Bijeenkomst in Luxemburg van de Raad voor de Europese Economische Ruimte (en)

• 1. 

  The twenty-fifth meeting of the EEA Council took place in Luxembourg on 12 June 2006 under the Presidency of Mr. Hans Winkler, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Austria. The meeting was attended by

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    Mr. Gunnar Snorri Gunnarsson, Permanent Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland,
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    Ms Rita Kieber-Beck, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein,
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    Mr. Jonas Gahr Store, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway,
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    by Members of the Council of the European Union and by
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    a Representative of the European Commission.

• 2. 

  The EEA Council noted that within the framework of the Political Dialogue the Ministers discussed the situation in the Western Balkans, the Middle East and Darfur.

• 3. 

  The EEA Council welcomed the finalisation of the ratification process of the EEA Enlargement Agreement on 6 December 2005 when all Contracting Parties had ratified the Agreement. To ensure the parallel application of the Treaty concerning the accession of the ten new Member States to the EU and of the EEA Enlargement Agreement on 1 May 2004, the Parties had agreed to apply the EEA Enlargement Agreement provisionally until all Contracting Parties would ratify it. The objective of simultaneous enlargement of the EU and the EEA was thus fulfilled.

• 4. 

  The Ministers appreciated the good progress made in the implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. Necessary preparations have been completed and the Financial Mechanisms are now in the stage of project generation and implementation. The importance of openness, transparency and broad participation in the implementation was underlined. The EEA Council welcomed the launching of calls for proposals in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta, which have made around 300 million euros available to potential applicants. The EEA Council reiterated that the Financial Mechanisms provide opportunities to strengthen relations between the EEA - EFTA States, Norway and the beneficiary EU Member States.

• 5. 

  The EEA Council welcomed the applications of Bulgaria and Romania to become Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement and recalled that Article 128 of the EEA Agreement states that any European State becoming a member of the Community shall apply to become a Party to this Agreement. The Parties concerned were therefore asked to rapidly launch negotiations of the respective Enlargement Agreement with a view to its timely conclusion. The EEA Council stressed the common objective of the simultaneous accession of new members to the EU and to the EEA, in order to secure the homogeneity and the good functioning of the European Economic Area.

• 6. 

  The EEA Council encouraged all Contracting Parties to inform relevant actors on the EEA Agreement, in order to facilitate a smooth functioning of the Agreement and to safeguard the interests of economic operators throughout the EEA.

• 7. 

  The EEA Council noted that the Strategy for Growth and Jobs is moving forward, with a stronger focus on the National Action Plans, as well as on the Commission's Action Plan of Community level proposals, which to a large extent are relevant to the EEA Agreement. The Spring European Council took stock of progress of the revised strategy, whilst identifying energy policy co-ordination as important for promoting growth and competitiveness.

• 8. 

  The Ministers welcomed the Plan of the Commission to establish a new Internal Market Policy to replace the current strategy which runs out in 2006. They noted that the EEA - EFTA States provided input to this process.

• 9. 

  Regarding the review of the overall work in EEA co-operation, the EEA Council noted the Progress Report of the EEA Joint Committee. The Ministers welcomed the continuation of well-functioning co-operation, and the speedy incorporation of new legislation for the Internal Market into the Agreement.

The EEA Council in particular:

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  Welcomed the timely EEA - EFTA participation in EEA-relevant EU Agencies and looked forward to a Decision by the EEA Joint Committee on EEA - EFTA participation in the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the near future.
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  Welcomed the progress made in the review of Chapter 1 of Annex I of the EEA Agreement regarding Iceland. 
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  Welcomed the progress made towards reaching an agreement on the incorporation into the EEA Agreement of the directive on Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme.
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  Recalled the aim of maintaining the good functioning of the Internal Market in the field of civil aviation. In that context, the EEA Council noted the common interest of the EU and of the EEA - EFTA States in further developing the close ties in this field, in particular in the incorporation of common rules and principles governing the organisation of the European airspace (Single European Sky) into the EEA Agreement. The EEA Council also noted that the EU and the EEA - EFTA States continue to pursue close informal contacts with respect to the EU's Open Skies Policy. Furthermore, the EEA Council encouraged all Contracting Parties to prevent any possible restrictions to the freedom to provide air services within the EEA, such as discriminatory charges or tax measures.
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  Welcomed the progress made towards better regulation within the Internal Market and especially the constructive process which has been launched towards the development of a future Internal Market Policy.
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  Welcomed the continued constructive dialogue in order to find a practical solution with regard to the new safety and security system (pre-arrival/pre-departure declarations) and thereby to avoid obstacles to the free movement of goods within the EEA.
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  Acknowledged the EEA - EFTA stake in the efforts to establish an improved general framework for services in the Internal Market.
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  Welcomed the continued EEA - EFTA contributions in the decision-shaping process of EEA-relevant EC legislation and programmes through i.a. participation in appropriate Committees and Working Groups, and through EEA - EFTA Comments.
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  Welcomed the conclusion of the review foreseen of Article 19(3) of the EEA Agreement with regard to Iceland.
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  Welcomed the opening of the review foreseen of Article 19(3) with regard to Norway.
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  Reaffirmed the importance of EEA - EFTA participation in EEA -relevant EU programmes. This participation is co-financed by the EEA - EFTA States and contributes to the strengthening of the EEA co-operation outside the four freedoms of the Internal Market, thereby promoting the common political and economic goals attached to the EEA Agreement. The EEA Council encouraged all Parties involved to make every effort to achieve a timely participation and financial contribution of the EEA - EFTA States in EEA relevant EU programmes under preparation for the period 2007 - 2013.

• 10. 

  The EEA Council reaffirmed the shared aim of creating stable, peaceful and prosperous relations with the neighbouring countries. The EEA Council acknowledged that giving neighbourhood countries or third countries a stake in the Internal Market would be mutually beneficial to all Parties involved and of relevance to the EEA . The EEA Council welcomed the continued exchange of information on further developments of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

• 11. 

  The EEA Council held an orientation debate on Energy: Green book and the EU energy strategy.

• 12. 

  The EEA Council recognised the desirability of inviting EEA - EFTA Ministers to attend relevant informal EU Ministerial Meetings as well as Ministerial Conferences on the basis of EEA - EFTA participation in the Internal Market. The EEA Council also recalled the practice of inviting the EEA - EFTA States - at the level of officials - to political dialogue meetings with relevant Council Working Parties in troika format and expressed its appreciation to the incoming Finnish Presidency for the continuation of this practice.

• 13. 

  The EEA Council noted the Resolutions of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee adopted at its 25th  meeting on 23 November 2005 in Brussels, on The adopted Resolutions of the EEA JPC 2000-2005 and on  New Environmental legislation and the EEA. The EEA Council also noted the Resolutions of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee adopted at its 26th meeting on 23 May 2006 in Tromso, Norway, on The Annual Report on the functioning of the EEA Agreement in 2005 and on  Europe's High North: Energy and environmental issues.