2013/207/EU: Council Decision of 22 April 2013 on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, in the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms
Date: 2013-04-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU migration policy, European Economic Area, free movement of workers, revision of an agreement, social-security harmonisation




L_2013118EN.01000301.xml










30.4.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 118/3








            COUNCIL DECISION
         
of 22 April 2013
         
on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, in the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms
(2013/207/EU)


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 46 and 48, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,


Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 of 28 November 1994 concerning arrangements for implementing the Agreement on the European Economic Area (1), and in particular Article 1(3) thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:







(1)


The Agreement on the European Economic Area (2) (‘the EEA Agreement’) entered into force on 1 January 1994.












(2)


Pursuant to Article 98 of the EEA Agreement, the EEA Joint Committee may decide to amend, inter alia, Protocol 31 thereto.












(3)


Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement contains specific provisions and arrangements concerning cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms.












(4)


It is appropriate to extend the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement to the actions funded from the 04 01 04 08 and 04 03 05 budget lines for the financial year 2013.












(5)


Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly.












(6)


The position of the Union in the EEA Joint Committee should be based on the attached draft Decision,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, in the EEA Joint Committee on the proposed amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms, shall be based on the draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee attached to this Decision.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.




Done at Luxembourg, 22 April 2013.


For the Council


The President

E. GILMORE
            





(1)  
            OJ L 305, 30.11.1994, p. 6.

(2)  
            OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3.





DRAFT
DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE No …/2013
of …
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 (‘the EEA Agreement’), and in particular Articles 86 and 98 thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


It is appropriate to extend the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement to include cooperation concerning free movement of workers, coordination of social security systems and measures for migrants, including migrants from third countries.












(2)


Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for that extended cooperation to take place from 1 January 2013,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
Paragraphs 5 and 12 of Article 5 of Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement shall be amended as follows:
The words ‘year 2012’ are replaced by ‘years 2012 and 2013’.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following the last notification under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement (*1).
It shall apply from 1 January 2013.


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






(*1)  [No constitutional requirements indicated.] [Constitutional requirements indicated.]