Council Decision (EU) 2023/151 of 17 January 2023 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the EPA Committee established under the Interim Agreement in view of an Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Central Africa Party, of the other part as regards the establishment of the EPA Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development

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 Interim Agreement with a view to an Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Central Africa Party, of the other part, (the ‘Agreement’)⁽¹⁾, was signed in Brussels on 22 January 2009 pursuant to Council Decision 2009/152/EC⁽²⁾, and has been applied on a provisional basis since 4 August 2014.

2. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Central Africa Party is composed of the Republic of Cameroon.

3. Pursuant to Article 92 of the Agreement, an EU-Central Africa EPA Committee is established, which is to be responsible for the administration of all areas covered by the Agreement and for the completion of all tasks referred to therein.

4. Pursuant to Article 5 of the Rules of Procedure of the EU-Central Africa EPA Committee, adopted on 15 December 2016 by Decision No 1/2016 of the EPA Committee⁽³⁾, for the effective performance of its tasks the EU-Central Africa EPA Committee may set up under its authority sub-committees responsible for dealing with specific subjects under the Agreement. Accordingly, the EU-Central Africa EPA Committee can establish an EPA Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural development in order to achieve the objectives of the Agreement.

5. It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf concerning the establishment of an EPA Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development as this will have legal effects in the Union.

6. The position of the Union as regards the establishment of the Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development should therefore be based on the attached draft Decision,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: