EC/Switzerland agreement: trade in agricultural products
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2009/805/EC on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation amending Annex 11 to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products.
CONTENT: the Commission negotiated, on behalf of the Community, an Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation amending Annex 11 to the 2002 Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products. It entered into force on 1 June 2002 and provided for some reciprocal tariff concessions regarding agricultural products and for the removal of a series of technical barriers to trade.
The final Annex of the Agreement (Annex 11) concerns animal-health, veterinary public health and zootechnical measures applicable to trade in live animals and pets and animal products. Progress had been made since 2002 to take account of the changes to the acquis and Swiss legislation. It is for this reason that the new Agreement is necessary. The Agreement, together with the Final Act, was signed, on behalf of the Community, on 23 December 2008 subject to its conclusion, in accordance with Council Decision 2008/979/EC.
The purpose of this Decision is therefore to approve the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation amending Annex 11 to the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products and to take account of the updates and the changes in Community legislation on animal-health, veterinary public health and zootechnical measures applicable to trade in live animals and pets and animal products.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Agreement shall provisionally apply from 1 January 2009.