Abstract
In the context of the EEA Agreement the notion of ‘opting out’ (also frequently referred to as ‘a right of reservation’ or even ‘a right to veto’) usually refers to a perceived right for the EFTA States to refuse the inclusion of new EU legislation which they, according to Article 102 EEA, have a duty to make part of the Agreement by unanimous agreement by way of a decision of the EEA Joint Committee. The refusal by only one EFTA State is sufficient to block such a decision and will have effect for them all. This chapter identifies a number of possible causes of such conflicts and explains how the Agreement provides for their resolution and the consequences of a failure thereof.
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Notes
- 1.
The Community and the EFTA Countries: Implementation of the Joint Declaration issued in Luxembourg on 9 April 1984 (COM (85) 2006 final 15 May 1985).
- 2.
Case E-9/97, Erla María Sveinbjörnsdóttir v. Iceland [1998] EFTA Ct. Rep. 95, paragraph 59.
- 3.
Case E-4/01, Karl K. Karlsson hf. v. The Icelandic State, [2002] EFTA Ct. Rep. 240.
- 4.
Baudenbacher (2005), p. 5.
- 5.
See for instance Conclusions of the 40th Meeting of the EEA Council, Brussels, 19. November 2013 (EEE) 1611/13, paragraphs 10–14.
- 6.
Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 of 28 November 1994 concerning arrangements for implementing the Agreement on the European Economic Area, (O.J. L 305, 20/11/1994, P. 0006–0008).
- 7.
See Articles 99(2), 99(3) and 102(1) EEA.
- 8.
Article 99 EEA.
- 9.
Article 102(2) EEA.
- 10.
Article 102(3) EEA.
- 11.
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, (OJ L 206 22.7.1992, p. 7).
- 12.
Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (JO L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
- 13.
Directive 2005/89/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 January 2006 concerning measures to safeguard security of electricity supply and infrastructure investment (OJ L 4.2.2006, p. 33).
- 14.
See for instance Case C-347/10 A. Salemink v. Raad van bestuur van het Uitvoeringsinstituut werknemersverzekeringen, judgment of 17 January 2012, published electronically, which dealt with social security for a migrant worker on a gas-drilling platform.
- 15.
See for instance Case E-2/04 Reidar Rasmussen, Jan Rossavik, and Johan Käldman v. Total E&P Norge AS, v/styrets formann [2004] EFTA Ct. Rep. 57.
- 16.
Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorizations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons (OJ L 164 30.6.1994, p. 3), Regulation (EC) No 1775/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 September 2005 on conditions for access to the gas transmission networks (OJ L 289 3.11.2005, p. 1), Directive 2004/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 coordinating the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sector (OJ L 134 30.4.2004, p. 134).
- 17.
Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of marine environment (OJ L 164 25.6.2008, p. 164).
- 18.
Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94.
- 19.
Council Regulation No 3577/92/EEC of 7 December 1992 applying the principle of freedom to provide services to maritime transport within Member States (maritime cabotage) (OJ L 364 12.12.1992).
- 20.
According to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008b of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 2008 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Aviation Safety Agency (OJ L 79 19.3.2008, p. 1).
Reference
Baudenbacher C (2005) The EFTA Court Ten Years On. In: Baudenbacher C, Tresselt P, Ørlygsson T (eds) The EFTA Court: Ten Years On. Hart Publishing, Oxford, p 5
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Almestad, K. (2016). The Notion of ‘Opting Out’. In: Baudenbacher, C. (eds) The Handbook of EEA Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24343-6_4
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