{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2012-18/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2012-18/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2012/18",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision of 14 December 2011 establishing the position to be taken by the European Union within the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization on the accession of Samoa to the WTO (2012/18/EU)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2012-18",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision\nof 14 December 2011\nestablishing the position to be taken by the European Union within the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization on the accession of Samoa to the WTO\n(2012/18/EU)\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91, Article 100(2) and Article 207, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the European Commission,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nOn 15 April 1998 the Government of Samoa applied for accession to the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO), pursuant to Article XII of that Agreement.\n(2)\nA Working Party on the accession of Samoa was established on 15 July 1998 in order to reach agreement on terms of accession acceptable to Samoa and all WTO Members.\n(3)\nThe Commission, on behalf of the Union, has negotiated a comprehensive series of market opening commitments on the part of Samoa which satisfy the Union’s requests and are in line with the development level of Samoa.\n(4)\nThese commitments are now embodied in the Protocol of Accession of Samoa to the WTO.\n(5)\nAccession to the WTO is expected to make a positive and lasting contribution to the process of economic reform and sustainable development in Samoa.\n(6)\nThe Protocol of Accession should therefore be approved.\n(7)\nArticle XII of the Agreement establishing the WTO provides that the terms of accession are to be agreed between the acceding Member and the WTO, and that the WTO Ministerial Conference approves the terms of accession on the WTO side.\n(8)\nAccordingly, it is necessary to establish the position to be taken by the Union within the WTO Ministerial Conference on the accession of Samoa to the WTO,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2012/18/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:15:34.170696+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}