L_2006245EN.01001301.xml

THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, as amended 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 XIII to the Agreement was amended by Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 33/2006 of 10 March 2006 (1).

(2)

Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2003 on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers, amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 and Council Directive 91/439/EEC and repealing Council Directive 76/914/EEC (2) is to be incorporated into the Agreement.

(3)	The very small territory as well as the total resident population of Liechtenstein and the resultant specific market structure in the transport sector and in the field of competence training for drivers has to be taken into consideration.

(4)

The low number of transport companies combined with the small number of truck drivers employed and/or having their normal residence in Liechtenstein and the very limited quantity of drivers that will have to undergo periodic training according to Directive 2003/59/EC in Liechtenstein have to be taken into account,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Annex XIII to the Agreement shall be amended as follows:

The following point shall be inserted after point 36 (Council Regulation (EEC) No 3572/90, deleted):

‘37.

32003 L 0059: Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2003 on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers, amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 and Council Directive 91/439/EEC and repealing Council Directive 76/914/EEC (OJ L 226, 10.9.2003, p. 4).

The provisions of the Directive shall, for the purposes of this Agreement, be read with the following adaptations:

(a)

The following paragraph shall be added to Article 9:

“Drivers referred to in Art. 1 having their normal residence in Liechtenstein and working in Liechtenstein are alternatively entitled to undergo periodic training referred to in Art. 7 in Switzerland, Austria and Germany, as long as the periodic training provided in these states fully complies with this Directive.”

(b)

The EFTA States may issue a driver qualification card in accordance with the provisions of this Directive and adapted as follows:

(i)

In point 2 (c) of Annex II regarding side 1 of the card, the following shall be added after the entry for the UK:

“the distinguishing sign of the EFTA State issuing the card encircled by the ellipse as referred to in Article 37 of the U.N. Convention on road traffic of 8 November 1968 (with the same background as the card); the distinguishing sign shall be as follows:

IS	:	Iceland
FL	:	Liechtenstein
N	:	Norway”

(ii)	In point 2(e) of Annex II regarding side 1 of the card, the words “European Communities model” shall be replaced by “EEA model”.

(iii)

In point 2(e) of Annex II regarding side 1 of the card, the following shall be added:

“atvinnuskírteini ökumanns

yrkessjåførbevis/yrkessjåførprov”

(iv)	Point 2(f) of Annex II regarding side 1 of the card shall not apply to the EFTA States.

(v)	In point 2(b) of Annex II regarding side 2 of the card, the words “and Swedish” shall be replaced by “Swedish, Icelandic and Norwegian”.

(vi)	In point 2(b) of Annex II regarding side 2 of the card, the following paragraph shall be added: “A reference to the Norwegian language shall be understood as a reference to both Literary Norwegian (“yrkessjåførbevis”) and New Norwegian (“yrkessjåførprov”).” ’

The following shall be added in point 20 (Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85):

‘, as amended by:

—	32003 L 0059: Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2003 (OJ L 226, 10.9.2003, p. 4).’

The following indent shall be added in point 24a (Council Directive 91/439/EEC):

‘—	32003 L 0059: Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2003 (OJ L 226, 10.9.2003, p. 4).’

4.	The text of point 22 (Council Directive 76/914/EEC) shall be deleted with effect from 10 September 2009.

Article 2

The texts of Directive 2003/59/EC in the Icelandic and Norwegian languages, to be published in the EEA Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union, shall be authentic.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on 3 June 2006, provided that all the notifications under Article 103(1) of the Agreement have been made to the EEA Joint Committee (*1).

Article 4

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