EFTA Surveillance Authority Decision No 94/19/COL of 18 December 2019 amending, for the one hundred and fifth time, the procedural and substantive rules in the field of State aid by deleting the guidelines on conversions between national currencies and euro [2020/481]
Date: 2019-12-18
Institutions: EFTA Surveillance Authority
Subjects: European Economic Area, State aid, control of State aid, euro, exchange rate, national currency








L_2020102EN.01001401.xml










2.4.2020   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 102/14








            EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY DECISION
         
No 94/19/COL
of 18 December 2019
         
amending, for the one hundred and fifth time, the procedural and substantive rules in the field of State aid by deleting the guidelines on conversions between national currencies and euro [2020/481]


THE EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY (‘the Authority’),

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (‘the EEA Agreement’), in particular Articles 61 to 63 and Protocol 26,


Having regard to the Agreement between the EFTA States on the Establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice (‘the Surveillance and Court Agreement’), in particular Article 24 and Article 5(2)(b),

Whereas:







(1)


Under Article 24 of the Surveillance and Court Agreement, the Authority shall give effect to the provisions of the EEA Agreement concerning State aid.












(2)


Under Article 5(2)(b) of the Surveillance and Court Agreement, the Authority shall issue notices or guidelines on matters dealt with in the EEA Agreement, if that Agreement or the Surveillance and Court Agreement expressly so provides or if the Authority considers it necessary.












(3)


On 19 January 1994, the Authority adopted the procedural and substantive rules in the field of State aid comprising a chapter with guidelines on the conversion of national currencies into ECUs (1).












(4)


On 5 November 2003, these guidelines were amended following the introduction of the euro (2).












(5)


It follows from these guidelines that any amounts expressed in euros will be converted into the currencies of EEA EFTA States throughout any calendar year at the exchange rates prevailing on the first day of the year on which exchange values for euros into all currencies of the EEA are available.












(6)


These guidelines no longer correspond to the guidelines and practices of the European Commission, which in general applies monthly/daily currency conversion rates.












(7)


The Authority has consulted with the EEA EFTA States and the European Commission and will align its system for currency conversions with that of the European Commission going forward.












(8)


Accordingly, the Authority has decided to delete its guidelines on the conversion of national currencies into euro,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The procedural and substantive rules in the field of State aid shall be amended by deleting Chapter 33 on conversions between national currencies and euro.


Article 2
Only the English language version of this decision is authentic.




Decision at Brussels, 18 December 2019.


For the EFTA Surveillance Authority

Bente ANGELL-HANSEN
            

The President


Responsible College Member



Frank J. BÜCHEL
            

College Member



Högni KRISTJÁNSSON
            

College Member



Carsten ZATSCHLER
            

Countersigning as Director,


Legal and Executive Affairs






(1)  Decision 4/94/COL (OJ L 231, 3.9.1994, p. 68).

(2)  Decision 197/03/COL (OJ L 139, 25.5.2006, p. 33).