JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE

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1 EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE IV Annexes 1 September 2003 Brussels 20 TH MEETING OF THE EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE Hotel SAS Radisson, Ålesund, Norway Tuesday, 20 May and Draft Minutes Opening of the meeting 1. The Head of the Norwegian delegation to the EEA JPC, Mr Morten Høglund, welcomed participants to Norway, before giving the floor to the President of the EEA JPC, Mr Jürgen Zech. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr Zech and the Vice-President of the EEA JPC, Ms Erika Mann. The observers, five Swiss MPs and the co-chairmen of the EEA Consultative Committee Mr Halldor Grönvold and Mr Clive Wilkinsson, were warmly welcomed. Adoption of the Draft Agenda (M/20/A/016 PE ) 2. The draft agenda was adopted. Approval of the minutes of the 19 th meeting of the EEA JPC (M20/M/015 PE ) 3. The minutes from the EEA JPC meeting on 26 November 2002 were adopted. Development of the EEA Agreement and follow up to resolutions adopted at the 19 th Meeting of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee Statements by - H.E Mr John BOUCAOURIS, Ambassador, representing the President-in-Office of the EEA Council - Mr Matthias BRINKMANN, representing the President-in-Office of the EEA Joint Committee - Mr Erik ÅRHUS, representing the EFTA President of the EEA Council and the EEA Joint Committee - Mr Einar BULL, President of the EFTA Surveillance Authority )

2 followed by an exchange of views 4. Ambassador Boucaouris, Mr Brinkmann and Mr Århus all focused on the EEA enlargement negotiations which had been launched on the 9 th of January. The overall objective had been to conclude the negotiations before Easter and to sign an Act of accession on 16 April. A draft solution had been on the table in early April. There were however, on the EU side, some outstanding issues regarding the administration of fish quotas. A solution was expected to be found by the end of May. The negotiations had been demanding and time consuming, which was hardly a surprise given the considerable gap between the parties point of departure. The representatives of the EEA Council and EEA Joint Committee praised the smooth functioning of the EEA Agreement in the first months of 2003, highlighting the speedy incorporation of new EU legislation into the EEA Agreement. All parties evoked the growing role of EU agencies. The EFTA side stressed the need for EEA EFTA participation in new EU agencies. Mr Bull presented the latest Scoreboard for timely implementation of new EU legislation in the EEA EFTA States. He also raised the issue of the increased role of EU agencies and the possible impact on the two pillar structure. 5. In the debate that followed, Mr Høglund, Ms Wallis, Mr Zech, Ms Mann and Mr Bjørnstad and the representatives of the EEA Council and the EEA Joint Committee discussed the EEA enlargement negotiations more in depth. All parties underlined the need for a simultaneous enlargement of the EU and the EEA. The question of EU agencies and the impact on EEA decision shaping was equally debated. The EEA JPC concluded to revert to the issue at its next meeting in the autumn. Consideration of the draft report on The Annual Report of the EEA Joint Committee on the Functioning of the EEA Agreement in 2002 (M/20/R/034 PE ) Co-rapporteurs: Mr Gunnar BIRGISSON (Independence Party, Iceland) Mr Gary TITLEY (PES, UK) 6. On behalf of Mr Birgisson, the co-rapporteur of the The Annual Report, Ms Johannesdottir gave an introduction. She concurred that the EEA Agreement continued to function well in She did, however, express concern for the impact of a rapidly changing EU on the Agreement e.g. the Lisbon process, enlargement and the Convention on the Future of Europe. She furthermore argued that the Annual Report of the EEA Joint Committee to the EEA Council should become less technical, more reader friendly and more political the next time. 7. Mr Casaca, on behalf of the EP co-rapporteur Mr Titley, and with reference to a dispute between Liechtenstein and the Commission in 2002, stressed the fact that the fight against money laundering was a top priority for the European Parliament. Regarding the role of the EEA EFTA States in EU decision shaping, he said that in his view the EEA Agreement had been seen as a transition arrangement to EU membership. Consideration of the draft report on Enlargement of the EU/EEA and the Future of Europe (M/20/R/035 PE ) Co-rapporteurs: Mrs Diana WALLIS (ELDR, UK) Mr Vidar BJØRNSTAD (Labour Party, Norway)

3 8. Ms Wallis introduced the report by underlining the involvement of national parliament in the future EU decision shaping, an arrangement which should include the EEA EFTA States in one way or the other. She highlighted the status of the work of the Convention and the various issues of controversy e.g. the role of big vs. small Member States. She commented on the tabled amendments, but was confident that compromises could be reached before the resolution was put to its vote. Mr Bjørnstad highlighted some aspects of the work of the Convention which could have an impact on the EEA EFTA States, namely the question of the EU s legal personality, the merging of EU pillars, the possible extension of the Internal Market to include non-eu members, the changes in EU working methods, the evolving role of social partners and regions in the EU, the concept of Wider Europe and finally the principle of subsidiarity and the role of national parliaments in EU decision shaping. 9. Mr Casaca praised the excellent report. Together with Ms Wallis, Ms Mann, Mr Seppänen and Mr Wuori he engaged in a debate on the development of the EU into a more federal union. Mr Høglund and Ms Christiansen commented that although the EEA EFTA States were not part of the Convention, many of the issues raised would be significant also for Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Both members welcomed the debate, and would like to explore some of the issues at the next EEA JPC. Vote on the draft resolutions 10. The Resolution of The Annual Report (co-rapporteurs Birgisson and Titley) was adopted unanimously with one abstention. 11. The Resolution of the Enlargement of the EU and the EEA and the Future of Europe was adopted unanimously with two abstentions. Presentation of a working paper by Mr Jürgen ZECH and Erika MANN, President and Vice-President of the EEA JPC on: - The Lisbon Strategy (M/20/W/008 PE ) 12. Mr Zech introduced the paper by highlighting the importance of the Lisbon Strategy also for the EEA EFTA States. Ms Mann elaborated on the role of the European Parliament in the Lisbon Strategy, which was driven by the Council. She claimed, however, that the European Parliament was involved in various bits and pieces of the strategy, and that it was of great importance also for the Parliament. 13. The members of the EEA JPC engaged in a debate to which extent their national parliaments were involved in the Lisbon Strategy and to which degree in was put on the agenda in their respective countries. Mr Grönvold and Mr Wilkinsson commented that the visions and objectives of the Lisbon Strategy were not sufficiently anchored at political level in their respective member states. Future work of the EEA JPC 14. The EEA JPC agreed to draft the following reports and resolutions for its next meeting: - a report/resolution on Wider Europe (including a chapter on free trade agreements)

4 - a report/resolution on the Convention on the Future of Europe (including a chapter on the role of national parliaments) - a working paper on the role of agencies in the EU and the impact on the EEA EFTA States Any other business 15. There was no other business. Next meeting 16. The 21 st meeting of the EEA JPC was scheduled to take place on 27 November 2003 in the European Parliament in Brussels.

5 Annex I to 20 TH MEETING OF THE EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE Hotel SAS Radisson, Ålesund, Norway Tuesday, 20 May and Agenda 1. Opening of the meeting 2. Adoption of the Draft Agenda (M/20/A/016 PE ) 3. Approval of the minutes of the 19 th meeting of the EEA JPC (M20/M/015 PE ) 4. Development of the EEA Agreement and follow up to resolutions adopted at the 19 th Meeting of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee Statements by - H.E Mr John BOUCAOURIS, Ambassador, representing the President-in-Office of the EEA Council - Mr Matthias BRINKMANN, representing the President-in-Office of the EEA Joint Committee - Mr Erik ÅRHUS, representing the EFTA President of the EEA Council and the EEA Joint Committee - Mr Einar BULL, President of the EFTA Surveillance Authority followed by an exchange of views 5. Consideration of the draft report on The Annual Report of the EEA Joint Committee on the Functioning of the EEA Agreement in 2002 (M/20/R/034 PE ) Co-rapporteurs: Mr Gunnar BIRGISSON (Independence Party, Iceland) Mr Gary TITLEY (PES, UK) 6. Consideration of the draft report on Enlargement of the EU/EEA and the Future of Europe (M/20/R/035 PE ) Co-rapporteurs: Mrs Diana WALLIS (ELDR, UK) Mr Vidar BJØRNSTAD (Labour Party, Norway) 7. Vote on the draft resolutions )

6 Annex I to 8. Presentation of a working paper by Mr Jürgen ZECH and Erika MANN, President and Vice-President of the EEA JPC on: - The Lisbon Strategy (M/20/W/008 PE ) 9. Future work of the EEA JPC 10. Any other business 11. Next meeting

7 Annex II to EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE 20 TH MEETING OF THE JPC Ålesund, May 2003 List of Participants Iceland Ms. Asta R. Johannesdottir Mr. Jón Bjarnason The Social Democratic Alliance Left-Green Movement Liechtenstein Mr. Jürgen Zech (President) Mr. Hugo Quaderer Progressive Citizen s Party Patriotic Union Party Norway Mr. Morten Høglund Mr. Vidar Bjørnstad Ms. Julie Christiansen Mr. Ivar Østberg Mr. Lodve Solholm Progress Party Labour Party Conservative Party Christian Democratic Party Progress Party )

8 Annex II to European Parliament Ms. Erika Mann (Vice-President) Ms. Diana Wallis Mr. Matti Wuori Mr. Esko Seppänen Mr. Paulo Casaca PES, Germany ELDR, UK Verts/ALE, Finland GUE/NGL, Finland PES, Portugal EEA JPC Staff Mr. Henrik Olsen Mr. Gustav Solvang Ms. Lóa Brynjúlfsdóttir Ms. Annie d Agosto Ms. Kiwi Nanbru Administrator, EP Officer, EFTA Officer, EFTA Administrative Assitant Administrative Secretary Secretaries of EFTA Delegations Ms. Lilja Grétarsdóttir Ms. Gunilla Kranz Mr. Rune Resaland Ms. Aud Loen Ms. Céline Nerny Iceland Liechtenstein Norway Norway Switzerland

9 Annex II to Observers Switzerland Mr. Peter Briner Ms. Rosemarie Zapfl Ms. Kathy Riklin Mr. Hans Ulrich Mathys Mr. Hannes Germann Free Democratic Party Christian Democratic Party Christain Democratic Party Swiss People s Party Swiss People s Party Mr. Halldór Grönvold Mr. Clive Wilkinson Ms. Anabell Garnier Mr. Stewart Arnold Co-chairman of the EEA Consultative Committee Co-chairman of the EEA Consultative Committee Political Advisor, PES Group Advisor to Ms Diana Wallis, MEP EFTA Secretariat Mr. Per K. Mannes Mr. Harald E. Nybølet Deputy Secretary-General Head of EEA Coordination Unit Guests H.E. Mr John Boucaouris Mr. Matthias Brinkmann Mr. Erik Århus Mr. Einar Bull Ambassador, representing the Presidency-in- Office of the EEA Council Head of Unit, European Commission Minister-Counsellor, Mission of Norway to the EU President of the EFTA Surveillance Authority

10 Annex III to EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE 20 May 2003, Ålesund 20 TH MEETING M/20/P/010- PE May 2003 Brussels RESOLUTIONS Adopted pursuant to Rules 11 and 13 of the Rules of Procedure, at the 20th meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee in Ålesund, 20 May 2003 Resolution on The Annual Report on the functionning of the EEA Agreement in 2002: co-rapporteurs: Mr Gunnar BIRGISSON (Independence Party, Iceland) and Mr Gary TITLEY (PES, United Kingdom) adopted unanimously, with one abstention. Resolution on the The Future of an enlarged Europe: co-rapporteurs Mrs Diana WALLIS (ELDR, United Kingdom) and Mr Vidar BJØRNSTAD (Labour Party, Norway) adopted unanimously, with two abstentions. 20 May 2003 HO/kn

11 Annex III to M/20/P/010 PE RESOLUTION On The Annual Report on the functionning of the EEA Agreement in 2002 The Joint Parliamentary Committee of the European Economic Area: A. in accordance with its task laid out by the EEA Agreement (Article 95, paragraph 4), B. emphasising that the EEA EFTA States are not third countries in matters concerning the internal market, but full participants, C. mindful of the importance of maintaining homogeneity within the EEA, D. noting that the information and consultation process provided for by the EEA Agreement is an essential tool for the EFTA States for the shaping of common rules, E. recalling its resolution on the functioning of the EEA in 1994 (adopted 29 May 1995), in 1995 (adopted 3 June 1996), in 1996 (adopted 14 April 1997) in 1997 (adopted 25 May 1998) and in 1999 (adopted 16 March 1999), in 2000 (adopted 24 May 2000), in 2001 (adopted 20 June 2001) and in 2002 (adopted 27 May 2002), 1. welcomes the Annual Report of the EEA Joint Committee for 2002 and agrees with the general assessment that the EEA is functioning well in the sense that it lives up to its original function of securing the extension of the internal market to the whole of the EEA; 2 encourages the EEA Joint Committee to draft a more comprehensive and analytical report for 2003 taking major EU developments into account when assessing the functioning of the Agreement, enabling the Report to be understood by a wider audience, which could enhance the democratic scrutiny of the functioning of the Agreement; 3. appreciates the statement delivered by the President-in-office of the EEA Joint Committee at the 18 th EEA JPC, following the JPC resolutions adopted at the 17 th meeting of the EEA JPC concerning the functioning of the EEA Agreement in 2001; 4. welcomes the high, and increased, number of acts incorporated into the EEA Agreement during 2002; 5. reiterates its warning that incompleteness in the homogeneity of the Internal Market within the EEA at the time of the next enlargement of the EU could have serious consequences for the functioning of the Market, but notes with satisfaction that transposition of EEA legislation has improved significantly for Norway and Iceland during 2002;

12 Annex III to M/20/P/010 PE urges the contracting parties to find solutions with a view to integrating the supplementary protection certificates for medicinal products and the directive on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering into the EEA Agreement; 7. welcomes the reduced backlog on the EFTA side as integration of new EU acts into the Agreement takes less time than before due to improved administrative procedures; 8. is concerned that although the practical impact of the Commission s safeguard measures on certain steel products was modest for the EEA EFTA States, the matter of principle in the steel case seems unresolved; 9. recalls its resolution adopted at the 19 th EEA JPC on decision-shaping in the EEA, welcomes the increase in the number of EFTA comments on EC legislation which have been submitted to the Commission, but still urges the EEA EFTA States to take actions with a view to enhanced participation in the EEA decision-shaping process at the earliest possible stage in the legislative process; 10. reiterates its call for the participation of the EEA EFTA States in the European Agencies on Maritime and Aviation Safety (EMSA and EASA) and in the European Authority for Food Safety (EFSA); 11. notes that ten countries have applied for membership in the EEA according to Article 128 (EEA), and welcomes the enlargement of the EU and the EEA; 12. underlines the importance of the simultaneous enlargement of both the EU and EEA to avoid chaotic conditions for EU and EEA citizens and economic operators after 1 May 2004; 13. is concerned that the EEA EFTA States ability to shape decisions and to make its voice heard in an enlarged EU could be reduced; 14. recalls its resolution on the functioning of the EEA Agreement in 2001 adopted at the 18 th EEA JPC where it welcomes the EEA EFTA States commitment to the Lisbon Strategy, calls on the EEA EFTA States to pursue the Lisbon Strategy in line with the EU Member States, and welcomes the inclusion of the EEA EFTA States in the Structural Indicators; 15. emphasises that the EEA Agreement is a dynamic Agreement evolving in a changing Europe, and calls on the EEA Council and the EEA Joint Committee to address recent and future EU developments e.g. the Convention on the Future of Europe and the possible impact on the EEA Agreement, and to inform the EEA JPC.

13 Annex III to M/20/P/010 PE RESOLUTION On The Future of an enlarged Europe The Joint Parliamentary Committee of the European Economic Area: A. In accordance with its task laid out by the EEA Agreement (Article 95, paragraph 4) B. Having regard to the EEA Agreement and in particular Article 128 C. Having regard to the Laeken Declaration from 15 December 2001 D. Having regard to the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council from December 2002 E. Having regard to the Assent to be obtained from the European Parliament to the enlargement of the EEA to bring in the Acceding Countries. 1. Welcomes the decision of the European Council of Copenhagen to close the accession negotiations with ten candidate countries, which will allow these countries to become Members of the EU on 1 May 2004, provided that ratification procedures are completed; 2. Welcomes the European Parliament's vote from 9 April 2003, which approved the accession to the EU of the ten candidate countries; 3. Expresses its support for the enlargement process and notes that the enlarged Single Market will bring benefits to all participants, EU Member States, as well as EEA EFTA States; 4. Recognises the importance of the debate of placing services, investment and intellectual property under the Commission's exclusive competence in order to assure a coherent trade policy; 5. Stresses the need to extend the enlarged Single Market to the EEA EFTA States by 1 May 2004, regrets the manner in which the EU side opened the enlargement negotiations with the existing EEA member states, but calls on the parties to conclude the negotiations within the imminent future; 6. Emphasises that the accession of candidate countries to the EEA must take effect at the same time as accession to the EU, subject to the Assent of the European Parliament;

14 Annex III to M/20/P/010 PE Considers that all acceding countries should join the Schengen area as soon as possible; also considers, however, that this should result in the building of bridges with neighbors, not fencing them off; 8. Underlines the need for establishing proper European Commission delegations in Iceland and Switzerland, in order to ensure effective representation and to bring the EU and the EFTA States closer together; 9. Urges the EEA EFTA States to use more actively their rights to access the Commission's early deliberations on legislative proposals, in order to insure that EFTA views are known and taken into account into the Commission's consultation processes; 10. Underlines the need to ensure that all Schengen countries, including Norway and Iceland, are granted full participation in the relevant Council meetings; 11. Notes that there is indeed an urgent need to reform the EU institutions, in order to keep pace with the EU's ever widening and deepening competencies; 12. Notes that the conclusion of the Convention's work should be made in time to present a detailed Treaty to the Thessaloniki summit in June 2003; 13. Welcomes the initiative of strengthening the control of subsidiarity by designing an early warning system involving national parliaments and calls for the implementation of a similar system for the EEA EFTA countries; 14. Notes the holding of referendums on the Constitutional Treaty in most of the Member States; 15. Notes the move in the Convention towards the extension of qualified majority voting and away from unanimity, these moves being vital for facilitating and speeding-up decision making in the Union; 16. Calls on the EEA EFTA States and the EU Member States to assess the outcome of the Convention on the functioning of the EEA Agreement, and to report back to the EEA JPC at its 21 st meeting in autumn 2003; 17. Welcomes the goal stated by the Commission in its Communication on Wider Europe, Neighbourhood "Framework for Relations with our Eastern and Southern Neighbours", and underlines the importance of maintaining the achievements and the 'acquis' of the Internal Market within the EEA, and insists that this should not be compromised by future developments.

15 Press Statement Ålesund, 20 May 2003 Annex IV to Members of the European Parliament and Parliamentarians from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway met in Ålesund on 20 May 2003 for the 20 th meeting of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee (EEA JPC). Under the joint chairmanship of its President Jürgen ZECH, Member of the Parliament of Liechtenstein, and Vice-President Erika MANN, Member of the European Parliament, the Joint Parliamentary Committee adopted two resolutions on: The Annual Report on the functioning of the EEA Agreement in 2002: co-rapporteurs: Mr Gunnar Birgisson (Independence Party, Iceland) Mr Gary Titley (PSE, United Kingdom) The Future of an enlarged Europe: co-rapporteurs: Mrs Diana Wallis (ELDR, United Kingdom) Mr Vidar Bjørnstad (Labour Party, Norway) The EEA JPC underlined the importance of the simultaneous enlargement of both the EU and the EEA to avoid chaotic conditions for EU and EEA citizens and economic operators after 1 May Although welcoming the enlargement of the EU and the EEA, the Committee expressed concern about the EEA EFTA States ability to shape decisions and to make its voice heard in an enlarged Europe. The EEA JPC furthermore called on the EEA EFTA States and the EU Member States to assess the outcome of the Convention on the Future of Europe on the functioning of the EEA Agreement. The Committee discussed a number of possible consequences for the EEA EFTA States. The EEA JPC discussed the Lisbon Strategy, its relevance for Europe and called on the EEA EFTA States to pursue the Lisbon Strategy in line with the EU Member States. Ambassador John BOUCAOURIS, representing the EEA Council, Mr Matthias BRINKMANN and Mr Erik ÅRHUS representing the EEA Joint Committee, and Mr Einar BULL, President of the EFTA Surveillance Authority, gave an overview of the development of the EEA Agreement during the last six months. They expected the negotiations on the EEA enlargement to come to a conclusion in the very near future. Five Members of the Swiss Parliament, as well as the co-chairmen of the EEA Consultative Committee (social partners/civil society) attended the meeting as observers. The EEA JPC recommended that proper European Commission delegations in Iceland and Switzerland be established. For further information, please contact:

16 Annex IV to PE European Parliament Mr Henrik Olsen tel: e.mail: European Free Trade Association Mr Gustav Solvang tel: /