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 cooperation 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 cooperation in the field of public health. It provides for a framework for cooperation and sets out the modalities for full participation of the EEA EFTA States in the Community programme and actions in this field:

- 32001 D 0521: Decision No 521/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2001 extending certain programmes of Community action in the field of public health adopted by Decisions No 645/96/EC, No 646/96/EC, No 647/96/EC, No 102/97/EC, No 1400/97/EC and No 1296/1999/EC and amending those Decisions (OJ L 79, 17.3.2001, p. 1).

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 June 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) The EEA EFTA States are presently participating in several programmes in the field of public health which will expire in the years 2000 and 2001, while the entry into force of a European Community programme succeeding those programmes is uncertain.

(3) It is appropriate to extend the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the Agreement to include Decision No 521/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2001 extending certain programmes of Community action in the field of public health adopted by Decisions No 645/96/EC [2], No 646/96/EC [3], No 647/96/EC [4], No 102/97/EC [5], No 1400/97/EC [6] and No 1296/1999/EC [7] and amending those Decisions [8].

[2] OJ L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 1.

[3] OJ L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 9.

[4] OJ L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 16.

[5] OJ L 19, 22.1.1997, p. 25.

[6] OJ L 193, 22.7.1997, p. 1.

[7] OJ L 155, 22.6.1999, p. 7.

[8] OJ L 79, 17.3.2001, p. 1.

(4) Protocol 31 to the Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take place, as regards Decisions No 645/96/EC, No 646/96/EC, No 647/96/EC and No 102/97/EC from January 2001 and, as regards Decisions No 1400/97/EC and No 1296/1999/EC from January 2002 and, in all cases, until 31 December 2002,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The following shall be added in indents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 of Article 16(1) of Protocol 31 to the Agreement:

', as amended by:

- 32001 D 0521: Decision No 521/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2001 extending certain programmes of Community action in the field of public health adopted by Decisions No 645/96/EC, No 646/96/EC, No 647/96/EC, No 102/97/EC, No 1400/97/EC and No 1296/1999/EC and amending those Decisions (OJ L 79, 17.3.2001, 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 [9].

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

It shall apply from 1 January 2001.

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, ... 2001.

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

The Secretaries to the EEA Joint Committee