COUNCIL DECISION 2011/106/CFSP
of 15 February 2011
on adapting and extending the period of application of the measures in Decision 2002/148/EC concluding consultations with Zimbabwe under Article 96 of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 217 thereof,
Having regard to the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 (1) and revised in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on 23 June 2010 (2) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement’), and in particular Article 96 thereof,
Having regard to the Internal Agreement between the representatives of the governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on measures to be taken and procedures to be followed for the implementation of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (3), and in particular Article 3 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)
By Council Decision 2002/148/EC (4), the consultations with the Republic of Zimbabwe under Article 96(2)(c) of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement were concluded and appropriate measures, as specified in the Annex to that Decision, were taken.
(2)
Pursuant to Council Decision 2010/97/CFSP (5), the measures referred to in the Annex to Decision 2002/148/EC were adapted and their period of application was extended for 12 months until 20 February 2011.
(3)
The creation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Zimbabwe was recognised as an opportunity to re-establish a constructive relationship between the European Union and Zimbabwe and to support the implementation of Zimbabwe’s reform programme.
(4)
However, this is being undermined by the lack of progress by the GNU to implement certain essential elements of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement, to which the GNU had committed itself in the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
(5)
The period of application of the measures referred to in Decision 2002/148/EC should therefore be extended. The measures should constantly be reviewed in light of concrete progress on the ground.
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The measures referred to in the letter annexed to this Decision are hereby extended as appropriate measures within the meaning of Article 96(2)(c) of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement.
These measures shall apply until 20 February 2012. They shall be kept under constant review.
Article 2
The letter annexed to this Decision shall be addressed to President Mugabe of Zimbabwe and copied to Prime Minister Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara.
Article 3
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.
Article 4
This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels, 15 February 2011.