EC/Jordan agreement: Euro-Mediterranean association agreement following the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. Protocol

PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Jordan, of the other part, to take account of the accession of  Bulgaria and Romania to the EU.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: under the terms of Article 6(2) of the Act of Accession of new Member States to the EU, the accession of the new EU Member States to the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement with Jordan is to be agreed by means of a protocol to this Agreement. The same article provides for a simplified procedure, whereby the protocol is to be concluded by the Council, acting unanimously on behalf of the Member States, and by the third country concerned. This procedure is without prejudice to the Community’s own competences.

On 23 October 2006 the Council approved a mandate for the Commission to negotiate such a protocol with Jordan to take account of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania on 1 January 2007. During these negotiations it was concluded that no additional trade concessions in agriculture, processed agricultural and fishery products would be added to the existing Association Agreement.

The Commission presents proposals are for a Council Decision on the signature and provisional application of the Protocol and a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol. The text of the protocol negotiated with Jordan is attached. The most important provision of the protocol concerns the accession of the new Member States to the EU-Jordan Association Agreement and the inclusion of the new official languages of the EU.