(1)

The International Cocoa Agreement 2010 (the ‘Agreement’) was approved on 25 June 2010 by the negotiating conference established under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to replace the International Cocoa Agreement 2001. The Agreement provisionally entered into force on 1 October 2012 for a period of 10 years, until 30 September 2022, and was subsequently extended until 30 September 2026.

(2)

The signing and the conclusion of the Agreement were authorised on behalf of the European Union by means of Council Decision 2011/634/EU (2) and Council Decision 2012/189/EU (3), respectively. The European Union is therefore a party to the International Cocoa Agreement 2010 and a Member of the International Cocoa Organization.

(3)

A partial review to reform the Agreement has become necessary to take developments in the global cocoa market since 2010 into consideration. Such a review is also in the interest of the Union.

(4)

The Commission was authorised by means of Council Decision (EU) 2021/675 (4) to negotiate, on behalf of the Union, to amend the Agreement in the context of its partial review.

(5)

The text of the Agreement, as amended (the ‘amended Agreement’) was approved by the International Cocoa Council at its 106th regular session held from 27 to 29 September 2022.

(6)

The objectives of the amended Agreement continue to fall under the common commercial policy.

(7)

In light of the aim and the content of the partial review of the Agreement, the amendments to the Agreement should be approved on behalf of the European Union,