PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of Croatia’s accession to the European Union.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2017/1163 on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union and its Member States, of the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.

BACKGROUND: In accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2017/75, the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part taking into account the accession of Croatia to the European Union, was signed on 15 December 2016, subject to its conclusion.

The Protocol should now be approved.

CONTENT: with this Decision, the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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: the Decision shall enter into force on 20.6.2017. The date of entry into force of the Protocol will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.

The European Parliament adopted by 592 votes to 54, with 21 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 Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union.

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

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the report by Cristian Dan PREDA (EPP, RO) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union and its Member States, of the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 Agreement.

PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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: the Council adopts the act after consulting the European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its opinion.

BACKGROUND: the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union was signed, subject to its conclusion. The Protocol should now be approved.

CONTENT: the draft Council decision is aimed at approving, on behalf of the Union , the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union .

In terms of the Protocol, Croatia shall be Party to the SAA, signed in Luxembourg on 16 June 2008, and shall respectively adopt and take note, in the same manner as the other Member States of the European Union, of the texts of the SAA, as well as of the Joint Declarations, and the Unilateral Declarations annexed to the Final Act signed on the same date.

The adjustments to the text of the SAA relate to agricultural products (agricultural products sensu stricu, fish and fishery products, processed agricultural products and wine agreement.)

The conclusion of the Protocol is subject to a separate procedure as regards matters falling within the competence of the European Atomic Energy Community.

For further details, please refer to the Commission’s initial proposal dated 6.10.2016.

PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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: the Council adopts the act after consulting the European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its opinion.

BACKGROUND: the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union was signed, subject to its conclusion. The Protocol should now be approved.

CONTENT: the draft Council decision is aimed at approving, on behalf of the Union , the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union .

In terms of the Protocol, Croatia shall be Party to the SAA, signed in Luxembourg on 16 June 2008, and shall respectively adopt and take note, in the same manner as the other Member States of the European Union, of the texts of the SAA, as well as of the Joint Declarations, and the Unilateral Declarations annexed to the Final Act signed on the same date.

The adjustments to the text of the SAA relate to agricultural products (agricultural products sensu stricu, fish and fishery products, processed agricultural products and wine agreement.)

The conclusion of the Protocol is subject to a separate procedure as regards matters falling within the competence of the European Atomic Energy Community.

For further details, please refer to the Commission’s initial proposal dated 6.10.2016.

PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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: the Council adopts the act after consulting the European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its opinion.

BACKGROUND: on 24 September 2012, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations, on behalf of the European Union and its Member States and Croatia, with Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to conclude a Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.

Several rounds of negotiations took place between 13 December 2012 and 28 April 2016. Following further technical consultations and correspondence, the Protocol was initialled by the Commission and Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 July 2016.

It is now necessary to conclude the Protocol on behalf of the European Union.

CONTENT: with this proposal, the Council is invited to adopt a decision aiming to approve, on behalf of the Union and its Member States, the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.

It should be noted that the signature and provisional application of the Protocol are subject to a proposal for a separate Council decision. The conclusion of the Protocol on behalf of the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC) follows a separate procedure, by which the Commission recommends that the Council gives its approval, pursuant to the second paragraph of Article 101 of the Treaty establishing the EAEC.