Decision of the EEA Joint Committee

No 185/1999

of 17 December 1999

amending Annex XX (Environment) to the EEA Agreement

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, as adjusted by the Protocol adjusting the Agreement on the European Economic Area, hereinafter referred to as "the Agreement", and in particular Article 98 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Annex XX to the Agreement was amended by Decision No 153/1999 of the EEA Joint Committee of 5 November 1999(1).

(2) Council Directive 98/81/EC of 26 October 1998 amending Directive 90/219/EEC on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms(2) is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(3) The adaptation to Council Directive 90/219/EEC made for the purposes of the Agreement is to be amended in order to reflect the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European Union,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Point 24 (Council Directive 90/219/EEC) of Annex XX to the Agreement shall be amended as follows:

1. The following indent shall be added before the adaptation:

"- 398 L 0081: Council Directive 98/81/EC of 26 October 1998 (OJ L 330, 5.12.1998, p. 13)."

2. The words "Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden" in the first sentence of the adaptation shall be replaced by "Iceland and Norway".

Article 2

The texts of Directive 98/81/EC in the Icelandic and Norwegian languages, which are annexed to the respective language versions of this Decision, are authentic.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on 25 February 2000, provided that all the notifications under Article 103(1) of the Agreement have been made to the EEA Joint Committee.

Article 4

This Decision shall be published in the EEA section of, and in the EEA Supplement to, the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Done at Brussels, 17 December 1999.

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

N. v. Liechtenstein

(1) OJ L 15, 18.1.2001, p. 55.

(2) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998, p. 13.