EU/Vietnam Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation: accession of Croatia to the EU. Protocol

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, the Accession Protocol to the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and Viet Nam, 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: according to its Act of Accession, Croatia undertakes to accede to the international agreements signed or concluded by the European Union and its Member States by means of a protocol to those agreements.

The Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Viet Nam, of the other part, was signed in Brussels on 27 June 2012.

The Agreement is currently undergoing ratification and has not yet entered into force.

Following a Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, of the Protocol to the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Viet Nam, of the other part, to take account of the accession Croatia to the European Union, the Protocol was signed.

It is now necessary to approve the Protocol on behalf of the Union and its Member States.

CONTENT: under this proposal, the Council is called upon to adopt a decision aiming to approve the Accession Protocol to the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and Viet Nam, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union on behalf of the

European Union and its Member States.

The proposed Protocol incorporates Croatia as contracting party to the Agreement and commits the EU to providing the authentic version of the Agreement in the Croatian language.