Council Decision (EU) 2019/425

Article 1Composition and chairmanship1.The Joint Committee shall be composed of representatives of the European Union and of the Kingdom of Norway (hereinafter referred to collectively as ‘the Parties’).2.The European Union (‘the Union’) shall be represented by the European Commission. The Kingdom of Norway shall be represented by […].3.The Joint Committee shall be chaired alternately by each of the Parties for two calendar years. The first period ends on 31 December of the year following the year of the entry into force of the Agreement. The first chair will be the Union.Article 2Observers and experts1.Representatives of the Member States of the Union may participate as observers.2.The Joint Committee may also admit other persons to its meetings as observers.3.Observers may be permitted by the chair to take part in the discussions and provide expertise. However, they shall not have voting rights and shall not participate in the formulation of the decisions and recommendations of the Joint Committee.4.Experts with special expertise may also be invited with regard to specific agenda items.Article 3Convening a meeting1.Meetings of the Joint Committee shall be convened by the chair at least once every two years. Either Party may request that a meeting be convened.2.The date and place of each meeting shall be determined and agreed between the Parties.3.Meetings may also be held by means of teleconferencing/videoconferencing.4.The chair shall communicate the invitation to the other Party, the observers referred to in Article 2(2) and the experts referred to in Article 2(4) at least 15 working days before the meeting. The European Commission shall invite the representatives of the Member States of the Union referred to in Article 2(1).5.The meetings shall not be public unless otherwise agreed. The Joint Committee's deliberations shall be confidential.Article 4Agenda1.The chair shall draw up the provisional agenda for each meeting and submit it to the Parties no later than six months before the meeting. The final agenda shall be agreed between the Parties no later than 15 working days before the meeting and circulated by the chair.2.Reference papers and supporting documentation shall be sent to the Parties no later than by the date on which the provisional agenda is sent.3.For agenda items referring to decisions of the Joint Committee, the request for inclusion in the agenda and any related documents shall be sent to the Joint Committee at least seven months in advance of the meeting.Article 5Secretarial support1.The chair shall carry out the secretarial tasks of the Joint Committee. All correspondence to the Joint Committee, including requests for items to be included or removed from the agendas, shall be addressed to the chair.2.Notwithstanding paragraph 1 of this Article, the Commission shall act as secretary for the communication of statistical data provided under Articles 20 and 39 of the Agreement.Article 6Minutes of the meeting1.The chair shall draft the minutes of each meeting. The chair shall circulate the minutes without delay and no later than one month after the meeting. The minutes shall be subject to mutual agreement between the Parties.2.The chair shall send the adopted minutes to the other Party.Article 7Adoption of decisions and recommendations1.Any decisions and recommendations of the Joint Committee shall be subject to prior discussion between the Parties.2.Decisions and recommendations of the Joint Committee shall be adopted during its meetings by unanimity.3.Decisions or recommendations may be adopted by written procedure provided that both Parties agree.Under the written procedure, the chair shall send draft decisions and recommendations to the Parties and shall lay down a time limit for them to express their position. If neither Party opposes a draft decision or recommendation before the expiry of that time limit, the adoption of that decision or recommendation shall be regarded as having been tacitly agreed to.The chair shall inform the Parties of the outcome of the written procedure without delay, and no later than 14 calendar days after the expiry of the time limit referred to in the second subparagraph.Article 8ExpensesEach Party, and when applicable each observer and expert, shall bear the expenses it incurs in taking part in the meetings of the Joint Committee.