Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Decision 2002/309/EC, Euratom of the Council and of the Commission as regards the Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, of 4 April 2002 on the conclusion of seven agreements with the Swiss Confederation^f1, and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 5(2) thereof,

Whereas:

The Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products^f2 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agriculture Agreement’) entered into force on 1 June 2002.

Article 6 of the Agriculture Agreement sets up a Joint Committee on Agriculture responsible for administering the Agriculture Agreement and ensuring that it operates smoothly.

Article 11 of the Agriculture Agreement allows the Joint Committee to amend the Annexes and Appendices to the Annexes to the Agreement by means of a decision.

The Joint Committee has recently decided to amend Articles 2 and 3 and Appendices 1, 2, 3 and 4 to Annex 6 of the Agriculture Agreement.

Article 5(2) of Decision 2002/309/EC provides that in adopting the Union position on a decision of the Joint Committee to amend Annex 6 of the Agricultural Agreement, the Commission shall follow the procedure laid down in Articles 4 and 7 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC^f3. It is to be assisted by the Standing Committee on Seeds and Propagating Material for Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry set up by Article 1 of Council Decision 66/399/EEC^f4.

The position of the European Union to be taken by the Commission in the Joint Committee on Agriculture regarding the amendments to Annex 6 of the Agriculture Agreement must be defined by this Decision.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Seeds and Propagating Material for Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: