Attachment

THE EU-ALGERIA ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, of the other part^f1,

Whereas:

In view of the difficulties faced by the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (‘Algeria’) in dismantling the customs duties for agricultural products and processed agricultural products established in accordance with the conditions laid down in Protocols Nos 2 and 5 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, of the other part (the ‘Association Agreement’), a group of experts from the European Commission and Algeria met six times between September 2010 and July 2011.

As a result of the consultations, an agreement was reached on the acceptable modifications to the basic duties, quantities and schedule initially established for dismantling tariffs, in accordance with the conditions laid down in Protocols Nos 2 and 5 to the Association Agreement.

Article 16 of the Association Agreement makes provision for the potential unilateral modification of the agreed tariff arrangements subject to certain conditions. However, the Party making the modification is to accord imports originating in the other Party a comparable advantage. In accordance with Article 16(2) of the Association Agreement, the EU-Algeria Association Committee (‘the Association Committee’) is to meet to take due account of the interests of that Party.

By virtue of Article 97 of the Association Agreement, the Association Committee has the power to take decisions for the management of that Agreement. It is therefore necessary for the Association Committee to adopt a decision in respect of the modifications envisaged,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: