L 328)2 Official Journal of the European Union 10.12.2011 COUNCIL DECISION of 20 October 2011 on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union, of the one part, and the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of the other part, providing further liberalisation of agricultural products, processed agricultural products and fish and fishery products and amending the Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of the other part (2011/824/[EU) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a), thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament ('), Whereas: (1) The relationship between the Union and the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (the Palestinian Authority)) builds on the Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of the other part(?) (Interim Agreement’), which was signed in February 1997 and whose trade provisions entered into force on 1 July 1997. Its main objective is to promote trade and investment and harmonious economic  relations between the Parties thereby fostering their sustainable economic development. (2)  The Interim Agreement provides for duty-free access to the Union markets for Palestinian industrial goods, and a phasing-out of duties on the Union exports to the occupied Palestinian territory over 5 years. The possibility of granting the Palestinian Authority additional trade preferences is envisaged in the Interim Agreement. Article 12 of the Interim Agreement provides that the Community and the Palestinian Authority shall progressively establish a greater liberalisation of their trade in agricultural and fishery products of interest to both Parties. Article 14(2) of the Interim Agreement provides that the Community and the Palestinian Authority shall examine, in the Joint Committee, the possibility of granting each other further concessions. (3)  The European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan (ENP Action Plan’) for the Palestinian Authority, which was (1) Consent of 5 September 2011 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () OJ L 187, 16.7.1997, p. 3. () () O] 0] approved in May 2005 and subsequently extended, also contains provisions concerning the gradual liberalisation of trade in agriculture and fishery products. The Euro-Mediterranean Roadmap for agriculture (Rabat Roadmap) adopted by the Euro-Mediterranean Ministers of Foreign Affairs on 28 November 2005 provides that a high degree of trade liberalisation for agricultural products, processed agricultural products and fish and fishery products is desirable; the objective is full liberali- sation of such trade by 2010, possibly excluding a very limited number of sensitive products. At the last Trade Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial meeting in December 2009, Ministers of Trade of the Euro- Mediterranean region committed themselves to facilitate the trade of Palestinian products, as stated in the document The Euromed Trade Roadmap beyond 2010. In addition, a comprehensive package of measures to facilitate trade of Palestinian products with other Euro- Mediterranean partners on a bilateral and regional basis has been agreed by Ministers of Trade in 2010. Negotiations with the Palestinian Authority concerning greater liberalisation of trade in agricultural products, processed agricultural products and fish and fishery products were successfully concluded by signing the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union, of the one part, and the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of the other part, providing further liberalisation of agricultural products, processed agricultural products and fish and fishery products and amending the Euro- Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Community, of the one part, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of the other part (the Agreement’), in accordance with Council Decision 2011/248[EU (). The occupied Palestinian territory governed by the Palestinian Authority is a state in the making. It is therefore not listed under any United Nations classifi- cation and therefore cannot benefit from the Union’s Generalised System of Preferences (). L 104, 20.4.2011, p. 2. L 169, 30.6.2005, p. 1.