Considerations on COM(2020)770 - Signing of a Protocol amending the Interbus Agreement by extending the possibility of accession to Morocco

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dossier COM(2020)770 - Signing of a Protocol amending the Interbus Agreement by extending the possibility of accession to Morocco.
document COM(2020)770 EN
date November 30, 2020
 
(1) In accordance with Council Decision 2002/917/EC 5 , the Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement) was concluded, on behalf of the Union, on 3 October 2002 and entered into force on 1 January 2003 6 .

(2) On 5 December 2014, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations to amend the Interbus Agreement with a view to enlarging its geographical scope, so as to allow the Kingdom of Morocco's accession, currently not provided for therein.

(3) A possible accession of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Interbus Agreement should contribute to developing international passenger transport relations, tourism and cultural exchange beyond those countries that are currently Parties to the Interbus Agreement. A possible accession of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Interbus Agreement should also help extending the Union acquis in the field of passenger transport to that country. That should have positive impacts on the technical, economic and social conditions under which the relevant operations are carried out. Therefore, the Kingdom of Morocco, which has an observer status in the European Conference of Ministers of Transport should be given the opportunity to accede to the Interbus Agreement.

(4) Following Council Decision (EU) 2018/1211 7 the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Republic of Turkey signed the Protocol on the Kingdom of Morocco. However, the Protocol which was open for signature between 16 July 2018 and 16 April 2019 was not signed by all Contracting Parties before the signature period expired.

(5) On 18 February 2020, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations for amending the Protocol on the Kingdom of Morocco to make certain technical changes regarding its signing and entry into force.

(6) The negotiations were successfully concluded. In order to avoid governance issues, all Contracting Parties to the Interbus Agreement would have to sign and approve or ratify the Protocol on the Kingdom of Morocco before the Protocol enters into force and this country can join. There is no specific period during which the Protocol will be open for signature. The Protocol would enter into force on the first day of the month following ratification by all Contracting Parties.

(7) Furthermore, the Protocol takes the change of the denomination of a Contracting Party, North Macedonia, into consideration. The Protocol now also refers to the Principality of Andorra that has become a Contracting Party to the Interbus Agreement.

(8) For reasons of clarity and in order to facilitate the signature and entry into force of the Protocol, it has been considered appropriate to prepare a new Protocol on the Kingdom of Morocco replacing the Protocol on the Kingdom of Morocco which was open for signature between 16 July 2018 and 16 April 2019.

(9) Therefore, the new Protocol on the Kingdom of Morocco should be signed on behalf of the Union, subject to its conclusion at a later date.