The European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (The Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organisation) Order 1995

Statutory Instruments

1995 No. 265

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

The European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (The Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organisation) Order 1995

Made

8th February 1995

Coming into force in accordance with Article 1

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 8th day of February 1995

Present,

The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

Whereas a draft of this Order has been laid before Parliament in accordance with section 1 of the European Communities Act 1972(1) and has been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament:

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred on Her by section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972 or otherwise in Her Majesty vested, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:—

1.  This Order may be cited as the European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (The Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organisation) Order 1995. It shall come into force in respect of the treaty specified in the Schedule to this Order on the date on which the treaty enters into force for the United Kingdom. This date will be notified in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.

2.  The treaty specified in the Schedule to this Order is to be regarded as a Community Treaty as defined in section 1(2) of the European Communities Act 1972.

N. H. Nicholls

Clerk of the Privy Council

SCHEDULE

The Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organisation signed at Marrakesh on 15 April 1994(2).

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order declares the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organisation, signed on 15 April 1994 by the Community, the Member States and many other states, to be a Community Treaty as defined in section 1(2) of the European Communities Act 1972. The Agreement establishes the World Trade Organisation to provide a common institutional framework for the conduct of trade relations amongst its Members. The agreements and associated legal instruments included in Annexes 1, 2 and 3, the Multilateral Trade Agreements, are integral parts of the Agreement and bind all Members. The principal effect of declaring this Agreement to be a Community Treaty as so defined is to bring into play in relation to it the provisions of section 2 of the European Communities Act 1972 which provides for the implementation of treaties so specified.

(1)

1972 c. 68; section 1(2) was amended by the European Union (Accessions) Act 1994 c. 38.

(2)

Cm. 2556-59, 2561-2, 2564-69, 2571-74.