EU accession to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)

PURPOSE: to enable the European Union to accede to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2017/876 concerning the accession of the European Union to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

BACKGROUND: The European Union is not a member of the ICAC, although it is already a member of several international commodity bodies.

In its conclusions of 27 April 2004, 27 May 2008 and 10 May 2010 on the EU Action Plan on agricultural commodity chains, dependence and poverty, on the EU-Africa Partnership in support of cotton sector development and on strengthening EU action in the area of commodities, the Council invited the Commission to consider EU accession to the ICAC.

On 16 September 2013 the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate on behalf of the Union its accession to the ICAC in accordance with Sections 1 and 2 of Article II of the ICCS Staff Regulations stating that it is in the interest of the Union to join the ICAC in view of the importance of cotton for the EU’s agricultural and industrial economy and trade businesses.

The Union should therefore accede to the ICAC.

CONTENT: With this Decision, the European Union accedes to the International Cotton Advisory Committee on behalf of the Union.

The statutory regulations of the ICAC are attached to the decision.

As a reminder, the EU produces cotton and has moved from being a net importer to being a net exporter from 2009.

In addition, the Union’s textile and clothing industry uses large quantities of cotton fabric. Cotton is also an important sector within the framework of European development cooperation, as the Union remains one of the main donors to the African cotton sector.

EU financial contribution: the Union will have to pay a quota in accordance with Article 2 (2) (a) (2) (c) of the Rules of Procedure of the ICAC.

The Union cannot be held liable for any current or future arrears in payment of members of the ICAC, whatever they may be.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: the decision enters into force on 24 May 2017.