EN Official Journal of the European Union L 263/18

DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE

No 306/2015

of 11 December 2015

amending Annex II (Technical regulations, standards, testing and certification) to the EEA Agreement [2017/1817]

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) Regulation (EU) No 251/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatized wine products and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91 (1) is to be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

(2) Regulation (EU) No 251/2014 repeals Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91 (2), which is incorporated into the EEA Agreement and which is consequently to be repealed under the EEA Agreement.

(3) This Decision concerns legislation regarding spirit drinks. Legislation regarding spirit drinks shall not apply to Liechtenstein as long as the application of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products is extended to Liechtenstein, as specified in the introduction to Chapter XXVII of Annex II to the EEA Agreement. This Decision is therefore not to apply to Liechtenstein.

(4) Annex II to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Chapter XXVII of Annex II to the EEA Agreement shall be amended as follows:

1. The following is inserted after point 9a (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 716/2013): ‘9b. 32014 R 0251: Regulation (EU) No 251/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatized wine products and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91 (OJ L 84, 20.3.2014, p. 14). The provisions of the Regulation shall, for the purposes of this Agreement, be read with the following adaptations: The EFTA States concerned shall be invited to send observers to the meetings of the Committee on aromatised wine products, as referred to in Article 34, dealing with matters which fall within the acts referred to in the Agreement. The representatives of the EFTA States shall participate fully in the work of the Committee, but shall not have the right to vote.’

2. The text of point 3 (Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91) is deleted.

Article 2

The texts of Regulation (EU) No 251/2014 in the Icelandic and Norwegian languages, 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 12 December 2015, provided that all the notifications under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement have been made (*1).

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, 11 December 2015. For the EEA Joint Committee The President Oda SLETNES

(1) OJ L 84, 20.3.2014, p. 14.

(2) OJ L 149, 14.6.1991, p. 1.

(*1) No constitutional requirements indicated.