Decision of the EEA Joint Committee

No 91/2000

of 27 October 2000

amending Annex XI (telecommunication services) 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 XI to the Agreement was amended by Decision No 67/2000 of the EEA Joint Committee of 2 August 2000(1).

(2) Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the internal market (Directive on electronic commerce)(2), is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(3) Directive 2000/31/EC needs to be adjusted for the purpose of the Agreement,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The following point shall be inserted after point 5g (Directive 1999/93/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council) in Annex XI to the Agreement:

"5h. 32000 L 0031: Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the internal market (Directive on electronic commerce) (OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1).

The provisions of the Directive shall, for the purposes of the present Agreement, be read with the following adaptation:

In situations referred to in Article 5(1)(g), as regards the EFTA States the VAT identification number shall be the number allocated to the service provider pursuant to their national legislation.".

Article 2

The texts of Directive 2000/31/EC in the Icelandic and Norwegian languages, to be published in the EEA Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities, shall be authentic.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on 28 October 2000, provided that all the notifications under Article 103(1) of the Agreement have been made to the EEA Joint Committee(3).

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, 27 October 2000.

For the EEA Joint Committee

The President

G. S. Gunnarsson

(1) OJ L 250, 5.10.2000, p. 50,

(2) OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1.

(3) Constitutional requirements indicated.