Attachment

United Kingdom

DRAFT

DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE No …/2015

replacing Protocol 4 to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, on rules of origin, by a new Protocol which is aligned to the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin

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)

Article 9 of the EEA Agreement refers to Protocol 4 which lays down the rules of origin and provides for cumulation of origin between the Union, Switzerland (including Liechtenstein), Iceland, Norway, Turkey, the Faroe Islands and the participants in the Barcelona Process^f1.

(2)

The Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin^f2 (‘the Convention’) lays down provisions on the origin of goods traded under relevant Agreements concluded between the Contracting Parties.

(3)

The European Union, Norway and Liechtenstein signed the Convention on 15 June 2011 and Iceland signed the Convention on 30 June 2011.

(4)

The European Union, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein deposited their instrument of acceptance with the depositary of the Convention on 26 March 2012, 9 November 2011, 12 March 2012 and 28 November 2011, respectively. As a consequence, in application of its Article 10(3), the Convention entered into force in relation to the European Union and Iceland on 1 May 2012 and in relation to Norway and Liechtenstein on 1 January 2012.

(5)

The Convention includes the participants in the Stabilisation and Association Process in the pan-Euro-Mediterranean zone of cumulation of origin.

(6)

Where the transition towards the Convention is not simultaneous for all Contracting Parties thereto within the pan-Euro Mediterranean cumulation zone, it should not lead to a situation which is less favourable than what would have been the case under the previous version of Protocol 4.

(7)

Article 6 of the Convention provides that each Contracting Party shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the Convention is effectively applied. As a consequence, in the Agreement, Protocol 4 concerning the rules of origin should be replaced by a new Protocol which is aligned to the Convention.

(8)

Decision No XX/2015 of the EEA Joint Committee amending Protocol 4 (rules of origin) to the EEA Agreement^f3 ^f4 provides for transitional rules for Croatia concerning the application of the rules of origin laid down in Protocol 4. Those rules should remain applicable until 1 January 2017.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Done at Brussels,.

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

The Secretaries

to the EEA Joint Committee

Annotations

Footnotes

f1: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia.
f2: OJ L 54, 26.2.2013, p. 4.
f3: Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No …/2015 of … amending Protocol 4 (rules of origin) to the EEA Agreement (OJ …).
f4: OJ: Please insert the number of the EEA Joint Committee Decision in the Annex to document st 16970/14 in the text and complete the previous footnote.