This Order declares the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Kazakhstan, of the other part, (the Agreement), to be an EU Treaty as defined in section 1(2) of the European Communities Act 1972.

The Agreement provides a legal framework for further engagement and co-operation between the European Union, its Member States and Kazakhstan across a broad range of areas, including trade and economic and financial cooperation, energy, transport, environment and climate change, employment and social affairs, justice and home affairs, culture, education and research. It replaces the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement that has been in force between the same parties since 1999.

The principal effect of declaring this Agreement to be an EU Treaty so defined is that the provisions of section 2 of the European Communities Act 1972 (which provide for implementation of treaties specified in orders made under section 1(3) of that Act) apply to it.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has not been carried out for this Order as there is a negligible impact on the costs to UK business, charities and voluntary bodies.