International Cocoa Agreement 2010

2010/0343(NLE) 26/03/2012

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, the International Cocoa Agreement 2010.

NON- LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2012/189/EU on the conclusion of the International Cocoa Agreement 2010.

BACKGROUND: on 25 June 2010 the negotiating conference, established under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, approved the text of the International Cocoa Agreement 2010. The Agreement was negotiated to replace the International Cocoa Agreement 2001, which has been extended until 30 September 2012.

In view of the outcome of the talks and the substance of the new instrument, it is in the European Union’s interest to approve the results of the negotiation.

Given that:

the aims of the Agreement fall under the common commercial policy,
the European Union is a party to the 2001 Agreement, and the signature of the Agreement and the deposit of its instrument of provisional application have already been authorised by Council Decision 2011/634/EU,

It is therefore in the interest of the Union to conclude the Agreement.

CONTENT: by this Decision, the International Cocoa Agreement 2010 is hereby approved on behalf of the European Union.

Objectives: with a view to strengthening the global cocoa sector, supporting its sustainable development and increasing the benefits to all stakeholders, the objectives of the Seventh International Cocoa Agreement are:

to promote international cooperation in the world cocoa economy;
to provide an appropriate framework for discussion on all cocoa matters among governments, and with the private sector;
to contribute to the strengthening of the national cocoa economies of Member countries, through the preparation, development and evaluation of appropriate projects to be submitted to the relevant institutions for financing and implementation and seeking finance for projects that benefit Members and the world cocoa economy;
to strive towards obtaining fair prices leading to equitable economic returns to both producers and consumers in the cocoa value chain, and to contribute to a balanced development of the world cocoa economy in the interest of all Members;
to promote a sustainable cocoa economy in economic, social and environmental terms;
to encourage research and the implementation of its findings through the promotion of training and information programmes leading to the transfer to Members of technologies suitable for cocoa;
to promote transparency in the world cocoa economy, and in particular in the cocoa trade, through the collection, analysis and dissemination of relevant statistics and the undertaking of appropriate studies, as well as to promote the elimination of trade barriers;
to promote and to encourage consumption of chocolate and cocoa-based products in order to increase demand for cocoa, inter alia through the promotion of the positive attributes of cocoa, including health benefits, in close cooperation with the private sector;
to encourage Members to promote cocoa quality and to develop appropriate food safety procedures in the cocoa sector;
to encourage Members to develop and implement strategies to enhance the capacity of local communities and small-scale farmers to benefit from cocoa production and thereby contribute to poverty alleviation.

Signature of the Agreement: the Agreement is open for signature from 1 October 2010 until 30 September 2012.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Decision shall enter into force on 26.03.2012. The date of entry into force of the Agreement will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.

Final act