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 social policy. 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:

-32001 D 0051: Council Decision 2001/51/EC of 20 December 2000 on the Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality (2001-2005) (OJ L 17, 19.1.2001, p. 22).

3. On the basis of Article 10 of Council Decision 2001/51/EC the Programme shall be open to the participation of the EEA EFTA States in accordance with the conditions established in the EEA Agreement.

4. 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.

5. 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 May 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 Council Decision 2001/51/EC of 20 December 2000 on the Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality (2001-2005) [2].

[2] OJ L 17, 19.1.2001, p. 22.

(3) Protocol 31 to the Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take place with effect from 1 January 2001,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Article 5 of Protocol 31 to the Agreement shall be amended as follows:

1. The text of paragraph 5 shall be replaced by the following:

'The EFTA States shall participate in the Community programmes and actions referred to in the first two indents of paragraph 8 as from 1 January 1996, in the programme referred to in the third indent as from 1 January 2000 and in the programme referred to in the fourth indent with effect from 1 January 2001.'

2. The following indent shall be added in paragraph 8:

'- 32001 D 0051: Council Decision 2001/51/EC of 20 December 2000 on the Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality (2001-2005) (OJ L 17, 19.1.2001, p. 22).'

Article 2

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

[3] 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