Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 37 thereof,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91, Article 100(2) and Articles 207 and 209, in conjunction with Article 218(5) and (7) and the second paragraph of Article 218(8) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

On 29 September 2015, the Council authorised the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to open negotiations with the Republic of Armenia on a framework agreement.

Those negotiations have been successfully concluded, and the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part (‘the Agreement’) was initialled on 21 March 2017.

Article 385 of the Agreement provides for the provisional application of the Agreement, in whole or in part, before its entry into force.

The Agreement should be signed on behalf of the Union and applied in part on a provisional basis, pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force.

The signing of the Agreement on behalf of the Union and the provisional application of parts of the Agreement between the Union and the Republic of Armenia is without prejudice to the allocation of competences between the Union and its Member States in accordance with the Treaties,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: