Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 207 and 209 in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 2012/196/EC of 13 July 2009 on the signing and provisional application of the Interim Agreement establishing a framework for an Economic Partnership Agreement between the Eastern and Southern Africa States, on the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, on the other part^f1,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

The Interim Agreement establishing a framework for an Economic Partnership Agreement between the Eastern and Southern Africa States, on the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, on the other part^f2 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Agreement’) was signed on 29 August 2009 and is provisionally applied since 14 May 2012.

Article 64 of the Agreement establishes an EPA Committee, which is responsible for the administration of the Agreement and for the fulfilment of any of the tasks mentioned therein.

Article 64 of the Agreement provides that the EPA Committee adopts its rules of procedure.

The EPA Committee is assisted in the performance of its duties by the Customs Cooperation Committee, which is established in accordance with Article 41 of Protocol 1 to the Agreement, and the Joint Development Committee, which is established in accordance with Article 52 of the Agreement.

It is appropriate to establish the position to be adopted on behalf of the Union with regard to the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the EPA Committee, the Customs Cooperation Committee and the Joint Development Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: