EU/Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the Union, the enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, on the other hand.

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: the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPAC) between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, on the other hand, was signed subject to its conclusion.

The Agreement constitutes an important step towards enhancing the EU’s political and economic engagement with Central Asia. By strengthening political dialogue and improving cooperation across a wide range of areas, it will serve as the basis for a more effective bilateral relationship with the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The agreement should be approved on behalf of the Union.

CONTENT: the Council's proposal concerns the approval, on behalf of the Union, of the enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, of the other part.

This Agreement establishes an enhanced partnership and cooperation between the Parties, based on shared values, on common interests and on the ambition to strengthen their relationship in all areas of its application, to their mutual benefit.

This partnership and cooperation is a process between the Parties that contributes to sustainable development, peace, stability and security, through increased convergence on foreign and security policy, effective political and economic cooperation and multilateralism.

The EPCA:

- covers the EU’s standard clauses on human rights, the International Criminal Court (ICC), Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMD), Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and counter-terrorism;

- encompasses cooperation in areas such as health, environment, climate change, energy, tax, education and culture, labour, employment and social affairs, science and technology, and transport;

- addresses legal cooperation, the rule of law, money laundering and terrorist financing, organised crime and corruption.

The trade component of the agreement should ensure a better regulatory environment for economic operators and thus bring substantial economic benefits to EU companies.

The Agreement sets up an institutional framework composed of a Cooperation Council, Cooperation Committee, and Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, an Intellectual Property Rights Sub-Committee, and allows for the establishment of sub-committees and other bodies to assist the Cooperation Council. It also establishes a fulfilment of obligations mechanism to address failure by one of the Parties to fulfil obligations assumed under the Agreement.

For the purposes of the Agreement, modifications to the Agreement through decisions related to geographical indications of the Cooperation Council acting in its trade configuration shall be approved by the Commission on behalf of the Union. Where interested parties cannot reach an agreement following objections relating to a geographical indication, the Commission shall adopt a position on the basis of the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications relating to wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products.

A name protected under sub-section 2 ‘Geographical Indications’ of Section 2 of Chapter 7 of Title IV of the Agreement may be used by any operator marketing agricultural products, foodstuffs, wines, aromatised wines or spirits conforming to the corresponding specification.