EC/Albania Stabilisation and Association Agreement: accession of Croatia to the EU. Protocol
PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Albania, 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: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.
BACKGROUND: on 24 September 2012 the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with Albania 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 Albania, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.
These negotiations took place on 19 November 2012 and on 10 January 2013. Following further technical clarifications and correspondence, the Albanian authorities signalled their agreement with the draft Protocol proposed by the Commission on 18 June 2013.
It is now appropriate to conclude the protocol on behalf of the European Union.
IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was undertaken.
LEGAL BASIS: Article 217 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in conjunction Article 218(6)(a) and the second subparagraph of Article 218(8) thereof.
CONTENT: this proposal invites the Council to adopt a decision approving, on behalf of the European Union, the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Albania, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.
N.B. for the conclusion of the Protocol on behalf of the European Atomic Energy Community, the Commission proposes that the Council gives its approval, pursuant to the second paragraph of Article 101 of the Treaty establishing the EAEC.
Most of the provisions relate to the new Albanian tariff concessions for agricultural primary products originating in the Community and on rules of origin.