PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union,
the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the
European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the
Republic of Cuba, of the other.
PROPOSED ACT: Joint Proposal for a Council
Decision.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the
act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.
BACKGROUND: relations between the European Union and
Cuba are currently governed by the EU's
Common Position 96/697/CFSP of 2 December 1996.
On 10 February 2014, the Council adopted a Decision
authorising the Commission and the High Representative of the Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to open negotiations for a
Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the
European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the
Republic of Cuba, of the other part.
The negotiations began on 29 April 2014 and were
concluded after seven rounds in March 2016. The Agreement was
initialled on 11 March 2016 in Havana, in the presence of the High
Representative and the Commissioner for International Development
and Cooperation.
The European Parliament was also kept informed
throughout the negotiations.
It is now necessary to approve the
Agreement.
CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council
approve, on behalf of the Union, the Political Dialogue and
Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and it Member
States, of the one part, and the Republic of Cuba, of the other
part is hereby approved on behalf of the Union. The Agreement
should supersede Common Position 96/697/CFSP.
The PDCA is the first bilateral agreement between the
EU and Cuba. It aims to consolidate
and strengthen links between the parties in the areas of political
dialogue, cooperation and trade, on the basis of mutual respect,
reciprocity, common interest and respect for their
sovereignty.
The relationship will be geared to supporting the
modernisation of the Cuban economy and society, cooperating
bilaterally and in international fora with a view to strengthening
human rights and democracy, countering discrimination and achieving
the sustainable development goals.
The Agreement builds essentially on a three-pillar
structure:
- political dialogue: the
relevant provisions cover a range of policy areas, including human
rights, small arms and light weapons, disarmament and
non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism,
serious crimes of international concern (including the
International Criminal Court), unilateral coercive measures (i.e.
US embargo), combating the production, trafficking and
consumption of illicit drugs, combating racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and sustainable
development;
- cooperation and sector policy dialogue: these provisions cover a very wide range of areas
for future cooperation, including political and legal (governance
and human rights, justice, citizen security and migration), social,
environmental, economic and developmental issues. Particular
attention is also given to regional (Caribbean and Latin American)
integration and cooperation;
- trade and trade cooperation: this part codifies the conventional (WTO-related)
basis for EU-Cuba trade. In addition, it includes provisions on
trade facilitation and cooperation in areas such as technical
barriers to trade and standards, with a view to improving the
prospects for deeper economic relations. It also includes a clause
envisaging the future development of a stronger framework for
investments.
The Agreement also establishes an institutional
framework composed of a Joint Council and a Joint Committee and
includes a provision on the fulfilment of obligations. The
Agreement is concluded for an unlimited period and can be
terminated at six months notice.