EC/Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. Protocol after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania

PURPOSE: to include Romania and Bulgaria in the Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Russia.

PROPOSED ACT: Council and Commission Decision.

CONTENT: the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation (AVC/1994/0151), of the other part, is a “mixed” agreement, which entered into force on 1 December 1997, i.e. before the enlargement of the Union to include the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania.

A Protocol to the PCA therefore needs to be drawn up to allow the new Member States to accede to the

Agreement, in accordance with Article 6(2) of the Act of Accession annexed to the Treaty of Accession of 25 April 2005.

On 23 October 2006, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations, on behalf of the Community and its Member States, with the Russian Federation with a view to concluding a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The negotiations with the Russian Federation have subsequently been completed. The text of the negotiated protocol is attached.

The Commission proposes that the Council should conclude the Protocol on behalf of the European Community and its Member States and give its approval for conclusion of the Protocol by the European Atomic Energy Community.