Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2014)525 - EU position concerning an amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement (Galileo) - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2014)525 - EU position concerning an amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement (Galileo). |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2014)525  |
| date | 19-08-2014 |
In order to ensure the requisite legal security and homogeneity of the Internal Market, the EEA Joint Committee is to integrate all the relevant EU legislation into the EEA Agreement as soon as possible after its adoption.
Article 78 of the EEA Agreement provides that the Contracting Parties shall strengthen and broaden cooperation in the framework of the Union’s activities in the fields of, inter alia, information services, and research and innovation.
Contents
The draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee (annexed to the proposed Council Decision) aims to amend Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms in order to extend the cooperation of the Contracting Parties in the area of information services, and research and innovation.
In order to extend the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement, Decision No 1104/2011/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the rules for access to the public regulated service provided by the global navigation satellite system established under the Galileo programme i needs to be incorporated in the EEA Agreement.
Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take place.
It should be noted that Liechtenstein decided not to participate in this activity and participation of Iceland shall be suspended until otherwise decided by the EEA Joint Committee.
Article 1 i of Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 concerning arrangements for implementing the EEA Agreement provides that the Council establishes the position to be adopted on the Union’s behalf on such Decisions, on a proposal from the Commission.
The Commission submits the Draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee for adoption by the Council as the Union’s position. The Commission would hope to be able to present it in the EEA Joint Committee at the earliest possible opportunity.