Annex Declaration by the European Community in accordance with Article 25(3) of the Rotterdam Convention

The European Community declares that, in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 175(1) thereof, it is competent to enter into international agreements, and to implement the obligations resulting therefrom, which contribute to the pursuit of the following objectives:

• preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment,

• protecting human health,

• prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources,

• promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems.

The European Community also declares that, in accordance with Article 133 of the Treaty, it has exclusive competence on common commercial policy, concerning, in particular, trade in goods.

Moreover the European Community declares that it has already adopted legal instruments, including Regulation (EC) No 304/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals^f1, binding on its Member States, covering matters governed by the Rotterdam Convention, and will submit and update, as appropriate, a list of those legal instruments to the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention.

The European Community is responsible for the performance of those obligations resulting from the Rotterdam Convention which are covered by Community law in force.

The exercise of Community competence is, by its nature, subject to continuous development.