22005A0128(02)

Protocol

to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union

THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM,

THE CZECH REPUBLIC,

THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK,

THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY,

THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA,

THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC,

THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN,

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC,

IRELAND,

THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC,

THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS,

THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA,

THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA,

THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG,

THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY,

THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA,

THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS,

THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA,

THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND,

THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC,

THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA,

THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC,

THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND,

THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN,

THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND,

hereinafter referred to as the "Member States", represented by the Council of the European Union, and

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY,

hereinafter referred to as "the Communities", represented by the Council of the European Union and the Commission of the European Communities,

of the one part, and

THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA,

of the other part,

Having regard to the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic (hereinafter referred to as "the new Member States") to the European Union and thereby to the Community on 1 May 2004,

Whereas:

(1) The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, (hereinafter referred to as "the SAA") was signed in Luxemburg on 29 October 2001.

(2) The Treaty concerning the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union (hereinafter referred to as "the Treaty of Accession") was signed in Athens on 16 April 2003.

(3) Pursuant to Article 6(2) of the Act of Accession of 2003 the accession of the new Member States to the SAA shall be agreed by the conclusion of a protocol to the SAA.

(4) Consultations pursuant to Article 36(3) of the SAA have taken place so as to ensure that account is taken of the mutual interests of the Community and Croatia stated in this Agreement.

(5) The amendments to the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, (hereinafter referred to as "the Interim Agreement") adapting the Interim Agreement to take into account the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic to the European Union are to be made also to the SAA,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION I

Contracting Parties

Article 1

The Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic shall be Parties to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Croatia, of the other part, signed in Luxemburg on 29 October 2001, and shall respectively adopt and take note, in the same manner as the other Member States, of the texts of the Agreement, as well as of the Joint Declarations, and the Unilateral Declarations annexed to the Final Act signed on the same date.

Article 2

To take into account recent institutional developments within the European Union, the Parties agree that, following the expiry of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, existing provisions in the Agreement referring to the European Coal and Steel Community shall be deemed to refer to the European Community, which has taken over all rights and obligations contracted by the European Coal and Steel Community.

ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TEXT OF THE SAA, INCLUDING ITS ANNEXES AND PROTOCOLS

SECTION II

Agricultural Products

Article 3

1. Annex IV(a) and Annex IV(c) to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex I to this Protocol.

2. Annex IV(b) to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex II to this Protocol.

3. Annex IV(d) to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex III to this Protocol.

4. Annex IV(e) to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex IV to this Protocol.

5. Annex IV(f) to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex V to this Protocol.

6. In Article 27(3) of the SAA the following point shall be added:

(g) "From 1 May 2004, Croatia shall apply the customs duties for the commodities listed in Annex IV (g)."

7. The text set out in Annex VI to this Protocol shall be added to the SAA as Annex IV(g).

Article 4

1. Annex V(a) to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex VII to this Protocol.

2. Annex V(b) to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex VIII to this Protocol.

Article 5

Lists 2 and 3 of Annex II to Protocol 3 to the SAA shall be replaced by Lists 2, 3 and 4 set out in Annex IX to this Protocol.

Article 6

Annex I (Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Croatia on reciprocal preferential trade concessions for certain wines, referred to in Article 27 (4) of the SAA) to the Additional Protocol adjusting the trade aspects of the SAA, to take account of the outcome of the negotiations between the parties on reciprocal preferential concessions for certain wines, the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of wine names and the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of designations for spirits and aromatised drinks, shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex X to this Protocol.

SECTION III

Rules of origin

Article 7

1. Paragraph 4 of Article 18 of Protocol 4 to the SAA shall be replaced by the following:

4. " Movement certificates EUR.1 issued retrospectively must be endorsed with one of the following phrases:

ES"EXPEDIDO A POSTERIORI",CS"VYSTAVENO DODATE膶N臍",DA"UDSTEDT EFTERF脴LGENDE",DE"NACHTR脛GLICH AUSGESTELLT",ET"TAGANTJ脛RELE V脛LJA ANTUD",EL"螘螝螖螣螛螘螡 螘螝 韦惟螡 违危韦螘巍惟螡",EN"ISSUED RETROSPECTIVELY",FR"D脡LIVR脡 A POSTERIORI",IT"RILASCIATO A POSTERIORI",LV"IZSNIEGTS RETROSPEKT莫VI",LT"RETROSPEKTYVUSIS I艩DAVIMAS",HU"KIADVA VISSZAMEN艕LEGES HAT脕LLYAL",MT"MA摩RU臓 RETROSPETTIVAMENT",NL"AFGEGEVEN A POSTERIORI",PL"WYSTAWIONE RETROSPEKTYWNIE",PT"EMITIDO A POSTERIORI",SL"IZDANO NAKNADNO",SK"VYDAN脡 DODATO膶NE",FI"ANNETTU J脛LKIK脛TEEN",SV"UTF脛RDAT I EFTERHAND",HR"NAKNADNO IZDANO"."

2. Paragraph 2 of Article 19 of Protocol 4 to the SAA shall be replaced by the following:

2. "The duplicate issued in this way must be endorsed with one of the following words:

ES"DUPLICADO",CS"DUPLIK脕T",DA"DUPLIKAT",DE"DUPLIKAT",ET"DUPLIKAAT",EL"螒螡韦螜螕巍螒桅螣",EN"DUPLICATE",FR"DUPLICATA",IT"DUPLICATO",LV"DUBLIK膧TS",LT"DUBLIKATAS",HU"M脕SODLAT",MT"DUPLIKAT",NL"DUPLICAAT",PL"DUPLIKAT",PT"SEGUNDA VIA",SL"DVOJNIK",SK"DUPLIK脕T",FI"KAKSOISKAPPALE",SV"DUPLIKAT",HR"DUPLIKAT"."

3. Annex I to Protocol 4 to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex XI to this Protocol.

4. Annex II to Protocol 4 to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex XII to this Protocol.

5. Annex IV to Protocol 4 to the SAA shall be replaced by the text set out in Annex XIII to this Protocol.

TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

SECTION IV

Article 8

The Republic of Croatia undertakes that it shall not make any claim, request or referral nor modify or withdraw any concession pursuant to Articles XXIV.6 and XXVIII of GATT 1994 in relation to this enlargement of the Community.

Article 9

1. Proofs of origin properly issued by either the Republic of Croatia or a new Member State in the framework of preferential agreements or autonomous arrangements applied between them shall be accepted in the respective countries, provided that:

(a) the acquisition of such origin confers preferential tariff treatment on the basis of the preferential tariff measures contained in the SAA;

(b) the proof of origin and the transport documents were issued no later than the day before the date of accession;

(c) the proof of origin is submitted to the customs authorities within the period of four months from the date of accession.

Where goods were declared for importation in either the Republic of Croatia or a new Member State, prior to the date of accession, under preferential agreements or autonomous arrangements applied between the Republic of Croatia and that new Member State at that time, proof of origin issued retrospectively under those agreements or arrangements may also be accepted, provided that it is submitted to the customs authorities within the period of four months from the date of accession.

2. The Republic of Croatia and the new Member States are authorised to retain the authorisations with which the status of "approved exporters" has been granted in the framework of preferential agreements or autonomous arrangements applied between them, under the condition that:

(a) such a provision is also provided for in the agreement concluded prior to the date of accession between the Republic of Croatia and the Community; and

(b) the approved exporters apply the rules of origin in force under that agreement.

These authorisations shall be replaced, no later than one year after the date of accession, by new authorisations issued under the conditions of the SAA.

3. Requests for subsequent verification of proof of origin issued under the preferential agreements or autonomous arrangements referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be accepted by the competent customs authorities of either the Republic of Croatia or the Member States for a period of three years after the issue of the proof of origin concerned, and may be made by those authorities for a period of three years after acceptance of the proof of origin submitted to those authorities in support of an import declaration.

Article 10

1. The provisions of the SAA may be applied to goods exported from either the Republic of Croatia to one of the new Member States or from one of the new Member States to the Republic of Croatia, which comply with the provisions of Protocol 4 to the SAA and that on the date of accession are either on their way or in temporary storage, in a customs warehouse or in a free zone in the Republic of Croatia or in that new Member State.

2. Preferential treatment may be granted in such cases, subject to the submission to the customs authorities of the importing country, within four months from the date of accession, of a proof of origin issued retrospectively by the customs authorities of the exporting country.

Article 11

For the year 2004, the volumes of the new tariff quotas and the increases of the volumes of existing tariff quotas shall be calculated as a pro rata of the basic volumes, taking into account the part of the period elapsed before 1 May 2004.

GENERAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS

SECTION V

Article 12

This Protocol and the annexes thereto shall form an integral part of the SAA.

Article 13

1. This Protocol shall be approved by the Community, through the Council of the European Union on behalf of the Member States, and by the Republic of Croatia in accordance with their own procedures.

2. The instruments of approval shall be deposited with the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.

Article 14

1. This Protocol shall enter into force on the same day as the Stabilisation and Association Agreement provided that all the instruments of approval of this Protocol have been deposited before that date.

2. If not all the instruments of approval of this Protocol have been deposited before that date, this Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the first month following the date of the deposit of the last instrument of approval.

Article 15

This Protocol is drawn up in duplicate in the Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovene, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, and Croatian languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.

Article 16

The text of the SAA, including its Annexes and Protocols which form an integral part thereof, and the Final Act together with the declarations annexed thereto shall be drawn up in Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak, and Slovenian languages, and these texts shall be authentic in the same way as the original texts. The Stabilisation and Association Council shall approve these texts.

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Por los Estados miembrosZa 膷lenské st谩tyFor medlemsstaterneF眉r die Mitgliedstaaten螕喂伪 蟿伪 魏蟻维蟿畏 渭苇位畏For the Member StatesLiikmesriikide nimelPour les 脡tats membresPer gli Stati membriDal墨bvalstu v膩rd膩Valstybi懦 nari懦 varduA tag谩llamok részér艖lG魔all-Istati MembriVoor de lidstatenW imieniu Pa艅stw Cz艂onkowskichPelos Estados-MembrosZa 膷lenské 拧t谩tyZa dr啪ave 膷laniceJ盲senvaltioiden puolestaP氓 medlemsstaternas v盲gnarZa dr啪ave 膷lanice

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