Decision (EU) 2018/1536 establishing the position to be taken within the WTO Committee on Government Procurement on the accession of Australia to the Revised Agreement on Government Procurement

Summary:

Council Decision of 9 October 2018 establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the Union regarding Australia's accession to the WTO Revised Agreement on Government Procurement.

Further information:

In June 2015, Australia applied to accede to the Revised Agreement on Government Procurement. It submitted revised coverage offers in September 2016 and June 2017. The European Commission, on behalf of the Union, negotiated a series of market opening commitments of Australia both in a bilateral format and within the Committee on Government Procurement.

Australia subsequently submitted a final offer to the Committee on 7 March 2018. During an informal session of the Committee on 27 June, the Commission expressed the Union's agreement in principle to Australia's accession to the Agreement, subject to the terms of accession.

Background:

The Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) is a plurilateral agreement within the framework of the WTO which aims to mutually open government procurement markets among its parties. The revised version of the Agreement entered into force on 6 April 2014. The European Union is a party to the Agreement.

The Committee on Government Procurement was established to administer the implementation of the GPA. It is composed of representatives from each of the parties as well as WTO members and inter-governmental organizations with observer status. The European Union, like all other Parties, is a member of the Committee, where it is represented by the Commission.

EUR-Lex: COM(2018)622: Proposal for a Decision establishing the position to be taken within the WTO Committee on Government Procurement on the accession of Australia to the Revised Agreement on Government Procurement https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2018:622:FIN

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