Council Decision

of 29 May 2007

on the conclusion of Agreements in the form of Agreed Minutes between the European Community and the Federative Republic of Brazil, and between the European Community and the Kingdom of Thailand pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994) relating to the modification of concessions with respect to poultry meat

(2007/360/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 in conjunction with the first sentence of the first subparagraph of Article 300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) On 5 May 2006, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations under Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994) with a view to modify the bound duties on three poultry meat products provided for in EC Schedule CXL annexed to the GATT 1994. The Commission notified to the World Trade Organisation its intention to modify concessions for salted poultry meat under heading 02109939 and to extend the negotiations to cooked chicken meat under heading 16023219 and to turkey meat preparations under heading 160231 of the Combined Nomenclature (CN).

(2) Negotiations have been conducted by the Commission in consultation with the Committee established by Article 133 of the Treaty and within the framework of the negotiating directives issued by the Council.

(3) The Commission has reached Agreements in the form of Agreed Minutes with the Federative Republic of Brazil, holding a principal supplying interest in products of CN codes 02109939, 160231 and holding a substantial interest in products of CN codes 16023219, on 6 December 2006, and with the Kingdom of Thailand, holding a substantial interest in products of CN code 02109939, and a principal supplying interest in products of CN code 16023219, on 23 November 2006.

(4) The Agreements should be approved.

(5) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission [1],

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Agreements in the form of Agreed Minutes between the European Community and the Federative Republic of Brazil, and between the European Community and the Kingdom of Thailand, pursuant to Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994 relating to the modification of concessions with respect to poultry meat are hereby approved on behalf of the Community.

The texts of the Agreements are attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 3(2).

Article 3

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Management Committee for Poultry meat and Eggs.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at one month.

Article 4

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreements in order to bind the Community [2].

Done at Brussels, 29 May 2007.

For the Council

The President

J. Plewa

[1] OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. Decision as amended by Decision 2006/512/EC (OJ L 200, 22.7.2006, p. 11).

[2] The date of entry into force of the Agreements will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.

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