# EUR-Lex - 52014PC0220 - EN

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# 52014PC0220

**Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, in the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement, on specific provisions on the organization of cooperation in the field of statistics /* COM/2014/0220 final - 2014/0123 (NLE) */**

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.           CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL

In order to ensure the requisite legal
security and homogeneity of the Internal Market, the EEA Joint Committee is to
integrate all the relevant Union legislation into the EEA Agreement as soon as
possible after its adoption.

2.           RESULTS OF CONSULTATIONS
WITH THE INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

The draft Decision of the EEA Joint
Committee (annexed to the proposed Council Decision) aims to amend Protocol 30
to the EEA Agreement in order to incorporate Regulation (EU) No 1383/2013 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 amending
Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 on the European statistical programme 2013-17 into
Protocol 30 of the EEA Agreement.

Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European
Parliament and of the Council[1]
was included into Protocol 30 of the EEA Agreement by Decision of the EEA Joint
Committee No 134/2013 of 8 July 2013[2].
As Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 set the financial envelope for the European
statistical programme for 2013 only, the inclusion was limited to the year
2013.

Regulation (EU) No 1383/2013 of 17 December
2013 sets the financial envelope for the period 2014 to 2017. The act is
included in Article 5 of Protocol 30 and changes are made reflecting the extended
period 2014 to 2017. In addition, the draft JCD amends Article 5(3) in order to
clarify that the EEA Statistical Programme is an annual programme.

3.           LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE
PROPOSAL

Article 1(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No
2894/94 concerning arrangements for implementing the EEA Agreement provides
that the Council establishes the position to be adopted on the Union’s behalf on such Decisions, on a proposal from the Commission.

The Commission submits the Draft Decision
of the EEA Joint Committee for adoption by the Council as the Union’s position.
The Commission would hope to be able to present it in the EEA Joint Committee
at the earliest possible opportunity.

2014/0123 (NLE)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

on the position to be adopted, on behalf
of the European Union, in the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to
Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement, on specific provisions on the organization of
cooperation in the field of statistics

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning
of the European Union, and in particular Article 338(1) in conjunction with
Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No
2894/94 of 28 November 1994 concerning arrangements for implementing the
Agreement on the European Economic Area[3],
and in particular Article 1(3) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the
European Commission,

Whereas:

(1)       The Agreement on the
European Economic Area (“the EEA Agreement”) entered into force on 1 January
1994,

(2)       Pursuant to Article 98 of
the EEA Agreement, the EEA Joint Committee may decide to amend, inter alia, Protocol
30 thereto,

(3)       Annex XXI to the EEA
Agreement contains specific provisions concerning statistics,

(4)       The EEA statistical
programme 2014 to 2017 should be based on Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the
European Parliament and of the Council[4]
as amended by Regulation (EU) No 1383/2013 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 17 December 2013 amending Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 on the
European statistical programme 2013-17[5]
and should include those programme elements which are necessary for the
description and monitoring of all relevant economic, social and environmental
aspects of the European Economic Area,

(5)       The EEA statistical
programme 2003 to 2007 is no longer applicable and should consequently be
deleted under the EEA Agreement,

(6)       Protocol 30 to the EEA
Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this extended
cooperation to take place from 1 January 2014,

(7)       The position of the Union in the EEA Joint Committee should be based on the attached draft Decision.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The position to be taken by the Union in the EEA Joint Committee on the proposed amendment to Protocol 30 to the EEA
Agreement shall be based on the draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee
attached to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the
day of its adoption.

Done at Brussels,

For
the Council

The
President

[1]               OJ L 39, 9.2.2013, p. 12.

[2]               OJ L 345, 19.12.2013, p. 2.

[3]               OJ L 305, 30.11.1994, p. 6.

[4]               OJ L 39, 9.2.2013, p. 12.

[5]               OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 84.

ANNEX
DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE No .../2014
of
amending Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement,
on specific provisions on the organization of cooperation in the field of
statistics

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European
Economic Area (“the EEA Agreement”), and in particular Article 98 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)
The EEA statistical programme 2014 to 2017
should be based on Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of
the Council[1]
as amended by Regulation (EU) No 1383/2013 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 17 December 2013 amending Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 on the
European statistical programme 2013-17[2]
and should include those programme elements which are necessary for the
description and monitoring of all relevant economic, social and environmental
aspects of the European Economic Area,

(2)
The EEA statistical programme 2003 to 2007 is no
longer applicable and should consequently be deleted under the EEA Agreement,

(3)
Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement should
therefore be amended in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take
place from 1 January 2014.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement shall be
amended as follows:

1.           The word ‘2013’ in the title of
Article 5 is replaced by the words ‘2013 to 2017’.

2.           The following is added in Article
5(1):

‘, as amended by:

-        32013 R 1383: Regulation (EU)
No 1383/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013
(OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 84).’

3.           The words ‘31 December 2013’ in
Article 5(2) are replaced by the words ‘31 December 2017’.

4.           The text of Article 5(3) is
replaced by the following:

‘A specific EEA Annual Statistical Programme
for 2013 to 2017 shall be developed jointly by the EFTA Statistical Office and
Eurostat. The EEA Annual Statistical Programme shall be based on a subset of,
and be drawn up in parallel with the annual work programme elaborated by the
Commission in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 99/2013. The EEA Annual Statistical
Programme shall be approved by the Contracting Parties according to their own
internal procedures.’

5.           The text of Article 5(4) is
replaced by the following:

‘The EFTA States shall contribute financially
in accordance with Article 82(1)(a) of the Agreement and the Financial
Regulations thereto to an amount representing 75 per cent of the amount shown
in budget lines 29 02 05 (European statistical programme 2013-17) and 29 01 04
05 (Statistical information policy – Expenditure on administrative management)
entered in the budget of the European Union for 2013 and to an amount
representing 75 per cent of the amount shown in budget lines 29 02 01 (European
statistical programme 2013-17) and 29 01 04 01 (Statistical information policy
– Expenditure on administrative management) entered in the budget of the
European Union for 2014 to 2017.’

6.           The text of Article 2 is deleted.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the
day following the last notification under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement*.

It shall apply from 1
January 2014.

Article 3

This Decision shall be published in the EEA
Section of, and in the EEA Supplement to, the Official Journal of the
European Union.

Done at Brussels,

For
the EEA Joint Committee

The
President
                                                                      
                                                                      
                                                                      
                                                                       The
Secretaries
                                                                       to the EEA
Joint Committee

[1]               OJ L 39, 9.2.2013, p. 12.

[2]               OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 84.

*               [No constitutional requirements indicated.]
[Constitutional requirements indicated.]