Decision of the EEA Joint Committee

No 26/2003

of 14 March 2003

amending Annex I (Veterinary and phytosanitary matters) to the EEA Agreement

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

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

Whereas:

(1) Annex I to the Agreement was amended by Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 157/2002 of 6 December 2002(1).

(2) Council Directive 2001/89/EC of 23 October 2001 on Community measures for the control of classical swine fever(2), as corrected by OJ L 168, 27.6.2002, p. 59, is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(3) Commission Decision 2002/106/EC of 1 February 2002 approving a Diagnostic Manual establishing diagnostic procedures, sampling methods and criteria for evaluation of the laboratory tests for the confirmation of classical swine fever(3) is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(4) Commission Decision 2002/161/EC of 22 February 2002 approving the plans submitted by Germany for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs in Saarland and the emergency vaccination against classical swine fever in feral pigs in Rhineland-Pfalz and Saarland(4) is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(5) Commission Decision 2002/181/EC of 28 February 2002 approving the plan presented by Luxembourg for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs in certain areas of Luxembourg(5) is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(6) Commission Decision 2002/182/EC of 28 February 2002 approving the amended plan presented by Austria for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs in Lower Austria(6) is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(7) Commission Decision 2002/526/EC of 28 June 2002 repealing Decision 94/141/EC approving the plan presented by France for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs in the northern Vosges(7) is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(8) Commission Decision 2002/531/EC of 28 June 2002 amending Decision 2002/161/EC to approve the plans submitted by Germany for the eradication of classical swine fever and the emergency vaccination of feral pigs in North Rhine-Westfalia(8) is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(9) Directive 2001/89/EC repeals Directive 80/217/EEC(9), which is incorporated into the Agreement and which is consequently to be deleted from the Agreement.

(10) Decision 2002/182/EC repeals Decision 2001/140/EC(10), which is incorporated into the Agreement and which is consequently to be deleted from the Agreement.

(11) This Decision is not to apply to Iceland and Liechtenstein,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Chapter I of Annex I to the Agreement shall be amended as specified in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

The texts of Directive 2001/89/EC, as corrected by OJ L 168, 27.6.2002, p. 59, and of Decisions 2002/106/EC, 2002/161/EC, 2002/181/EC, 2002/182/EC, 2002/526/EC and 2002/531/EC in the Norwegian language, to be published in the EEA Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union, shall be authentic.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on 15 March 2003, provided that all the notifications under Article 103(1) of the Agreement have been made to the EEA Joint Committee(11).

Article 4

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, 14 March 2003.

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

P. Westerlund

(1) OJ L 38, 13.2.2003, p. 3.

(2) OJ L 316, 1.12.2001, p. 5.

(3) OJ L 39, 9.2.2002, p. 71.

(4) OJ L 53, 23.2.2002, p. 43.

(5) OJ L 61, 2.3.2002, p. 54.

(6) OJ L 61, 2.3.2002, p. 55.

(7) OJ L 170, 29.6.2002, p. 85.

(8) OJ L 172, 2.7.2002, p. 63.

(9) OJ L 47, 21.2.1980, p. 11.

(10) OJ L 50, 21.2.2001, p. 22.

(11) No constitutional requirements indicated.

ANNEX TO DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE No 26/2003

Chapter I of Annex I to the Agreement shall be amended as specified below:

1. The text of point 3 (Council Directive 80/217/EEC) in Part 3.1 shall be replaced by the following: "32001 L 0089: Council Directive 2001/89/EC of 23 October 2001 on Community measures for the control of classical swine fever (OJ L 316, 1.12.2001, p. 5), as corrected by OJ L 168, 27.6.2002, p. 59.

The text of the Directive shall, for the purposes of the Agreement, be read with the following adaptation:

In point 1 of Annex III, the following shall be added:

"Norway

Veterinærinstituttet, PO Box 8156, 0033 Oslo, Norway.""

2. The following point shall be inserted after point 22 (Commission Decision 2001/783/EC) in Part 3.2: "23. 32002 D 0106: Commission Decision 2002/106/EC of 1 February 2002 approving a Diagnostic Manual establishing diagnostic procedures, sampling methods and criteria for evaluation of the laboratory tests for the confirmation of classical swine fever (OJ L 39, 9.2.2002, p. 71)."

3. Under the heading "ACTS OF WHICH THE EFTA STATES AND THE EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY SHALL TAKE DUE ACCOUNT", the text of points 2 (Commission Decision 94/141/EC) and 13 (Commission Decision 2001/140/EC)in Part 3.2 shall be deleted.

4. Under the heading "ACTS OF WHICH THE EFTA STATES AND THE EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY SHALL TAKE DUE ACCOUNT", the following points shall be inserted after point 14 (Commission Decision 2001/872/EC) in Part 3.2: "15. 32002 D 0161: Commission Decision 2002/161/EC of 22 February 2002 approving the plans submitted by Germany for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs in Saarland and the emergency vaccination against classical swine fever in feral pigs in Rhineland-Pfalz and Saarland (OJ L 53, 23.2.2002, p. 43), as amended by:

- 32002 D 0531: Commission Decision 2002/531/EC of 28 June 2002 (OJ L 172, 2.7.2002, p. 63).

16. 32002 D 0181: Commission Decision 2002/181/EC of 28 February 2002 approving the plan presented by Luxembourg for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs in certain areas of Luxembourg (OJ L 61, 2.3.2002, p. 54).

17. 32002 D 0182: Commission Decision 2002/182/EC of 28 February 2002 approving the amended plan presented by Austria for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs in Lower Austria (OJ L 61, 2.3.2002, p. 55).

18. 32002 D 0526: Commission Decision 2002/526/EC of 28 June 2002 repealing Decision 94/141/EC approving the plan presented by France for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs in the northern Vosges (OJ L 170, 29.6.2002, p. 85)."