Agreement

in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Community and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures and the replacement of Protocols 1 and 2 to the EC-Palestinian Authority Interim Association Agreement

A. Letter from the Community

Sir,

I have the honour to refer to the negotiations which took place under Article 12 of the Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (hereinafter the Palestinian Authority), of the other part (hereinafter the Interim Association Agreement), in force since 1 July 1997, which states that the Community and the Palestinian Authority shall progressively establish greater liberalisation, inter alia, of their trade in agricultural products of interest to both Parties.

These negotiations were held in accordance with the provisions of Article 14, which stipulates that, from 1 January 1999, the Community and the Palestinian Authority shall examine the situation in order to determine the measures to be applied by the Community and the Palestinian Authority from 1 January 2000 in accordance with the objective set out in said Article 12.

On the conclusion of the negotiations, the two Parties agreed to the following:

1. Protocols 1 and 2 to the Interim Association Agreement and their annexes shall be replaced by Protocols 1 and 2 and their annexes appearing in Annexes I and II to this Exchange of Letters;

2. the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the Community and the Palestinian Authority annexed to the Interim Association Agreement, relating to Protocol 1 and concerning imports into the Community of fresh cut flowers and flower buds falling within subheading 0603 10 of the Common Customs Tariff, is hereby repealed;

3. no later than in 2007, the Community and the Palestinian Authority will assess the situation with a view to determining the liberalisation measures to be applied by the Community and the Palestinian Authority from 1 January 2008, in accordance with the objective laid down in Article 12 of the Interim Association Agreement.

The provisions of this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters shall apply from 1 January 2005.

I would be grateful if you could inform me of the agreement of your Government to the above.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

On behalf of the Council of the European Union

B. Letter from the Palestinian Authority

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of today’s date, worded as follows:

"I have the honour to refer to the negotiations which took place under Article 12 of the Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (hereinafter the Palestinian Authority), of the other part (hereinafter the Interim Association Agreement), in force since 1 July 1997, which states that the Community and the Palestinian Authority shall progressively establish greater liberalisation, inter alia, of their trade in agricultural products of interest to both Parties.

These negotiations were held in accordance with the provisions of Article 14, which stipulates that, from 1 January 1999, the Community and the Palestinian Authority shall examine the situation in order to determine the measures to be applied by the Community and the Palestinian Authority from 1 January 2000 in accordance with the objective set out in said Article 12.

On the conclusion of the negotiations, the two Parties agreed to the following:

1. Protocols 1 and 2 to the Interim Association Agreement and their annexes shall be replaced by Protocols 1 and 2 and their annexes appearing in Annexes I and II to this Exchange of Letters;

2. the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the Community and the Palestinian Authority annexed to the Interim Association Agreement, relating to Protocol 1 and concerning imports into the Community of fresh cut flowers and flower buds falling within subheading 0603 10 of the Common Customs Tariff, is hereby repealed;

3. no later than in 2007, the Community and the Palestinian Authority will assess the situation with a view to determining the liberalisation measures to be applied by the Community and the Palestinian Authority from 1 January 2008, in accordance with the objective laid down in Article 12 of the Interim Association Agreement.

The provisions of this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters shall apply from 1 January 2005.

I would be grateful if you could inform me of the agreement of your Government to the above."

I have the honour to inform you of the agreement of the Palestinian Authority to the contents of this letter.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

For the Palestinian Authority

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