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 to include preparatory actions for co-operation on cultural matters. It thus provides the legal basis for the EEA EFTA States to participate in the Community actions related to the following budget-line of the general EU 2004 budget:

- Budget line 15.04.02.03 "Preparatory actions for co-operation on cultural matters"

3. Article 1.3(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 concerning the arrangements for implementing the EEA Agreement envisages that the Council establish 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, after which the Commission will put forward the position of the Community in the EEA Joint Committee at the earliest opportunity.

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 the preparatory actions for cooperation on cultural matters.

(3) Protocol 31 to the Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this cooperation to take place with effect from 1 January 2004,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Article 13 of Protocol 31 to the Agreement shall be amended as follows:

1. The text of paragraph 2 shall be replaced with the following:

'2. The EFTA States shall contribute financially to the activities referred to in paragraphs 1, 4, 5 and 6 in accordance with Article 82(1)(a) of the Agreement.'

2. The text of paragraph 3 shall be replaced with the following:

'3. The EFTA States shall participate fully in the EC committees and other bodies which assist the Commission in the management, development and implementation of the activities referred to in paragraphs 1, 4, 5 and 6.'

3. The following paragraph shall be inserted after paragraph 5:

'6. The EFTA States shall, as from 1 January 2004, participate in the Community actions related to the following budget line, entered in the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2004:

- Budget line 15.04.02.03: "Preparatory actions for cooperation on cultural matters".'

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 [2].

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

Article 3

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, .

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

The Secretaries

to the EEA Joint Committee