Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 189(2) 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 Area^f1, and in particular Article 1(3) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

The Agreement on the European Economic Area^f2 (‘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 31 to the EEA Agreement.

Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement contains provisions and arrangements concerning cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms.

The cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement was extended to include Regulation (EU) No 377/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council^f3 by Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 249/2014 of 13 November 2014.

This cooperation should be extended to Norway, under the conditions provided for in Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, whose participation should therefore commence from 1 January 2014.

Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take place from 1 January 2014.

The position of the Union within the EEA Joint Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft Decision,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: