{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2015-2021/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2015-2021/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2015/2021",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision (EU) 2015/2021 of 10 November 2015 establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization on the accession of the Republic of Liberia to the World Trade Organization",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2015-2021",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision (EU) 2015/2021\nof 10 November 2015\nestablishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization on the accession of the Republic of Liberia to the World Trade Organization\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 the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the European Commission,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nOn 13 June 2007, the Government of the Republic of Liberia applied for accession to the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (‘the Marrakesh Agreement’), pursuant to Article XII of that Agreement.\n(2)\nOn 18 December 2007, a Working Party on the accession of the Republic of Liberia was established in order to reach agreement on terms of accession acceptable to the Republic of Liberia and all Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO).\n(3)\nThe Commission, on behalf of the Union, has negotiated a comprehensive series of market opening commitments on the part of the Republic of Liberia which are in line with the Guidelines For Accession of Least-Developed Countries set out by the WTO General Council and which satisfy the Union's requests, taking into account the bilateral trade relations with the Republic of Liberia in the context of the EU-ACP partnership.\n(4)\nThose commitments are now embodied in the Protocol of Accession of the Republic of Liberia to the WTO (‘the Protocol of Accession’).\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 the Republic of Liberia.\n(6)\nThe Protocol of Accession should therefore be approved.\n(7)\nArticle XII of the Marrakesh Agreement provides that the terms of accession are to be agreed between the acceding State and the WTO, and that the Ministerial Conference of the WTO approves the terms of accession on the WTO side. Article IV.2 of that Agreement provides that in the intervals between meetings of the Ministerial Conference, its functions shall be conducted by the General Council of the WTO.\n(8)\nIt is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the Ministerial Conference of the WTO on the accession of the Republic of Liberia 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/2015/2021/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:14:10.265377+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."
}