Considerations on COM(2022)446 - EU position in the Trade Committee of the Free Trade Agreement with Korea as regards the amendment of the Annexes 10-A and 10-B of the Agreement

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dossier COM(2022)446 - EU position in the Trade Committee of the Free Trade Agreement with Korea as regards the amendment of the Annexes 10-A and ...
document COM(2022)446 EN
date October 13, 2022
 
table>(1)The Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part (1) (‘the Agreement’), signed on 6 October 2010, was concluded by the Union by means of Council Decision (EU) 2015/2169 (2). It has been provisionally applied since 1 July 2011 and entered into force on 13 December 2015.
(2)Article 15.1 of the Agreement establishes a Trade Committee comprising representatives of the Union and of the Republic of Korea.

(3)Pursuant to Article 15.3.1(g) of the Agreement, the Working Group on Geographical Indications (‘GI Working Group’) is established under the auspices of the Trade Committee.

(4)On 25 November 2021, in the framework of the 8th GI Working Group meeting, the Parties reached an agreement to extend the list of geographical indications (‘Gis’) protected in Annexes 10-A and 10-B to the Agreement. The amendment of Annexes 10-A and 10-B consists of, inter alia, the update of legislative references, the removal of those geographical indications which are no longer protected in the Union, the modification of certain geographical indications, in particular where the name has changed, and the enlargement of the number of geographical indications protected by the Annexes to the Agreement by adding 43 Union GIs and 41 Korean GIs.

(5)Pursuant to Article 15.3.5 of the Agreement, the Trade Committee may undertake the work of the GI Working Group.

(6)Pursuant to Article 12.2 of the rules of procedure of the Trade Committee adopted by Decision No 1 of the Trade Committee (3), the Trade Committee may adopt decisions by written procedure, if both Parties agree, in the period between its meetings.

(7)At one of its upcoming meetings, or by written procedure, the Trade Committee is to adopt the agreement reached on 25 November 2021.

(8)It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the Trade Committee, as the Decision will be binding on the Union.

(9)In order to ensure the proper implementation of the protection of GIs under the Agreement, the Trade Committee should update Annexes 10-A and 10-B to the Agreement. The position of the Union within the Trade Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft Decision,