20.5.2009 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
L 124/51 |
COUNCIL DECISION
of 27 November 2008
on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community and its Member States, of a Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons regarding the participation, as contracting parties of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania pursuant to their accession to the European Union
(2009/392/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 310, in conjunction with the second sentence of the first subparagraph of Article 300(2) and the second subparagraph of Article 300(3) thereof,
Having regard to the Act of Accession annexed to the Treaty of Accession and in particular Article 6(2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the assent of the European Parliament,
Whereas:
(1) |
Following the authorisation given to the Commission on 5 May 2006, negotiations with the Swiss Confederation for a the Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of Persons, regarding the participation, as contracting parties, of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, pursuant to their accession to the European Union have been concluded. |
(2) |
According to the Council Decision of 26 May 2008, and pending its final conclusion at a later date, this Protocol has been signed on behalf of the European Community and its Member States on 27 May 2008. |
(3) |
The Protocol should be concluded, |
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
The Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons, regarding the participation, as contracting parties, of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, pursuant to their accession to the European Union, is hereby approved on behalf of the European Community and its Member States.
The text of the Protocol is attached to this Decision.
Article 2
The President of the Council shall, on behalf of the Community and its Member States, transmit the notification of approval in the terms provided for in Article 6 of the Protocol.
Article 3
This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels, 27 November 2008.
For the Council
The President
L. CHATEL
PROTOCOL
to the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons, regarding the participation, as contracting parties of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania pursuant to their accession to the European Union
THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY,
represented by the Council of the European Union, and
THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM,
THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA,
THE CZECH REPUBLIC,
THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK,
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY,
THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA,
IRELAND,
THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC,
THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN,
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC,
THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC,
THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS,
THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA,
THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG,
THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY,
MALTA,
THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS,
THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND,
THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC,
ROMANIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA,
THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC,
THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND,
THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN,
THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND,
hereinafter referred to as ‘the Member States’, also represented by the Council of the European Union,
of the one part, and
THE SWISS CONFEDERATION, hereinafter referred to as ‘Switzerland’,
of the other part,
hereinafter referred to as ‘the Contracting Parties’,
HAVING REGARD to the Agreement of 21 June 1999 between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement), which entered into force on 1 June 2002,
HAVING REGARD to the Protocol of 26 October 2004 to the Agreement of 21 June 1999 between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons regarding the participation, as contracting parties, of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic pursuant to their accession to the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the Protocol of 2004), which entered into force on 1 April 2006,
HAVING REGARD to the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania (hereinafter referred to as the new Member States) to the European Union on 1 January 2007,
WHEREAS the new Member States are to become Contracting Parties to the Agreement,
CONSIDERING that the Act of Accession grants the Council of the European Union the power to conclude on behalf of the Member States of the European Union a protocol on the accession of the new Member States to the Agreement,
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
1. The new Member States hereby become Contracting Parties to the Agreement.
2. From the entry into force of this Protocol, the provisions of the Agreement shall be binding on the new Member States as on the present Contracting Parties to the Agreement under the terms and conditions laid down in this Protocol.
Article 2
In the main body of the Agreement and in Annex I thereto the following adaptations shall be made:
1. |
the list of Contracting Parties to the Agreement shall be replaced by the following: ‘THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM, THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA, IRELAND, THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN, THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS, THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA, THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA, THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG, THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY, MALTA, THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA, THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, ROMANIA, THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA, THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, of the one part, and THE SWISS CONFEDERATION, of the other part,’; |
2. |
Article 10 of the Agreement shall be amended as follows:
|
3. |
in Article 27(2) of Annex I to the Agreement, the reference to ‘Article 10(2, 2a, 4a and 4b)’ shall be replaced by the reference to ‘Article 10(2, 2a, 2b, 4a, 4b and 4c)’. |
Article 3
By derogation from Article 25 of Annex I to the Agreement, the transitional periods in Annex 1 to this Protocol shall apply.
Article 4
1. Annex II to the Agreement shall be amended in accordance with Annex 2 to this Protocol.
2. Annex III to the Agreement shall be adapted by decision of the Joint Committee established by Article 14 of the Agreement.
Article 5
1. Annexes 1 and 2 to this Protocol shall form an integral part thereof.
2. This Protocol, together with the Protocol of 2004, shall form an integral part of the Agreement.
Article 6
1. This Protocol shall be ratified or approved by the Council of the European Union, on behalf of the Member States and the European Community, and by Switzerland in accordance with their own procedures.
2. The Council of the European Union and Switzerland shall notify each other of the completion of these procedures.
Article 7
This Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the first month following the date of the last notification of ratification or approval.
Article 8
This Protocol shall remain in force for the same duration and in accordance with the same arrangements as the Agreement.
Article 9
1. This Protocol, as well as the Declarations annexed thereto, shall be drawn up in duplicate in the Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish languages, each of those texts being equally authentic.
2. The Bulgarian and Romanian language versions of the Agreement, including all Annexes and Protocols thereto and the Final Act shall be equally authentic. The Joint Committee established by Article 14 of the Agreement shall approve the authentic texts of the Agreement in the new languages.
Съставено в Брюксел, на двадесет и седми май две хиляди и осма година.
Hecho en Bruselas, el veintisiete de mayo de dos mil ocho.
V Bruselu dne dvacátého sedmého května dva tisíce osm.
Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den syvogtyvende maj to tusind og otte.
Geschehen zu Brüssel am siebenundzwanzigsten Mai zweitausendacht.
Kahe tuhande kaheksanda aasta maikuu kahekümne seitsmendal päeval Brüsselis.
Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις είκοσι εφτά Μαΐου δύο χιλιάδες οκτώ.
Done at Brussels on the twenty-seventh day of May in the year two thousand and eight.
Fait à Bruxelles, le vingt-sept mai deux mille huit.
Fatto a Bruxelles, addì ventisette maggio duemilaotto.
Briselē, divtūkstoš astotā gada divdesmit septītajā maijā.
Priimta du tūkstančiai aštuntų metų gegužės dvidešimt septintą dieną Briuselyje.
Kelt Brüsszelben, a kétezer-nyolcadik év május havának huszonhetedik napján.
Magħmul fi Brussell, fis-sebgħa u għoxrin jum ta' Mejju tas-sena elfejn u tmienja.
Gedaan te Brussel, de zevenentwintigste mei tweeduizend acht.
Sporządzono w Brukseli, dnia dwudziestego siódmego maja roku dwa tysiące ósmego.
Feito em Bruxelas, em vinte e sete de Maio de dois mil e oito.
Întocmit la Bruxelles, douăzeci și șapte mai două mii opt.
V Bruseli dňa dvadsiateho siedmeho mája dvetisícosem.
V Bruslju, dne sedemindvajsetega maja leta dva tisoč osem.
Tehty Brysselissä kahdentenakymmenentenäseitsemäntenä päivänä toukokuuta vuonna kaksituhattakahdeksan.
Som skedde i Bryssel den tjugosjunde maj tjugohundraåtta.
За държавите-членки
Por los Estados miembros
Za členské státy
For medlemsstaterne
Für die Mitgliedstaaten
Liikmesriikide nimel
Για τα κράτη μέλη
For the Member States
Pour les États membres
Per gli Stati membri
Dalībvalstu vārdā
Valstybių narių vardu
A tagállamok részéről
Għall-Istati Membri
Voor de lidstaten
W imieniu państw członkowskich
Pelos Estados-Membros
Pentru statele membre
Za členské štáty
Za države članice
Jäsenvaltioiden puolesta
På medlemsstaternas vägnar
За Европейската общност
Por la Comunidad Europea
Za Evropské společenství
For Det Europæiske Fællesskab
Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft
Euroopa Ühenduse nimel
Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα
For the European Community
Pour la Communauté européenne
Per la Comunità europea
Eiropas Kopienas vārdā
Europos bendrijos vardu
Az Európai Közösség részéről
Għall-Komunità Ewropea
Voor de Europese Gemeenschap
W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej
Pela Comunidade Europeia
Pentru Comunitatea Europeană
Za Európske spoločenstvo
Za Evropsko skupnost
Euroopan yhteisön puolesta
För Europeiska gemenskapen
Für die Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft
Pour la Confédération suisse
Per la Confederazione svizzera
(1) NACE: Council Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 of 9 October 1990 on the statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (OJ L 293, 24.10.1990, p. 1). Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and the Council of 29 September 2003 (OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1).
(2) Workers may apply for short-term residence permits under the quotas mentioned in subparagraph 3b even for a period of less than four months.’;
(3) These permits will be granted in addition to the quotas mentioned in Article 10 of this Agreement which are reserved for employed and self-employed persons who are nationals of the Member States at the time of the signing of this Agreement (21 June 1999) and of the Member States that became Contracting Parties to this Agreement by the Protocol of 2004. These permits are also in addition to permits granted through existing bilateral trainee exchange agreements between Switzerland and the new Member States.’;
ANNEX 1
Transitional measures on the purchase of land and secondary residence
1. The Republic of Bulgaria
The Republic of Bulgaria may maintain in force for five years from the date of entry into force of this Protocol the restrictions laid down in its legislation, existing at the time of the signing of this Protocol, on the acquisition of ownership of land for secondary residences by Swiss nationals non-resident in Bulgaria and by legal persons set up in accordance with the laws of Switzerland.
Swiss nationals who are legally resident in Bulgaria shall not be subject to the provisions of the preceding subparagraph or to any rules and procedures other than those to which nationals of Bulgaria are subject.
The Republic of Bulgaria may maintain in force for seven years from the date of entry into force of this Protocol the restrictions laid down in its legislation, existing at the time of the signing of this Protocol, on the acquisition of agricultural land, forests and forestry land by Swiss nationals and by legal persons set up in accordance with the laws of Switzerland. In no instance may a Swiss national be treated less favourably in respect of the acquisition of agricultural land, forests and forestry land than at the date of the signing of this Protocol or be treated in a more restrictive way than a national of a third country.
Self-employed farmers who are Swiss nationals and who wish to establish themselves and reside in the Republic of Bulgaria shall not be subject to the provisions of the preceding subparagraph or to any procedures other than those to which nationals of the Republic of Bulgaria are subject.
A general review of these transitional measures shall be held in the third year following the date of entry into force of this Protocol. The Joint Committee may decide to shorten or terminate the transitional period indicated in the first subparagraph.
2. Romania
Romania may maintain in force for five years from the date of entry into force of this Protocol the restrictions laid down in its legislation, existing at the time of the signing of this Protocol, on the acquisition of ownership of land for secondary residences by Swiss nationals non-resident in Romania and by companies set up in accordance with the laws of Switzerland and being neither established nor having a branch or a representative agency in the territory of Romania.
Swiss nationals who are legally resident in Romania shall not be subject to the provisions of the preceding subparagraph or to any rules and procedures other than those to which nationals of Romania are subject.
Romania may maintain in force for seven years from the date of entry into force of this Protocol the restrictions laid down in its legislation, existing at the time of the signing of this Protocol, on the acquisition of agricultural land, forests and forestry land by Swiss nationals and by companies set up in accordance with the laws of Switzerland which are neither established nor registered in Romania. In no instance may a Swiss national be treated less favourably in respect of the acquisition of agricultural land, forests and forestry land than at the date of the signing of this Protocol or be treated in a more restrictive way than a national of a third country.
Self-employed farmers who are Swiss nationals and who wish to establish themselves and reside in Romania shall not be subject to the provisions of the preceding subparagraph or to any procedures other than those to which nationals of Romania are subject.
A general review of these transitional measures shall be held in the third year following the date of entry into force of this Protocol. The Joint Committee may decide to shorten or terminate the transitional period indicated in the first subparagraph.
ANNEX 2
Annex II to the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons is hereby amended as follows:
1. |
under the heading ‘For the purposes of this Agreement, the Regulation shall be adapted as follows:’, point 1 of Section A of Annex II to the Agreement shall be amended as follows:
|
2. |
the following shall be inserted under the Title ‘Section A: Acts referred to’ under point 1 ‘Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71’ after ‘304 R 631: Regulation (EC) No 631/2004 …’: ‘Section 2 (Freedom of Movement of Persons — Social Security) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 of 20 November 2006 adapting certain Regulations and Decisions in the fields of free movement of goods, freedom of movement of persons, company law, competition policy, agriculture (including veterinary and phytosanitary legislation), transport policy, taxation, statistics, energy, environment, cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs, customs union, external relations, common foreign and security policy and institutions, by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, in so far as its provisions concern Community acts referred to in Annex II to this Agreement.’; |
3. |
the following shall be inserted under the Title ‘Section A: Acts referred to’ under point 2 ‘Regulation (EEC) No 574/72’ after ‘304 R 631: Regulation (EC) No 631/2004 …’: ‘Section 2 (Freedom of Movement of Persons — Social Security) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 of 20 November 2006 adapting certain Regulations and Decisions in the fields of free movement of goods, freedom of movement of persons, company law, competition policy, agriculture (including veterinary and phytosanitary legislation), transport policy, taxation, statistics, energy, environment, cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs, customs union, external relations, common foreign and security policy and institutions, by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, in so far as its provisions concern Community acts referred to in Annex II to this Agreement.’; |
4. |
the following shall be inserted under the Title ‘Section B: Acts of which the contracting parties shall take due account’ under the points ‘4.18. 383 D 0117: Decision No 117 …’, ‘4.27. 388 D 64: Decision No 136 …’, ‘4.37. 393 D 825: Decision No 150 …’, after ‘12003 TN 02/02 A: Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, …’, and under the point ‘4.77: Decision No 192 …’: ‘Section 2 (Freedom of Movement of Persons — Social Security) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 of 20 November 2006 adapting certain Regulations and Decisions in the fields of free movement of goods, freedom of movement of persons, company law, competition policy, agriculture (including veterinary and phytosanitary legislation), transport policy, taxation, statistics, energy, environment, cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs, customs union, external relations, common foreign and security policy and institutions, by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, in so far as its provisions concern Community acts referred to in Annex II to this Agreement.’; |
5. |
for workers who are nationals of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, the arrangements contained in paragraph 1 of the section Unemployment Insurance of the Protocol to Annex II shall apply until the end of the seventh year after the entry into force of this Protocol. |
JOINT DECLARATION ON THE ADAPTATION OF ANNEX III TO THE AGREEMENT
The Contracting Parties declare that, with a view to ensuring the smooth implementation of the Agreement, Annex III thereto shall be adapted as soon as possible in order to integrate, among other things, Directive 2005/36/EC as amended by Directive 2006/100/EC and new Swiss entries.
DECLARATION BY SWITZERLAND ON AUTONOMOUS MEASURES AS OF THE DATE OF SIGNING
Switzerland will provide provisional access to its labour market for citizens of the new Member States, based on its national legislation, before the entry into force of the transitional arrangements contained in this Protocol. For this purpose, Switzerland will open specific quotas for short-term as well as long-term working permits, as defined in Article 10(1) of the Agreement, in favour of citizens from the new Member States, as of the date of the signing of this Protocol. The quotas will consist of 282 long-term permits and 1 006 short-term permits per year. In addition, 2 011 short-term workers per year will be admitted for a stay of less than four months.