PURPOSE: to approve the conclusion of 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, to take account of Croatia’s accession to the European Union.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2017/2271 on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union and its Member States, of 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.

CONTENT: the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States and Mongolia was signed in Ulaan Baatar on 30 April 2013. In accordance with Croatia’s Act of Accession, the accession to the Agreement must be approved by the conclusion of a Protocol to that Agreement. The Protocol to the Framework Agreement was signed on 31 October 2016, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

By this Decision, 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 Croatia to the European Union is hereby approved on behalf of the Union and its Member States.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 9.12.2017.

The European Parliament adopted by 585 votes to 52, with 15 abstentions, a resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union and its Member States, of 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 Croatia to the European Union.

The European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Protocol.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the report by Helmut SCHOLZ (GUE/NGL, DE) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union and its Member States, of 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 Croatia to the European Union.

The committee recommended the European Parliament to give its consent to the conclusion of the Protocol.

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 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: in accordance with a Council Decision, 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 Croatia to the EU was signed subject to its conclusion at a later date.

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 Croatia to the EU .

The text of the Protocol is attached to this Decision.

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.