DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE No 262/2021

of 24 September 2021

amending Protocol 30, on specific provisions on the organization of cooperation in the field of statistics, and Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms [2024/508]

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (“the EEA Agreement”), and in particular Articles 86 and 98 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) It is appropriate to extend the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement to include Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing a programme for the internal market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics (Single Market Programme) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 99/2013, (EU) No 1287/2013, (EU) No 254/2014 and (EU) No 652/2014 ( 1 ) .

(2) It is appropriate that the participation of EFTA States in the activities resulting from Regulation (EU) 2021/690 commence from 1 January 2021, irrespective of when this Decision is adopted, or whether the fulfilment of constitutional requirements for this Decision, if any, is notified after 10 July 2021.

(3) Entities established in the EFTA States should be entitled to participate in activities which start before the entry into force of this Decision. The costs incurred for activities the implementation of which starts after 1 January 2021 may be considered eligible under the same conditions as those applicable to costs incurred by entities established in the EU Member States, provided that this Decision enters into force before the end of the action concerned.

(4) The conditions for the participation of EFTA States and their institutions, undertakings, organizations and nationals in programmes of the European Union are set out in the EEA Agreement and in particular in Article 81 thereof.

(5) Protocols 30 and 31 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly, in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take place from 1 January 2021,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Protocol 30 to the EEA Agreement shall be amended as follows:

The text of Article 5(4) is replaced by the following:

‘The EFTA States shall contribute financially to the activities referred to in this Article in accordance with Article 82(1)(a) of the Agreement and the Financial Regulations thereto to an amount representing 75 per cent.’

The following article is inserted after Article 5 (Statistical Programme 2013 to 2020):

‘Article 6

Statistical actions 2021 to 2027

1. The following act is the object of this Article:

— 32021 R 0690 : Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing a programme for the internal market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics (Single Market Programme) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 99/2013, (EU) No 1287/2013, (EU) No 254/2014 and (EU) No 652/2014 ( OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 1 ).

2. The specific objective as defined in Article 3(2)(f) of Regulation (EU) 2021/690 shall constitute the framework for the EEA statistical actions to be carried out between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2027. All main fields of European Statistics shall be considered to be relevant for the EEA statistical cooperation and shall be open for full participation by the EFTA States.

3. A specific EEA Annual Statistical Programme for 2021 to 2027 shall be developed jointly by the EFTA Statistical Office and Eurostat. The EEA Annual Statistical Programme shall be based on a subset of, and be drawn up in parallel with the annual work programme prepared by the Commission in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/690. The EEA Annual Statistical Programme shall be approved by the Contracting Parties according to their own internal procedures.

4. The EFTA States shall contribute financially to the statistical activities referred to in Article 3(2)(f) of Regulation (EU) 2021/690 in accordance with Article 82(1)(a) of the Agreement and the Financial Regulations thereto to an amount representing 75 per cent.

5. The costs incurred for activities the implementation of which starts after 1 January 2021 may be considered eligible as from the starting date of the action fixed in the grant agreement or the grаnt decision concerned, under the conditions set out therein, provided that Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 262/2021 of 24 September 2021 enters into force before the end of the action.’

Article 2

The following paragraph is inserted after paragraph 5 of Article 7 of Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement:

‘5a. The EFTA States shall, as from 1 January 2021, participate in the activities which may result from the following Union act:

The EFTA States shall participate in the general objectives and in the specific objectives according to Article 3(2)(a), (b), (c)(ii) and (d).

They shall participate in and financially contribute to the statistical actions as defined in Article 3(2)(f) of Regulation (EU) 2021/690 under the conditions foreseen in Protocol 30.

The costs incurred for activities the implementation of which starts after 1 January 2021 may be considered eligible as from the starting date of the action fixed in the grant agreement or the grаnt decision concerned, under the conditions set out therein, provided that Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 262/2021 of 24 September 2021 enters into force before the end of the action.

The EFTA States shall not participate in and shall not financially contribute to activities relating to customs and tax policy development.

Norway shall not participate in and shall not financially contribute to the specific objective according to Article 3(2)(d)(ii).’

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following the last notification under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement ( *1 ) .

It shall apply from 1 January 2021.

Article 4

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

Done at Brussels, 24 September 2021.

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

Rolf Einar FIFE

( 1 ) OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 1 .

( *1 ) No constitutional requirements indicated.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/508/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)