2014/789/EU: Council Decision of 10 November 2014 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, of the Additional Protocol to 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, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union

What it is

to conclude the Additional Protocol to the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and South Korea, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: on 24 September 2012, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the Republic of Korea in order to conclude an Additional Protocol to 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, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union. Those negotiations were successfully completed by initialling the Protocol on 8 November 2013. BACKGROUND: in accordance with a Council decision, the Additional Protocol to the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and South Korea, of the other part, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union was signed and applied on a provisional basis from 1 July 2013, pending the completion of the procedures for its conclusion. The Additional Protocol should be approved by the European Union. The President of the Council shall designate the person(s) empowered to proceed, on behalf of the Union and its Member States, to give the notification referred to in Article 9 of the Additional Protocol regarding completion of the internal procedures for the entry into force. The content of the agreement is identical to that of the Commission’s proposal ( please refer to the summary dated 31/01/2014 of the initial legislative proposal ). The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Jan Zahradil (ECR, CZ) in which it recommended the European Parliament to give its consent to the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, of the Additional Protocol to 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, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union (EU). The aim is to ensure, in accordance with the Act of Accession of Croatia to the EU, that this Member State continues to fully participate in the EU-Korea FTA that remains in force. The European Parliament's consent to this Council Decision is a mandatory component in the completion of the ratification process of the Additional Protocol, and it also contributes to safeguarding the integrity of the Union's internal market. The European Parliament adopted by 524 votes to 53, with 106 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, of the Additional Protocol to 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, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union. Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Additional Protocol. NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision…

Frequently asked