authorised the
Commission to open negotiations with the third countries with which
protocols would need to be concluded as a result of the accession
of the Republic of Croatia.
The negotiations were successful and the Protocol to
the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the
European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and
Mongolia, of the other part, to take account of the accession of
the Republic of Croatia to the European Union was signed on behalf
of the European Union and its Member States.
It is now necessary to approve the Protocol on behalf
of the Union and its Member States.
CONTENT: the proposed Council Decision provides the
legal basis for concluding a Protocol to the Framework Agreement on
Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its
Member States, of the one part, and Mongolia, of the other
part.
The purpose of this Protocol is to take account of
the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European
Union.
The Protocol makes Croatia a contracting party to this
Agreement.
The Commission asks the Council to conclude the
Protocol to the Agreement on behalf of the European Union and its
Member States.