DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE

No 66/2016

of 29 April 2016

amending Annex I (Veterinary and phytosanitary matters) to the EEA Agreement [2017/2017]

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (‘the EEA Agreement’), and in particular Article 98 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)	Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 (1) is to be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

(2)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 of 28 June 2013 on the model identification documents for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format, layout and language requirements of the declarations attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) is to be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

(3)	Directive 2013/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 amending Council Directive 92/65/EEC as regards the animal health requirements governing intra-Union trade in and imports into the Union of dogs, cats and ferrets (3) is to be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

(4)	Commission Implementing Decision 2013/518/EU of 21 October 2013 amending Part 1 of Annex E to Council Directive 92/65/EEC as regards the model health certificate for animals from holdings (4) is to be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

(5)	Commission Regulation (EU) No 31/2014 of 14 January 2014 repealing Decisions 2004/301/EC, 2004/539/EC and Regulation (EU) No 388/2010 (5) is to be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

(6)	Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 repeals Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), which is incorporated into the EEA Agreement and which is consequently to be repealed under the EEA Agreement.

(7)	Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 repeals Commission Decisions 2003/803/EC (7), 2004/839/EC (8) and 2005/91/EC (9), which are incorporated into the EEA Agreement and which are consequently to be repealed under the EEA Agreement.

(8)	Regulation (EU) No 31/2014 repeals Commission Decisions 2004/301/EC (10) and 2004/539/EC (11) and Commission Regulation (EU) No 388/2010 (12), which are incorporated into the EEA Agreement and which are consequently to be repealed under the EEA Agreement.

(9)

This Decision concerns legislation regarding live animals other than fish and aquaculture animals. Legislation concerning these matters shall not apply to Iceland, as specified in paragraph 2 of the Introductory Part of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement. This Decision is therefore not to apply to Iceland.

(10)

This Decision concerns legislation regarding veterinary matters. Legislation regarding veterinary matters shall not apply to Liechtenstein as long as the application of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products is extended to Liechtenstein, as specified in the sectoral adaptations to Annex I to the EEA Agreement. This Decision is therefore not to apply to Liechtenstein.

(11)	Annex I to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement shall be amended as follows:

The text of point 10 (Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council) in Part 1.1 is replaced by the following:

‘ 32013 R 0576: Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 1).

The provisions of the Regulation shall for the purposes of this Agreement, be read with the following adaptations:

(a)	Norway shall not be regarded as a third country.

(b)

The following subparagraph shall be added in Article 8(1):

Joint applications including Norway shall be submitted to the Commission with a copy to the EFTA Surveillance Authority. The Commission shall consult the EFTA Surveillance Authority before taking decisions according to this Article regarding Norway.

(c)	The date “29 December 2014” in Articles 44(1)(b), 44(2)(b) shall, as regards Norway, be the date of the entry into force of the Joint Committee Decision which incorporates the Regulation into the Agreement.

This act shall not apply to Iceland.’

The following is inserted after point 10 (Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council) in Part 1.1:

‘10a.

32013 R 0577: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 of 28 June 2013 on the model identification documents for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format, layout and language requirements of the declarations attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 109).

The provisions of the Regulation shall for the purposes of this Agreement, be read with the following adaptations:

(a)	Norway shall not be regarded as a third country.

(b)	The words “European Union” on the cover of the model passport in Part 1 of Annex III shall be replaced by the words “European Union/Norway”.

(c)	The image of the Norwegian flag may be used on the cover of the passport in addition to the EU flag.

This act shall not apply to Iceland.’

The following indents are added in points 9 (Council Directive 92/65/EEC) in Part 4.1 and 15 (Council Directive 92/65/EEC) in Part 8.1:

‘—	32013 L 0031: Directive 2013/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 107),

—	32013 D 0518: Commission Implementing Decision 2013/518/EU of 21 October 2013 (OJ L 281, 23.10.2013, p. 14).’

4.	The texts of points 121 (Commission Decision 2003/803/EC), 122 (Commission Decision 2004/301/EC), 125 (Commission Decision 2004/839/EC), 126 (Commission Decision 2005/91/EC) and 147 (Commission Regulation (EU) No 388/2010) in Part 1.2 are deleted.

Article 2

The texts of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013, Directive 2013/31/EU, Implementing Decision 2013/518/EU and Regulation (EU) No 31/2014 in the Norwegian language, to be published in the EEA Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union, shall be authentic.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on 1 June 2016, provided that all the notifications under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement have been made (*1).

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, 29 April 2016.

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

Claude MAERTEN

(1) OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 109.

(3) OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 107.

(4) OJ L 281, 23.10.2013, p. 14.

(5) OJ L 10, 15.1.2014, p. 9.

(6) OJ L 146, 13.6.2003, p. 1.

(7) OJ L 312, 27.11.2003, p. 1.

(8) OJ L 361, 8.12.2004, p. 40.

(9) OJ L 31, 4.2.2005, p. 61.

(10) OJ L 98, 2.4.2004, p. 55.

(11) OJ L 237, 8.7.2004, p. 21.

(12) OJ L 114, 7.5.2010, p. 3.

(*1) No constitutional requirements indicated.