CELEX: 52008SC2806
Language: en
Date: 2008-11-14
Title: 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 -

EN
EN    EN
 ---pagebreak---      COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                       Brussels, 14.11.2008
                                       SEC(2008) 2806 final
                              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)
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 ---pagebreak---                          EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
   1. Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement contains specific provisions on the cooperation
      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
      with the objective of having the Contracting Parties encourage appropriate
      cooperation between the competent organizations, institutions and other bodies in
      their respective territories so as to provide for equal participation of stakeholders
      from EEA EFTA States in the SESAR project, including activities of the SESAR
      Joint Undertaking as set up in Council Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 of 27 February
      2007.
   3. Article 1.3 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 concerning the arrangements for
      implementing the EEA Agreement envisages that the Council establish the
      Community position for such Decisions on a proposal from the Commission.
   4. 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 at the earliest possible opportunity.
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 ---pagebreak---                                                     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.
   (2)     In view of the incorporation of the legislative package on the Single European Sky
           into the Agreement, and of the key role of the SESAR project for the future
           development of the implementing measures within that field, and in view of the
           participation by the EFTA States in the public financing of the project through the 7th
           Framework programme on Research and Development, it is appropriate to encourage
           suitable cooperation between the Contracting Parties to the Agreement in matters
           covered by the activities of the SESAR Joint Undertaking as set up in Council
           Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 of 27 February 20072, so as to provide for equal
           participation of stakeholders from the EFTA States in the SESAR project.
   (3)     Protocol 31 to the Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this
           extended cooperation to take place,
   HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
                                                  Article 1
   The following paragraph shall be inserted after paragraph 8 in Article 1 (Research and
   technical development) of Protocol 31 to the Agreement:
   ‘8a.      The Contracting Parties shall encourage appropriate cooperation between the
             competent organisations, institutions and other bodies in their respective territories so
             as to provide for equal participation of stakeholders from EFTA States in the SESAR
             project, including activities of the SESAR Joint Undertaking(1).
             The EFTA States participate fully, except for the right to vote, in the EC Single
             European Sky committee which assists the EC Commission in the management,
             development and implementation of the activities of the SESAR Joint Undertaking.
             ( 1)  32007 R 0219: Council Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 of 27 February 2007 on the
                   establishment of a Joint Undertaking to develop the new generation European air traffic
                   management system (SESAR) (OJ L 64, 2.3.2007, p. 1).’
   1
           OJ L …
   2
           OJ L 64, 2.3.2007, p. 1.
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 ---pagebreak---                                                      Article 2
   This Decision shall enter into force on the day following the last notification to the EEA Joint
   Committee under Article 103(1) of the Agreement*.
                                                     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
   *
           [No constitutional requirements indicated.] [Constitutional requirements indicated.]
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