COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2024/1858

of 25 June 2024

on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, within the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms (Budget Line 07 20 03 01 – Social Security)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 46 and 48 of the TFEU in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 of 28 November 1994 concerning arrangements for implementing the Agreement on the European Economic Area (1), and in particular Article 1(3) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1)	The Agreement on the European Economic Area (2) (‘the EEA Agreement’) entered into force on 1 January 1994.

(2)	Pursuant to Article 98 of the EEA Agreement, the EEA Joint Committee may decide to amend, inter alia, Protocol 31 on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms (‘Protocol 31’) to the EEA Agreement.

(3)	It is appropriate to continue the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement to include cooperation concerning the free movement of workers, coordination of social security systems and measures for migrants, including migrants from third countries.

(4)	Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly and such cooperation should take place retroactively from 1 January 2024.

(5)	The position of the Union within the EEA Joint Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft Decision,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The position to be adopted, on behalf of the Union, within the EEA Joint Committee on the proposed amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms, shall be based on the draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee attached to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Luxembourg, 25 June 2024.

For the Council

The President

H. LAHBIB

(1) OJ L 305, 30.11.1994, p. 6.

(2) OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3.

DRAFT

DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE NO …

of …

amending Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (‘the EEA Agreement’), and in particular Articles 86 and 98 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

It is appropriate to continue the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement in Union actions funded from the general budget of the Union regarding the free movement of workers, coordination of social security schemes and measures for migrants, including migrants from third countries.

(2)	Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take place from 1 January 2024,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

In paragraphs 5 and 14 of Article 5 of Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, the words ‘financial years 2021, 2022 and 2023’ are replaced by the words ‘financial years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024’.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following the last notification under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement (*1).

It shall apply from 1 January 2024.

Article 3

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, …

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

The Secretaries

To the EEA Joint Committee

(*1) [No constitutional requirements indicated.] [Constitutional requirements indicated.]