AMENDING PROTOCOL to the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, acting within the framework of the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY and THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY,

hereinafter referred to as 'the Community`,

of the one part, and

THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA,

hereinafter referred to as 'Slovenia`,

of the other part,

WHEREAS the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, acting within the framework of the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part, (hereinafter referred to as the 'Europe Agreement`) was signed in Luxembourg on 10 June 1996 and has not yet entered into force,

WHEREAS the late signature of the Europe Agreement prevents the interim implementation of the trade related aspects as originally envisaged and certain amendments are necessary for this to be possible; whereas this difficulty can be avoided by making some amendments to the Europe Agreement,

RECOGNISING the crucial importance of trade in the transition to a market economy,

BEARING IN MIND the willingness of the Community to accelerate its efforts to open up its markets for products of Slovenian origin,

BEARING IN MIND the objectives of the Europe Agreement and, in particular, those referred to in Article 1 thereof,

HAVE DECIDED to conclude this Protocol and to this end have designated as their Plenipotentiaries:

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY:

Denis O'LEARY,

Ambassador,

Permanent Representative of Ireland,

Chairman of the Permanent Representatives Committee,

Günther BURGHARDT,

Director-General of the Directorate-General for External Political Relations of the Commission of the European Communities,

THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY and THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY:

Günther BURGHARDT,

Director-General of the Directorate-General for External Political Relations of the Commission of the European Communities,

THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA:

Boris CIZELJ,

Ambassador,

Head of the Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the European Union,

WHO, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Europe Agreement shall be amended as follows:

1. Both references to '1996` under Article 132 of the Europe Agreement are replaced by '1997`.

2. The following text is added to Article 112 of the Europe Agreement:

'Decisions adopted by the Cooperation Council and Joint Committee referred to in Article 39 of the Interim Agreement under powers conferred on them by the Interim Agreement and the Cooperation Agreement shall continue to apply until the Association Council adopts a decision under the Europe Agreement.`

3. The Protocol 4 on Rules of Origin of the Europe Agreement is replaced by Protocol 4 annexed to the Interim Agreement.

Article 2

This Protocol shall form an integral part of the Europe Agreement.

Article 3

This Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date upon which the parties notify each other of the completion of the procedures necessary for that purpose.

Article 4

This Protocol shall be drawn up in two copies in the Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Slovenian languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.

Hecho en Bruselas, el once de noviembre de mil novecientos noventa y seis.

Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den ellevte november nitten hundrede og seksoghalvfems.

Geschehen zu Brüssel am elften November neunzehnhundertsechsundneunzig.

¸ãéíå óôéò ÂñõîÝëëåò, óôéò Ýíäåêá Íïåìâñßïõ ÷ßëéá åííéáêüóéá åíåíÞíôá Ýîé.

Done at Brussels on the eleventh day of November in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six.

Fait à Bruxelles, le onze novembre mil neuf cent quatre-vingt-seize.

Fatto a Bruxelles, addì undici novembre millenovecentonovantasei.

Gedaan te Brussel, de elfde november negentienhonderd zesennegentig.

Feito em Bruxelas, em onze de Novembro de mil novecentos e noventa e seis.

Tehty Brysselissä yhdentenätoista päivänä marraskuuta vuonna tuhatyhdeksänsataayhdeksänkymmentäkuusi.

Som skedde i Bryssel den elfte november nittonhundranittiosex.

V Bruslju, enajstega novembra tiso Ocdevetsto Osestindevetdeset.

Por las Comunidades Europeas

For De Europæiske Fællesskaber

Für die Europäischen Gemeinschaften

Ãéá ôéò ÅõñùðáúêÝò Êïéíüôçôåò

For the European Communities

Pour les Communautés européennes

Per le Comunità europee

Voor de Europese Gemeenschappen

Pelas Comunidades Europeias

Euroopan yhteisöjen puolesta

För Europeiska gemenskaperna

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Za Republiko Slovenijo

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Information concerning the entry into force of the Europe Association Agreement with Slovenia

The Europe Association Agreement with Slovenia, and the Protocol of 11 November 1996 amending it, will enter into force on 1 February 1999, as the notifications that the procedures provided for in Articles 131 and 3 respectively had been carried out were completed on 23 December 1998.