COUNCIL DECISION
of 22 June 2012
on the position to be taken by the European Union within the Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development set up by the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part, as regards the operation of the Civil Society Forum and the establishment of the Panel of Experts to examine the matters in the areas falling within the scope of the Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development
(2012/488/EU)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(4), first subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)
On 23 April 2007 the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate a free trade agreement with the Republic of Korea on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
(2)
The Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part (1) (‘the Agreement’), was signed on 6 October 2010.
(3)
Pursuant to Article 15.10(5) of the Agreement, the Agreement has been provisionally applied since 1 July 2011 subject to its conclusion at a later date.
(4)
Article 13.13(1) of the Agreement provides that the parties shall agree by decision of the Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) (‘the EU-Korea Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development’) on the operation of the Civil Society Forum no later than one year after the entry into force of the Agreement.
(5)
Article 13.15(3) foresees the establishment of a list of persons who could be called to serve in a Panel of Experts to examine any matter arising under the TSD chapter that could not be satisfactorily addressed through government consultations.
(6)
The Union should determine the position to be taken with regard to the operation of the Civil Society Forum and the list of persons who could be called to serve as experts,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The position to be taken by the Union in the EU-Korea Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development set up by the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part, as regards:
(a)
the operation of the Civil Society Forum foreseen in Article 13.13(1) of the Agreement; and
(b)
the establishment of a list of qualified individuals to serve as panellists, in accordance with Article 13.15(3) of the Agreement;
shall be based on the draft decisions of the EU-Korea Committee on Trade and Sustainable Development attached to this Decision.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
Done at Luxembourg, 22 June 2012.