L 162/78 Official Journal of the European Union 30.4.2004 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 22 September 2003 on the conclusion of a Protocol adjusting the trade aspects of the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Latvia, of the other part, to take account of the outcome of negotiations between the parties on new mutual agricultural concessions (2004/484[EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Article 133, in conjunction with Article 300(2), subparagraph 1, first sentence, thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas: 1 The Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Latvia, of the other part, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Europe Agree- ment’ ('), provides for certain reciprocal trade conces- sions for certain agricultural products. Article 20(4) of the Europe Agreement provides that the Community and Latvia shall examine product by product and on an orderly and reciprocal basis the possi- bilities of granting each other further concessions. The first improvements to the preferential arrangements of the Europe Agreement were provided for in the Protocol adjusting trade aspects of the Europe Agree- ment to take account of the accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union and the outcome of the Uruguay Round negotiations on agriculture, including improvements to the existing preferential arrangements, approved by Decision 1999/790/EC (3. Improvements to the preferential arrangements were also provided for as a result of negotiations to liberalise agricultural trade concluded in 2000. On the Com- munity side, these were implemented from 1 July 2000 by Council Regulation (EC) No 2341/2000 of 17 October 2000 establishing certain concessions in the J L 26, 2.2.1998, p. 3. JL317,10.12.1999, p. 1. form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for an adjustment, as an autono- mous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with Latvia (°). This second adjustment of the preferential arrangements has not yet been incorporated in the Europe Agreement in the form of an Additional Protocol. Negotiations for further improvements to the preferen- tial arrangements of the Europe Agreement were concluded on 4 April 2002. The results of the negotia- tions have so far been implemented by the respective parties in the form of autonomous measures, applicable as from 1 July 2002. On the Community side, the autonomous measures were implemented by Council Regulation (EC) No 1362/2002 of 22 July 2002 estab- lishing concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for an adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with Latvia (*). Similar legisla- tive measures were adopted and implemented by the Republic of Latvia. The new Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement adjusting the trade aspects of the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Latvia, of the other part (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Protocol) should be approved with a view to consolidating all concessions in agricultural trade between the two sides, including the results of the negotiations concluded in 2000 and 2002. () OJ L 271, 24.10.2000, p. 7. () OJ L 198, 27.7.2002, p. 13.