Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken in the EU-CTC Joint Committees established by the Convention on the simplification of formalities in trade in goods and the Convention on a common transit procedure

Summary:

On 8 August 2018 the European Commission presented a proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the Union regarding the invitation to the United Kingdom to accede to the Convention on the simplification of formalities in trade in goods and the Convention on a common transit procedure.

Further information:

The Convention of 20 May 1987 on the simplification of formalities in trade in goods and the Convention of 20 May 1987 on common transit aim to facilitate the movement of goods between the European Union and other countries which are contracting parties to the Conventions. They entered into force on 1 January 1988. The task of the Joint Committees is to administer the Conventions and to ensure their proper implementation.

When the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union, the Conventions will automatically cease to apply to the United Kingdom as only the Union (and not individual Member States) is a contracting party. The accession of the United Kingdom as an individual contracting party to the Conventions would facilitate significantly the movement of goods between the Union, the United Kingdom and other common transit countries.

The proposed Decision establishes the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in connection with the envisaged adoption by each of the Joint Committees of a decision regarding the invitation to the United Kingdom to accede to the Conventions.