COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2023/2446

of 23 October 2023

authorising the opening of negotiations with the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement

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, and Article 209, in conjunction with Article 218(3) and (4) thereof,

Having regard to the recommendation from the European Commission,

Whereas:

Negotiations should be opened with a view to concluding a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the People’s Republic of Bangladesh,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. The Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘High Representative’) are hereby authorised to open negotiations for a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (the ‘Agreement’).

2. The negotiations shall be conducted on the basis of the negotiating directives of the Council set out in the addendum to this Decision.

Article 2

The Commission is hereby nominated as the head of the Union’s negotiating team.

Article 3

The negotiations shall be conducted in consultation with the Asia-Oceania Working Party.

The Trade Policy Committee shall be regularly consulted on the trade-related parts of the Agreement.

Article 4

This Decision is addressed to the Commission and the High Representative.

Done at Luxembourg, 23 October 2023.

For the Council

The President

J. BORRELL FONTELLES

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/2446/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)