EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 85/66

DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE

No 4/94

of 8 February 1994

amending Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in the field of statistics

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, as adjusted by the Protocol Adjusting the Agreement on the European Economic Area, hereinafter referred to as the Agreement, and in particular Article 98 thereof,

Whereas in order to ensure the feasibility, consistency and comparability of all the statistical information required, Protocol 30 to the Agreement provides for participation by the EFTA States in Community actions in the field of statistics;

Whereas the financial and administrative provisions of Protocol 30 should be updated to provide for a joint EEA Statistical Programme;

Whereas the EEA Statistical Programme should be based on the European Communities' Framework Programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information 1993 to 1997 and should include those programme elements which are necessary for describing and monitoring all relevant economic, social and environmental aspects of the EEA;

Whereas the specific actions of the EEA Statistical Programme should be carried out with particular attention to minimising the burden on respondents in answering statistical questionnaires, to the cost of data gathering and with strict adherence to the principle of statistical confidentiality,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Protocol 30 to the Agreement shall be amended as set out in Articles 2 to 7 hereof.

Article 2

Paragraph 2 shall be replaced by the following:

‘2. The EFTA States shall, from 1 January 1994, participate within the framework of plans for priority actions in the field of statistical information. In particular, an EEA Statistical Programme shall be established as a subset of the EC Statistical Programme set up under the Council Decision to which reference is made in paragraph 9. The EEA Statistical Programme shall be the framework within which all the EEA statistical activities are carried out. The elements of the EEA Statistical Programme are listed in the Appendix. Each year, the Conference to which reference is made in paragraph 1 shall draw up the guidelines for the implementation of the EEA Statistical Programme in the following year. These guidelines shall be established in parallel with the annual guidelines for implementing the Community Statistical Programme according to Article 3 of the Council Decision referred to in paragraph 9. The Conference shall, as necessary, propose the EEA Joint Committee items to be added or deleted from the list contained in the Appendix.’

Article 3

The following shall be added as a new paragraph 3:

‘3. The EFTA States shall participate fully in the EC Committees which assist the EC Commission in the management or development of the actions referred to in paragraph 2 in so far as the subjects dealt with are covered by the Agreement.’.

Article 4

Former paragraphs 3, 4 and 6 shall be combined to become three subparagraphs of a new paragraph 4.

Article 5

Paragraph 5 shall be replaced by the following:

‘5. From 1 January 1994, the EFTA States shall contribute financially to actions included in the EEA Statistical Programme in accordance with Article 82 (1) (a) of the Agreement and the financial regulations thereto. The EFTA States shall defray the additional cost incurred by Eurostat for storing, processing and disseminating data from their countries according to the provisions of the Agreement. The amounts involved shall be fixed periodically by the EEA Joint Committee. The EFTA States shall contribute financially to the Community's overhead costs other than those incurred for storing, disseminating or processing data in accordance with Article 82 (1) (b) of the Agreement.’

Article 6

The following shall be added as new paragraphs 6, 7, 8 and 9:

‘6. The EFTA States shall be included in the statistical activities covered by the EEA Statistical Programme to the same extent as EC Member States in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement. 7. Responsibility for implementing the specific statistical actions in the EFTA States shall lie with the national statistical authorities; implementing procedures shall take account of the organization of each EFTA State's official statistics. Where implementation measures for EC Member States, based on Article 4 (c) of the Council Decision referred to in paragraph 9, imply the transmission of available data or other available information concerning activities covered by the EEA Statistical Programme to the Commission, they shall also apply to EFTA States in accordance with paragraph 4. 8. At the request of the EEA Joint Committee, and at all events in the third year of cooperation and again at the end of the period covered by the EEA Statistical Programme, the Conference to which reference is made in paragraph 1 shall examine the progress made. In particular, it shall assess whether the objectives, priorities and actions planned during the period have been achieved and shall submit a report for the approval of the EEA Joint Committee. 9. The following Community act is the object of this Protocol: 393 D 0464: Council Decision 93/464/EEC of 22 July 1993 on the framework programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information 1993 to 1997 (OJ No L 219, 28. 8. 1993, p. 1).’.

Article 7

An Appendix shall be added as set out in the Annex hereto.

Article 8

This Decision shall enter into force on 1 May 1994, provided that all the notifications required under Article 103 (1) of the Agreement have been made to the EEA Joint Committee.

Article 9

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

Done at Brussels, 8 February 1994 By the EEA Joint Committee The President N. VAN DER PAS