The Standing Committee of the EFTA States met on 29 January under the chairmanship of Iceland. The EEA EFTA States did not adopt any Decisions during this meeting, but will do so by written procedure as soon as possible after a new government has been formed in Iceland. The Committee noted the work programme for the 1st half of 2009 presented by the Icelandic Chair.
The Standing Committee also discussed the way forward regarding the access for EEA EFTA citizens to work in the European Commission’s Executive Agencies and the modalities for their participation in the European Institute for Gender Equality. The Standing Committee noted that its opinion on the measures notified by Iceland in accordance with Article 43 of the EEA Agreement had been adopted by written procedure on 14 January, and was notified to the EEA Joint Committee on 28 January.
In the EEA Joint Committee the EEA EFTA States requested a meeting with the Commission to discuss their access to the Commission’s Executive Agencies. The EEA EFTA States informed the Commission that they agreed on the EEA relevance of Directive 2001/81/EC on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants and that it would be incorporated into the EEA Agreement. The Commission reiterated its concerns about the delay of incorporating the Food Law Package into the EEA Agreement due to delays in the completion of parliamentary procedures in Iceland. Finally the Icelandic delegation gave an overview of political developments in Iceland.