L_202302216EN.000101.fmx.xml

COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2023/2216

of 16 October 2023

on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Argentine Republic amending the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Argentine Republic pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(4), first subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 218(5) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

On 10 May 2021, the European Union (‘the Union’) signed an Agreement with the Argentine Republic (‘Argentina’), on the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV, pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (‘GATT 1994’) as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union (1).

(2)	According to the Agreement of 10 May 2021, the Union shall inform Argentina if the result of the negotiations with World Trade Organisation (WTO) Members with rights under Article XXVIII of GATT 1994 would change the shares agreed in their bilateral negotiations.

(3)	As a result of negotiations with other WTO Members, the Union has agreed to change the shares of two tariff-rate quotas for which Argentina has negotiating rights.

(4)	The Union has informed Argentina about those modifications, and the discussions were successfully concluded on 15 June 2023 by the initialling of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters (‘the Agreement’).

(5)	The objective of the Agreement is to amend the Agreement of 10 May 2021 in relation to the volume of two tariff-rate quotas and to provide for the apportionment of the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV of GATT 1994 following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union.

(6)	Therefore, the Agreement should be signed on behalf of the Union, subject to its conclusion at a later date,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Argentine Republic amending the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Argentine Republic pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff-rate quotas included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, is hereby authorised, subject to the conclusion of the said Agreement (2).

Article 2

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement on behalf of the Union.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Luxembourg, 16 October 2023.

For the Council

The President

T. RIBERA RODRÍGUEZ

(1) Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Argentine Republic pursuant to Article XXVIII of the general agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT) 1994 relating to the modification of concessions on all the tariff rate quotas included in the EU schedule CLXXV as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union (OJ L 264, 26.7.2021, p. 3).

(2) The text of the Agreement will be published together with the decision on its conclusion.