Attachment

THE EPA COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the stepping stone Economic Partnership Agreement between Côte d'Ivoire, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part (‘the Agreement’), signed in Abidjan on 26 November 2008 and applied on a provisional basis since 3 September 2016, in particular Articles 14 and 82 thereof,

Whereas:

The Agreement applies, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union is applicable and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, to the territory of Côte d'Ivoire.

In accordance with Article 14(2) of the Agreement, the parties are to establish a reciprocal common regime governing the rules of origin, based on the rules of origin set out in the Cotonou Agreement and providing for their simplification, in view of the Ivorian party's development objectives. This regime will be incorporated into the Agreement by decision of the EPA Committee.

The parties have agreed on Protocol 1 to the Agreement concerning the definition of the concept of ‘originating products’ and methods of administrative cooperation.

In accordance with Article 82 of the Agreement, the Protocol to this Agreement shall form an integral part of the Agreement,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: