COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2020/1747

of 20 November 2020

on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Joint Committee established under the Agreement between the European Union and Japan for an Economic Partnership, as regards the amendment of Appendices 2-C-1 and 2-C-2 to Annex 2-C on Motor Vehicles and Parts

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(4), first subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Agreement between the European Union and Japan for an Economic Partnership (1) (‘the Agreement’) entered into force on 1 February 2019.

(2) Annex 2-C to the Agreement, on Motor Vehicles and Parts, provides in Appendix 2-C-1 a list of UN Regulations applied by both Parties and in Appendix 2-C-2 a list of UN Regulations applied by one of the Parties and not yet considered by the other Party.

(3) Since the signing of the Agreement and as a result of the progress in regulatory discussions in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), both Parties now apply two additional UN Regulations that were not listed in Appendix 2-C-1. Furthermore, two UN Regulations that were listed in Appendix 2-C-2 are now applied by both Parties and are to be transferred to Appendix 2-C-1. Appendices 2-C-1 and 2-C-2 should therefore be updated in accordance with Article 9 of Annex 2-C to the Agreement. Such an update will increase the legal certainty for economic operators as regards the regulatory framework for the preferential trade relations between the Parties.

(4) Pursuant to paragraph 3 and subparagraph 4(b) of Article 23.2 of the Agreement, in accordance with the respective domestic legal procedures of the Parties, the Joint Committee may adopt decisions to amend Appendices 2-C-1 and 2-C-2 to Annex 2-C to the Agreement.

(5) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf within the Joint Committee, as the proposed decision of the Joint Committee will be binding on the Union.

(6) The position of the Union within the Joint Committee should therefore be based on the draft decision of the Joint Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf within the Joint Committee established under the Agreement between the European Union and Japan for an Economic Partnership, as regards the amendment of Appendices 2-C-1 and 2-C-2 to Annex 2-C to the Agreement, shall be based on the draft decision of that Joint Committee (2).

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 20 November 2020.

For the Council

The President

M. ROTH

(1)  

OJ L 330, 27.12.2018, p. 3

.

(2)  See document ST 12431/20 on http://register.consilium.europa.eu