PURPOSE: to conclude an Additional Protocol to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and Norway, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

BACKGROUND: the Agreement between the European Economic Community and Norway was signed on 14 May 1973 and entered into force on 1 July 1973.

On 24 September 2012, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the third countries concerned to conclude the relevant protocols. Negotiations with Norway were successfully concluded by the initialling of the Additional Protocol.

It is now necessary to conclude the Protocol on behalf of the European Union.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 207 in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) and the second subparagraph of Article 218(8) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: under this proposal, the Council is invited to adopt a decision aiming to approve, on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, an Additional Protocol to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and Norway, to take account of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.

The text of the Protocol is attached to the proposal.

The proposed Additional Protocol makes Croatia a contracting party to the Agreement and commits the EU to providing an authentic version of the Agreement in the new official language of the EU. It also provides for additional fish trade concessions for Norway, given Croatia’s accession to the European Economic Area.