
Article 1 
The signing of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other, is hereby authorised on behalf of the Union, subject to the conclusion of the said Agreement.
The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.
Article 2 
The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement on behalf of the Union.
Article 3 
Part IV of the Agreement shall be applied on a provisional basis by the European Union in accordance with Article 353(4) of the Agreement, pending the completion of the procedures for its conclusion. Article 271 shall not be provisionally applied.
In order to determine the date of provisional application the Council shall fix the date by which the notification referred to in Article 353(4) of the Agreement is to be sent to the Republics of Central America. That notification shall include reference to the provision which is not to be provisionally applied.
The date from which Part IV of the Agreement will be provisionally applied shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.
Article 4 
For the purposes of Article 247 of the Agreement, modifications of the Agreement through decisions of the Association Council, as proposed by the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property on geographical indications, shall be approved by the Commission on behalf of the European Union. Where interested parties cannot reach agreement following objections relating to a geographical indication, the Commission shall adopt a position on the basis of the procedure laid down in Article 15(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs.
Article 5 

1. A name protected under Annex XVIII to the Agreement (Protected Geographical Indications) may be used by any operator marketing agricultural products, foodstuffs, wines, aromatised wines or spirits conforming to the corresponding specification.
2. The Member States and the institutions of the European Union shall enforce the protection provided for in Article 246 of the Agreement, including at the request of an interested party.
Article 6 
The applicable provision for the purposes of adopting the necessary implementing rules for the application of the rules contained in Appendix 2A of Annex II (Concerning the Definition of the Concept of ‘Originating Products’ and Methods of Administrative Cooperation) and Appendix 2 of Annex I (Elimination of Customs Duties) to the Agreement is Article 247a of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code.
Article 7 
The Agreement shall not be construed as conferring rights or imposing obligations which can be directly invoked before Union or Member State courts and tribunals.
Article 8 
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.
Done at Luxembourg, 25 June 2012.
For the Council
The President
C. ASHTON