Attachment

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area^f1, as amended by the Protocol adjusting the Agreement on the European Economic Area, hereinafter referred to as ‘the EEA Agreement’, and in particular Article 98 thereof,

Whereas:

Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks^f2 should be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

Commission Recommendation 2010/133/EU of 2 March 2010 on the prevention and reduction of ethyl carbamate contamination in stone fruit spirits and stone fruit marc spirits and on the monitoring of ethyl carbamate levels in these beverages^f3 should be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 repealed Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89 of 29 May 1989 laying down general rules on the definition, description and presentation of spirit drinks^f4 which is incorporated into the EEA Agreement and should therefore be repealed under the EEA Agreement.

Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1014/90^f5, which is incorporated into the EEA Agreement, has become obsolete^f6 and should therefore be deleted from the EEA Agreement.

Due to the special features of the system of registration of geographical indications for spirit drinks and the fact that a very low number of registrations are expected from the EFTA States, it seems reasonable to disapply paragraph 4(d) of Protocol 1 to the EEA Agreement for these matters. This shall be without prejudice to other Joint Committee Decisions.

This Decision concerns legislation regarding spirit drinks. Legislation regarding spirit drinks does not apply to Liechtenstein as long as the application of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products^f7 is extended to Liechtenstein, as stated in the introduction to Chapter XXVII of Annex II to the EEA Agreement. This Decision should therefore not apply to Liechtenstein.

Annex II to the EEA Agreement should be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: