EC/South Africa Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement: accession of Croatia to the EU. Protocol

PURPOSE: to conclude the Additional Protocol to the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and South Africa, 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 South Africa in order to conclude an Additional Protocol to the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and South Africa, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.

Those negotiations were successfully completed on 19 May 2014.

In accordance with a Council Decision, the Additional Protocol to the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and South Africa, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union has been signed, subject to its conclusion.

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 Additional Protocol to the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and South Africa, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union, on behalf of Union and its Member States.