Introductory text
United Kingdom
Council Decision (EU) 2017/861
of 11 May 2017
on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, within the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement, concerning products referred to in Article 8(3)(b) of the Agreement
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 114 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 Areaf1, and in particular Article 1(3) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)
The Agreement on the European Ecoomic Areaf2 (‘the EEA Agreement’) entered into force on 1 January 1994.
(2)
Pursuant to Article 98 of the EEA Agreement, the EEA Joint Committee may decide to amend, inter alia, Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement. That Protocol determines specific trade arrangements for certain agricultural and processed agricultural products between the Contracting Parties.
(3)
Article 2(2) of Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement stipulates that the customs duties set out in the Annexes to Table I of that Protocol can be adapted by the EEA Joint Committee, taking account of mutual concessions. Iceland and the European Union have agreed to eliminate tariffs for certain products listed in Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement. These concessions will apply only to products originating, respectively, in the European Union and in Iceland, within the meaning of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin.
(4)
Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly.
(5)
The position of the Union within the EEA Joint Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft decision,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: