Council Decision (EU) 2017/2261 of 30 November 2017 on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the Union in the Joint Ministerial Committee and the Joint Cooperation Committee established by the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Canada of the other part, as regards the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Ministerial Committee, and the Terms of Reference of the Joint Cooperation Committee and sub-committees

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 212(1), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

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

Whereas:

1. The Strategic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Canada, of the other part⁽¹⁾ (‘the Agreement’) was signed in Brussels on 30 October 2016 and has been applied provisionally since 1 April 2017.

2. Article 27(2) and (3) of the Agreement establish a Joint Ministerial Committee, and a Joint Cooperation Committee to facilitate the implementation of the Agreement.

3. Article 27(2)(b)(iv) of the Agreement provides that the Joint Ministerial Committee is to adopt its own Rules and Procedures and Article 27(3)(c) of the Agreement provides that the Joint Cooperation Committee is to agree on its own Terms of Reference. Article 27(3)(b)(viii) provides that the Joint Cooperation Committee is to establish sub-committees to assist it in the performance of its duties.

4. Article 27(2)(b)(ii) of the Agreement provides that the Joint Ministerial Committee is to be co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Article 27(3)(c) provides that the Joint Cooperation Committee is to be co-chaired by one senior official from Canada and one senior official from the Union.

5. In order to ensure the effective implementation of the Agreement, the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Ministerial Committee and the Terms of Reference of the Joint Cooperation Committee and of its sub-committees should be adopted.

6. The position of the Union in the Joint Ministerial Committee and the Joint Cooperation Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft texts of the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Ministerial Committee and the Terms of Reference of the Joint Cooperation Committee and of its sub-committees,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: