Draft DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE amending Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms - Draft common position of the Community

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement contains specific provisions on the co-operation between the Community and the EEA EFTA States outside the four freedoms.

2. The attached draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee aims to modify Protocol 31 to extend co-operation in the field of environment. It provides for a framework for co-operation and sets out the modalities for full participation of the EEA EFTA States in the Community programme and actions in this field (Decision No 1411/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2001 on a Community Framework for cooperation to promote sustainable urban development).

3. Article 1.3(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 concerning the arrangements for implementing the EEA Agreement envisages that the Council establishes the Community position for such Decisions on a proposal from the Commission.

4. The draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee is submitted for the approval of the Council. The Commission would hope to be able to put forward the position of the Community in the EEA Joint Committee in December 2001.

Draft DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE amending Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms

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 Articles 86 and 98 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Protocol 31 to the Agreement was amended by Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No ... of ... [1].

[1] OJ L ...

(2) It is appropriate to extend the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the Agreement to include Decision No 1411/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2001 on a Community Framework for cooperation to promote sustainable urban development [2].

[2] OJ L 191, 13.7.2001, p. 1.

(3) Protocol 31 to the Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take place from 1 January 2002,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The following shall be inserted after paragraph 3 of Article 3 of Protocol 31 to the Agreement:

'4. The EFTA States shall, from 1 January 2002, participate in the Community action referred to in paragraph 6.

5. The EFTA States shall, as from the start of the cooperation in the action referred to in paragraph 6, participate fully in the bodies which assist the EC Commission in the management or development of this action.

6. The Contracting Parties shall seek in particular to strengthen cooperation in the framework of Community activities which may result from the following Community act:

- 32001 D 1411: Decision No 2001/1411/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2001 on a Community Framework for cooperation to promote sustainable urban development (OJ L 191, 13.7.2001, p. 1).'

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following the last notification to the EEA Joint Committee under Article 103(1) of the Agreement [3].

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

It shall apply from 1 January 2002.

Article 3

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, .

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

The Secretaries to the EEA Joint Committee