(1)

The Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the European Satellite Navigation Programmes (1) (‘the Agreement’) has been provisionally applied since 1 January 2014 as regards elements falling within the competence of the Union.

(2)

Article 20 of the Agreement establishes the European Union/Switzerland GNSS Committee (‘the Joint Committee’) and provides that it is to establish its rules of procedure.

(3)

It is therefore appropriate to determine the position to be taken on behalf of the Union with regard to adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Committee,

(1)

On 28 January 2014, following a recommendation from the Commission, the Council decided, by Decision 2014/56/EU (1), in accordance with Article 126(6) of the Treaty, that an excessive deficit existed in Croatia. The Council noted that the general government deficit planned for 2014 was 5,5 %, thus above the 3 %-of-GDP Treaty reference value. The general government gross debt was foreseen to reach 62 % of GDP in 2014, thus above the 60 %-of-GDP Treaty reference value.

(2)

On 28 January 2014, in accordance with Article 126(7) of the Treaty and Article 3(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1467/97 (2), the Council, based on a recommendation from the Commission, addressed a recommendation to Croatia with a view to bringing the excessive deficit situation to an end by 2016 at the latest.

(3)

On 2 July 2014, the Commission concluded that Croatia had taken effective action in compliance with the Council recommendation of 28 January 2014 under Article 126(7) of the Treaty.

(4)

In accordance with Article 4 of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaties, the Commission provides the statistical data for the implementation of the procedure. As part of the application of that Protocol, Member States are to notify statistical data on government deficits and debt and other associated variables twice a year, namely before 1 April and before 1 October, in accordance with Article 3 of Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2009 (3).

(5)

The Council has to take a decision to abrogate a decision on the existence of an excessive deficit on the basis of notified statistical data. Moreover, a decision on the existence of an excessive deficit should be abrogated only if the Commission forecasts indicate that the deficit will not exceed the 3 %-of-GDP Treaty reference value over the forecast horizon and the debt ratio fulfils the forward looking element of the debt reduction benchmark (4).

(6)

Based on data provided by the Commission (Eurostat) in accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 479/2009, following the April 2016 notification by Croatia, the convergence programme for 2017-2020 and the Commission 2017 spring forecast, the following conclusions are justified:

(7)

In accordance with Article 126(12) of the Treaty, a Council decision on the existence of an excessive deficit is to be abrogated when the excessive deficit in the Member State concerned has, in the view of the Council, been corrected.

(8)

In the view of the Council, the excessive deficit in Croatia has been corrected and Decision 2014/56/EU should therefore be abrogated.

(9)

As from 2017, which is the year following the correction of the excessive deficit, Croatia is subject to the preventive arm of the Stability and Growth Pact. Having reached its medium-term objective already in 2016, Croatia should avoid deviating from it and comply with the debt criterion, in accordance with Article 2(1a) of Regulation (EC) No 1467/97,

(1)

Action by the Union in the sector of inland navigation should aim to ensure uniformity in the development of technical requirements for inland waterway vessels to be applied in the Union.

(2)

The European Committee for drawing up standards in the field of inland navigation (CESNI) was established on 3 June 2015 in the framework of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) in order to develop technical standards for inland waterways in various fields, in particular as regards vessels, information technology and crew.

(3)

For efficient transport on the inland waterways, it is important that the technical requirements for vessels are compatible and as harmonised as possible under different legal regimes in Europe. In particular, Member States which are also members of the CCNR should be authorised to support decisions harmonising the CCNR rules with those applied in the Union.

(4)

CESNI is expected to adopt the European Standard laying down Technical Requirements for Inland Navigations vessels (‘ES-TRIN standard’) 2017/1 at its meeting on 6 July 2017.

(5)

ES-TRIN standard 2017/1 lays down the uniform technical requirements necessary to ensure the safety of inland waterway vessels. It includes provisions regarding shipbuilding, fitting out and equipment for inland waterway vessels, special provisions regarding specific categories of vessels such as passenger vessels, pushed convoys and container vessels, provisions regarding the automatic identification system equipment, provisions regarding vessel identification, a model of certificates and register, transitional provisions as well as instructions for the application of the technical standard.

(6)

Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) will repeal Directive 2006/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) with effect from 7 October 2018. Annex II to Directive (EU) 2016/1629 directly refers to technical requirements for craft as being those set out in ES-TRIN standard 2015/1. The Commission is empowered to update that reference to the most recent version of the ES-TRIN standard and to set the date of its application.

(7)

Therefore, ES-TRIN standard 2017/1 will affect Directive (EU) 2016/1629.

(8)

The Union is neither a member of the CCNR nor of CESNI. It is therefore necessary for the Council to authorise the Member States to express within those bodies the position of the Union as regards the adoption of ES-TRIN standard 2017/1,

(1)

On 12 December 2005, the Council adopted Joint Action 2005/889/CFSP (1) establishing a European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point (EU BAM Rafah).

(2)

On 7 July 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1107 (2) amending Joint Action 2005/889/CFSP and extending it until 30 June 2017.

(3)

Following the Strategic Review of EU BAM Rafah, the Mission should be extended for a further period of 12 months, until 30 June 2018.

(4)

Joint Action 2005/889/CFSP should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

EU BAM Rafah will be conducted in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union's external action as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty,

(1)

in Article 13(1), the following subparagraph is added:

‘The financial reference amount intended to cover the expenditure related to EU BAM Rafah for the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018 shall be EUR 1 980 000.’;

(2)

in Article 16, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘It shall expire on 30 June 2018.’.

(1)

On 3 July 2013, the Council adopted Decision 2013/354/CFSP (1), which continued EUPOL COPPS as from 1 July 2013.

(2)

On 7 July 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/1108 (2) amending Decision 2013/354/CFSP and extending it from 1 July 2016 until 30 June 2017.

(3)

Following the Strategic Review of EUPOL COPPS, the Mission should be extended for a further period of 12 months, until 30 June 2018.

(4)

Decision 2013/354/CFSP should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

EUPOL COPPS will be conducted in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union's external action as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty,

(1)

in Article 12(1), the following subparagraph is added:

‘The financial reference amount intended to cover the expenditure related to EUPOL COPPS for the period from 1 July 2017 until 30 June 2018 shall be EUR 12 372 000.’;

(2)

in Article 15, the third paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘It shall expire on 30 June 2018.’.

(1)

On 10 March 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/129/CFSP (1).

(2)

Decision 2014/129/CFSP provides for a 36-month implementation period for projects covering the specific activities referred to in Article 1(3) from the date of conclusion of the financing agreement referred to in Article 3(3) thereof.

(3)

On 3 April 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/632 (2) extending the implementation period of Decision 2014/129/CFSP until 2 July 2017.

(4)

On 19 June 2017, the implementing entity (the ‘EU Non-Proliferation Consortium’) requested the authorisation of the Union for a further extension of the implementation period of Decision 2014/129/CFSP until 31 December 2017 to allow for the organisation of one major annual conference on non-proliferation and disarmament in 2017, as well as for the continued maintenance and updating of the internet platform of the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium beyond 2 July 2017.

(5)

Decision 2014/129/CFSP should therefore be amended to enable the full implementation of the activities contained therein, and its duration extended accordingly,

(1)

Article 1(3)(c) is replaced by the following:

(2)

Article 3(1) is replaced by the following:

(3)

Article 5(2) is replaced by the following:

(4)

in the Annex, Section 4 is replaced by the following:

‘4.   Duration

This Decision shall expire on 31 December 2017.’.

(1)

Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU (4) lays down animal health control measures in relation to African swine fever in certain Member States. Those measures include prohibitions on the dispatch of live pigs, pig meat, pig meat preparations, pig meat products and any other products consisting of or containing pig meat from certain areas of the Member States concerned.

(2)

Article 6 of Council Directive 2002/60/EC (5) recognises the existence of holdings consisting of different production units and allows the application of derogations related to different levels of risks that can be recognised by the competent authority. This should be reflected in the derogations provided for in Article 3 of Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

(3)

The movement of live pigs for immediate slaughter poses less risk than other types of movements of live pigs provided that risk mitigation measures are in place. Slaughtering pigs from the areas listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU only at the end of a slaughter day during which no other pigs are slaughtered thereafter may be included in the risk mitigation measures. This should be reflected in the derogations from the prohibition on the dispatch of consignments of live pigs for immediate slaughter provided for in Article 4 of that Implementing Decision.

(4)

Article 3 of Directive 2002/99/EC provides that products of animal origin are to be obtained from animals which do not come from a holding, establishment, territory or part of a territory subject to animal health restrictions under the rules set out in Annex I to that Directive, including control measures for African swine fever as laid down in Directive 2002/60/EC. As a consequence, slaughterhouses, cutting plants and meat processing establishments located in protection and surveillance zones defined according to Directive 2002/60/EC are restricted in the production, processing and distribution of pig meat, pig meat preparations, pig meat products and any other products consisting of or containing pig meat. Given the negligible risk it represents, a derogation should be foreseen for the slaughterhouses, cutting plants and meat processing establishments located in protection and surveillance zones provided that the products have been produced, stored and processed in establishments located in areas listed in Parts I, II or III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU under specific conditions.

(5)

The measures in place for the dispatch to other Member States and third countries of live pigs from the areas listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU need to be reviewed in order to take into account the absence of the disease in the areas listed in Part I of that Annex. In order to ensure the sustainability of the measures, a proportionate relaxation should be foreseen only in case of pigs being moved from an area in Part I of that Annex to other holdings in located in an area in Part I thereof provided that the other risk mitigation measures remain in place.

(6)

The need to mitigate the risks presented by the transport of live feral pigs from the Member States listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU needs to be addressed. This practice involves a particularly high risk commodity and should be prevented by reinforcing and extending the measures already in place for feral pigs.

(7)

To ensure that information about the requirements concerning the restrictions in force under Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU for products of pig origin, including feral pigs products, is effectively conveyed to travellers, passenger transport operators and postal services should bring those requirements to the attention of travellers moving from the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.

(8)

In May 2017, few cases of African swine fever in wild boar were observed in the Tukuma novads and in certain areas of Ventspils novads in Latvia in an area currently listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU and in proximity to areas currently listed in Part I of that Annex. The occurrence of these cases constitutes an increase in the level of risk that needs to be taken into account. Accordingly, the relevant areas of Latvia should now be listed in Part II, instead of Part I, of that Annex.

(9)

The risk of spreading African swine fever in wildlife is linked to the natural slow spread among the wild boar populations and also the man-related actions as documented by the scientific reports produced by the European Food Safety Authority (6). In order to account for the epidemiological events in the Union which occurred since 2014 in relation to this disease and in order to address the risks presented by African swine fever as well as the need to act in a proactive manner when defining the areas to be included into the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, higher risk areas of a sufficient size surrounding the areas listed in Parts II and III of that Annex should be included under Part I thereto for the entries of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. These newly included areas should take into account the seasonality of the disease in the region and it should be reviewed by the Commission in October 2017 when the risk of spread will be reassessed according to the evolution of the epidemiological situation.

(10)

The evolution of the current epidemiological situation in the Union as regards African swine fever should be considered in the assessment of the risk represented by the animal health situation as regards that disease in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. In order to focus animal health control measures and to prevent the further spread of African swine fever, as well as to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade by third countries, the Union list of areas subject to the animal health control measures set out in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should be amended to take into account the animal health situation as regards that disease in those three Member States.

(11)

Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.

(12)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

(1)

in Article 3, point 1 is replaced by the following:

(2)

in Article 4, point 5 is replaced by the following:

(3)

in Article 8, point (a) of paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

(4)

the following Article 12a is inserted:

(5)

Article 15 is amended as follows:

(6)

the following Article 15a is inserted:

(7)

the Annex is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.

(1)

Commission Implementing Decision 2012/340/EU (6) sets out the organisation, until 31 December 2017, of a temporary experiment to which any Member State may participate, allowing to choose between official field inspections and field inspections under official supervision for basic seed and bred seed of generations prior to basic seed under Council Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/55/EC and 2002/57/EC.

(2)

The assessment whether the choice between official field inspections and field inspections under official supervision may constitute an improved alternative to the requirement of official field inspections for basic seed and bred seed of generations prior to basic seed has not yet been finalised, as more data needs to be collected to finalise the experiment, in particular on the lowest level of official-check testing. It is therefore necessary to extend the duration of the temporary experiment.

(3)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

(1)

On 19 June 2014 the European Banking Authority (EBA) adopted its Guidelines on harmonised definitions and templates for funding plans of credit institutions under Recommendation A4 of ESRB/2012/2 (3) (hereinafter the ‘EBA Guidelines’). The EBA Guidelines seek to establish consistent, efficient and effective supervisory practices by harmonising templates and definitions to facilitate the reporting of funding plans by credit institutions.

(2)

The EBA Guidelines are addressed to competent authorities, as defined in Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), and to institutions that report funding plans to their competent authorities in accordance with the national implementation framework of Recommendation ESRB/2012/2 of the European Systemic Risk Board (5).

(3)

For the exclusive purpose of carrying out the tasks conferred on it by Articles 4(1) and (2) and 5(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013, the European Central Bank (ECB) is considered, as appropriate, the competent authority or the designated authority in the participating Member States as established by Union law. Therefore, the ECB is the addressee of the EBA Guidelines regarding credit institutions that are classified as significant in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013.

(4)

In order to comply with the EBA Guidelines, the ECB should ensure that significant credit institutions report their funding plans in accordance with the harmonised templates and definitions referred to in the funding plan template attached to the EBA Guidelines.

(5)

In accordance with Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013, and Article 21 of Regulation (EU) No 468/2014 (ECB/2014/17), without prejudice to the ECB's power to directly receive reported information from credit institutions, or to have direct access to that information on an ongoing basis, the national competent authorities will specifically provide the ECB with all information necessary for the purposes of carrying out the tasks conferred on the ECB by Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013.

(6)

Considering that the information on funding plans is necessary for micro and macroprudential purposes, the ECB has decided to require national competent authorities to provide it with the funding plans of credit institutions.

(7)

The manner in which national competent authorities provide the ECB with the funding plans needs to be specified. In particular, the format, frequency and timing of the submission of information, as well as details of the quality checks performed by national competent authorities before submitting information to the ECB should be specified,

(1)

‘significant credit institution’ means a credit institution which has the status of a significant supervised entity in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 468/2014 (ECB/2014/17); and

(2)

‘less significant credit institution’ means a credit institution which does not have the status of a significant supervised entity in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 468/2014 (ECB/2014/17).