Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 99/2000 of 27 October 2000 amending Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement, on specific provisions on the organisation of cooperation in the field of statistics
Date: 2000-10-27
Institutions: EEA Joint Committee
Subjects: EFTA, EU programme, EU statistics, cooperation policy, information system, statistical method

11.1.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 7/29

DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE

No 99/2000

of 27 October 2000

amending Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement, on specific provisions on the organisation of
cooperation in the field of statistics

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, as adjusted by the Protocol adjusting
the Agreement on the European Economic Area, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Agreement’, and in
particular Article 98 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Protocol 30 to the Agreement was amended by Decision No 4/94 of the EEA Joint Committee of
8 February 1994 (1).

The EEA statistical programme is to be based on the Community statistical programme 1998 to
2002 (Council Decision 1999/126/EC) (2) and is to include those programme elements which are
necessary for describing and monitoring all relevant economic, social and environmental aspects of
the European Economic Area.

The EEA statistical programme is to take account of the provisions of Council Regulation (EC)
No 322/97 on Community statistics (3).

Protocol 30 to the Agreement is therefore to be amended in order to allow for such extended
cooperation to take place from 1 January 1998,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Protocol 30 to the Agreement shall be amended as set out in Articles 2 and 3 hereof.

Article 1

Article 2

Paragraphs 1 to 9 of Protocol 30 to the Agreement shall be replaced by the following:

‘1. A conference of representatives of national statistical organisations of the Contracting Parties, the
Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) and the Office of the Statistical Adviser of
the EFTA States (OSA EFTA) shall guide statistical cooperation and develop programmes and
procedures for statistical cooperation in close coordination with those of the Community and monitor
their implementation. This conference and the Statistical Programme Committee shall organise their
tasks for the purposes of this Protocol in combined meetings as SPC/EEA Conference pursuant to
specific rules of procedure to be established by the SPC/EEA Conference.

(1) OJ L 85, 30.3.1994, p. 66.
(2) OJ L 42, 16.2.1999, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 1.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

11.1.2001

2. The Community statistical programme 1998 to 2002 as established by the Council Decision to
which reference is made in paragraph 7 shall constitute the framework for the EEA statistical actions
to be carried out between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2002. All main fields and statistical
themes of the Community statistical programme 1998 to 2002 shall be considered to be relevant for
the EEA statistical cooperation and shall be open for full participation by the EFTA States.

From 1 January 1998, a specific EEA annual statistical programme shall be developed every year as a
subset of, and in parallel with, the annual work programme elaborated by the Commission in
accordance with the Council Decision referred to in paragraph 7. Each EEA annual statistical
programme shall be submitted for examination and approval to the SPC/EEA Conference. It shall
indicate in particular those actions within the themes of the programme being EEA relevant and having
priority for the EEA cooperation during the programme period.

3. The EFTA States shall, as from the start of the cooperation in connection with the programmes
and actions referred to in paragraph 2, participate fully without the right to vote in the EC committees
and other bodies which assist the EC Commission in the management or development of these
programmes and actions.

4.
Statistical information from EFTA States shall be transmitted from the EFTA States to Eurostat for
storage, processing and dissemination. To this end, OSA EFTA shall work in close cooperation with
the EFTA States and Eurostat in order to ensure that data from the EFTA States is transmitted properly
and disseminated to the various user groups through the normal dissemination channels as part of the
EEA statistics.

The handling of statistics from the EFTA States shall be governed by the Council Regulation referred to
in paragraph 7.

From 1 January 1998,

5.
the EFTA States shall contribute financially in accordance with
Article 82(1)(a) of the Agreement and the Financial Regulations thereto to an amount representing
75 % of the amount shown in budget line B5-6 0 0 “Policy on statistical information concerned with
non-member countries” entered in the Community budget.

The EFTA States shall defray the additional costs incurred by Eurostat for storing, processing and
disseminating data from their countries in accordance with the relevant Memorandum of Understanding
between the EFTA Secretariat and Eurostat concerning the EFTA contribution related to this paragraph.

The EFTA States shall contribute financially to the Community’s overhead costs other than those
incurred for storing, disseminating or processing data in accordance with Article 82(1)(b) of the
Agreement.

6. At the request of the EEA Joint Committee, and at all events in the year 2000 and in the year 2003,
the SPC/EEA Conference to which reference is made in paragraph 1 shall examine the progress made
in the framework for EEA statistical actions. It shall in particular assess whether the objectives, priorities
and actions planned during the period between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2002 have been
achieved and shall submit a report for approval by the EEA Joint Committee.

7. The following Community acts are the object of this Protocol:

— 397 R 0322: Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February 1997 on Community Statistics

(OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 1),

— 399 D 0126: Council Decision 1999/126/EC of 22 December 1998 on the Community statistical

programme 1998 to 2002 (OJ L 42, 16.2.1999, p. 1).’

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 7/31

The Appendix in Protocol 30 to the Agreement shall be deleted.

Article 3

Article 4

The list of committees agreed upon by the Contracting Parties to the Agreement and contained in the
agreed minute ad Protocol 30 of the negotiations for an agreement between the European Economic
Community, the European Coal and Steel Community and their Member States and the EFTA States on
the European Economic Area shall be without prejudice to participation by the EFTA States in any other
EC committee or body in accordance with paragraph 3 of Protocol 30 as amended by this Decision.

This Decision shall enter into force on 28 October 2000, provided that all the notifications under
Article 103(1) of the Agreement have been made to the EEA Joint Committee (*).

Article 5

It shall apply from 1 January 1998.

Article 6

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, 27 October 2000.

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

G. S. GUNNARSSON

(*) No constitutional requirements indicated.