EU/Mongolia Partnership and Cooperation Framework Agreement

PURPOSE: to approve the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Mongolia, of the other part.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2017/2270 on the conclusion of the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Mongolia, of the other part.

CONTENT: with this Decision, the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Mongolia, of the other part, is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

The Framework Agreement was signed on 30 April 2013, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

General principles: respect for democratic principles and human rights, as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.

The Parties reaffirm their attachment to the principle of good governance and confirm their commitment to promoting sustainable development, cooperating to address the challenges of climate change and to contributing to the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Development Goals.

Areas of cooperation: with a view to strengthening their bilateral relationship, the Parties undertake to hold a comprehensive dialogue and promote further cooperation in the following areas:

• political, social and economic issues in all relevant regional and international fora and organisations;
• fight against crime and international crime;
• fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, small arms and light weapons;
• trade and investment;
• justice, freedom and security, including the rule of law and legal cooperation, data protection, migration, smuggling and trafficking in human beings, the fight against crime organised crime, terrorism, transnational crime, money laundering and illicit drugs;
• people-to-people understanding through cooperation among various non-governmental entities such as think-tanks, academics, civil society, and the media, in the form of seminars, conferences, youth interaction and other activities;
• poverty eradication in the context of sustainable development and the progressive integration of Mongolia into the world economy.

The Parties also undertake to establish cooperation in all other areas of mutual interest, in particular  macro-economic policy and financial services, taxation and customs, including good governance in the tax area, industrial policy and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), information society, audiovisual and media, science and technology, energy, transport, education and culture, environment and natural resources, agriculture and rural development, health, employment and social affairs.

The Agreement contains institutional arrangements to set up a joint committee composed of representatives of both sides to ensure the proper functioning and implementation of the agreement and resolve disputes.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 9.12.2017.