Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, in the EEA Joint Committee amending Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement, on specific provisions on the organization of cooperation in the field of statistics
Date: 2013-05-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EFTA countries, EU policy, EU programme, EU statistics, European Economic Area, Eurostat, dissemination of EU information, revision of an agreement, statistical method, third country

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 30.5.2013  
COM(2013) 335 final 

2013/0175 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, 
in the EEA Joint Committee 
amending Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement, 
on specific provisions on the organization of cooperation in the field of statistics  

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

In  order  to  ensure  the  requisite  legal  security  and  homogeneity  of  the  Internal  Market,  the 
EEA Joint Committee is to integrate all the relevant EU legislation into the EEA Agreement 
as soon as possible after its adoption. 

2. 

RESULTS OF CONSULTATIONS WITH THE INTERESTED PARTIES AND 
IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

The draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee (annexed to the proposed Council Decision) 
aims to amend Protocol 30. The EEA EFTA States aim to continue their participation in the 
EU  multiannual  statistical  programme.  As  the  financial  envelope  of  the  European  statistical 
programme  2013-17  has  been  set  for  2013  only,  and  although  the  financial  framework  for 
2014  to  2017  remains  to  be  decided  upon,  participation  in  the  programme  for  2013  should 
already be decided upon by the EEA Joint Committee. 

Thus,  the  draft  JCD  incorporates  the  new  European  statistical  programme  2013-17  into 
Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement for the year 2013.  

3. 

LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL 

Article  1(3)  of  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  2894/94  concerning  arrangements  for 
implementing  the  EEA  Agreement  provides  that  the  Council  establishes  the  position  to  be 
adopted on the Union’s behalf on such Decisions, on a proposal from the Commission.  

The Commission submits the Draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee for adoption by the 
Council as the Union’s position. The Commission would hope to be able to present it in the 
EEA Joint Committee at the earliest possible opportunity. 

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2013/0175 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, 
in the EEA Joint Committee 
amending Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement, 
on specific provisions on the organization of cooperation in the field of statistics  

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular 
Article 338(1), 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 Area1, and in 
particular Article 1(3) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

The Agreement on the European Economic Area2 (“the EEA Agreement”) entered 
into force on 1 January 1994. 

Pursuant  to  Article  98  of  the  EEA  Agreement,  the  EEA  Joint  Committee  may 
decide to amend, inter alia, Protocol 30 thereto. 

Protocol  30  to  the  EEA  Agreement  contains  specific  provisions  on  the 
organization of cooperation in the field of statistics. 

Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 
January  2013  on  the  European  statistical  programme  2013-173  sets  the  financial 
envelope for 2013 for the implementation of the European statistical programme 
2013-17. The financial allocation for the period 2014 to 2017 is yet to be decided 
upon. 

1 
2 
3 

OJ L 305, 30.11.1994, p. 6. 
OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3.  
OJ L 39, 9.2.2013, p. 12. 

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(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

The  EEA  statistical  programme  2013  should  be  based  on  Regulation  (EU)  No 
99/2013  and  should  include  those  programme  elements  which  are  necessary  for 
the description and monitoring of all relevant economic, social and environmental 
aspects of the European Economic Area. 

Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow 
for this extended cooperation to take place from 1 January 2013. 

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  30  to  the  EEA Agreement  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 Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

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Annex 

Draft 

DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE  
No 

of 

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

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE, 

Having  regard  to  the  Agreement  on  the  European  Economic  Area  (“the  EEA 
Agreement”), and in particular Article 98 thereof, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
15  January  2013  on  the  European  statistical  programme  2013-174  sets  the 
financial  envelope  for  2013  for  the  implementation  of  the  European  statistical 
programme 2013-17. The financial allocation for the period 2014 to 2017 is yet 
to be decided upon. 

The  EEA  statistical  programme  2013  should  be  based  on  Regulation  (EU)  No 
99/2013 and should include those programme elements which are necessary for 
the  description  and  monitoring  of  all  relevant  economic,  social  and 
environmental aspects of the European Economic Area. 

(3) 

Protocol  30  to  the  EEA  Agreement  should  therefore  be  amended  in  order  to 
allow for this extended cooperation to take place from 1 January 2013. 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 

Article 1 

The  following  is  inserted  after  Article  4  (Modernisation  of  European  Enterprises  and 
Trade Statistics (MEETS)) of Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement: 

‘Article 5 

Statistical Programme 2013 

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OJ L 39, 9.2.2013, p. 12. 

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1. 

2. 

3. 

The European statistical programme 2013-17 as established by the Regulation of 
the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  to  which  reference  is  made  in 
paragraph 4 shall constitute the framework for the EEA statistical actions to be 
carried out between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013. All main fields and 
statistical  themes  of  the  European  statistical  programme  2013-17  shall  be 
considered to be relevant for the EEA statistical cooperation and shall be open 
for full participation by the EFTA States. 

A specific EEA Statistical Programme for 2013 shall be developed jointly by the 
EFTA Statistical Office and Eurostat. The EEA Statistical Programme for 2013 
shall be based on a subset of, and be drawn up in parallel with the annual work 
programme elaborated by the Commission in accordance with the Regulation of 
the European Parliament and of the Council referred to in paragraph 4. The EEA 
Statistical  Programme  for  2013  shall  be  approved  by  the  Contracting  Parties 
according to their own internal procedures. 

For  2013,  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 per cent of the amount shown in budget lines 29 02 05 
(European  statistical  programme  2013-17)  and  29  01  04  05  (Statistical 
information policy – Expenditure on administrative management) entered in the 
budget of the European Union for 2013. 

4. 

The following act is the object of this Article: 

- 

32013 R  0099:  Regulation (EU) No 99/2013  of  the European  Parliament 
and  of  the  Council  of  15  January  2013  on  the  European  statistical 
programme 2013-17 (OJ L 39, 9.2.2013, p. 12).”’ 

Article 2 

This  Decision  shall  enter  into  force  on  the  day  following  the  last  notification  under 
Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement∗. 

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, . 

∗ 

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

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For the EEA Joint Committee 

The President 

The Secretaries 
to the EEA Joint Committee 

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