2012/401/EU: Council Decision of 10 July 2012 on the position to be taken by the European Union in the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms

The position to be taken by the European Union in the EEA Joint Committee on the proposed amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement shall be based on the draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee attached to this Decision.

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.

‘6 Evaluation and major direction of activities in the framework programmes of Union activities in the field of research and technological development referred to in paragraphs 5, 8a, 8c, 9 and 10 shall be governed by the procedure referred to in Article 79(3) of the Agreement.’.

‘8c (a) The EFTA States shall, as from 1 January 2012, participate in the activities which may result from the following Union act: 32010 R 0911: Regulation (EU) No 911/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the European Earth monitoring programme (GMES) and its initial operations (2011 to 2013) (OJ L 276, 20.10.2010, p. 1). (b) The EFTA States shall contribute financially to the activities referred to under (a) in accordance with Article 82(1)(a) of and Protocol 32 to the Agreement. (c) The EFTA States shall participate fully, without the right to vote, in all the Union committees which assist the European Commission in the management, development and implementation of the activities referred to under (a), namely the GMES Committee, the Security Board and the User Forum. (d) This paragraph shall not apply to Liechtenstein. (e) With regard to Iceland, this paragraph shall be suspended until otherwise decided by the EEA Joint Committee.’.

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following the last notification to the EEA Joint Committee under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement . It shall apply from 1 January 2012.

This Decision shall be published in the EEA Section of, and in the EEA Supplement to, the Official Journal of the European Union.