Concerning the issue of the closure and decommissioning of Units 1 to 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, the two sides reviewed progress made in the discussions within the framework of the Joint Working Group as well as at recent high-level contacts.

In March 1999, the Commission and the Bulgarian Government agreed to set up a Joint Working Group to prepare the ground for an agreement on a realistic timetable for the closure and decommissioning of Kozloduy 1-4, consistent with Bulgaria’s international obligations, as well as on possible accompanying measures related to economic, environmental and financial implications of the closures.

- the decision of the Joint Committee to add the Committee for Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal data to the list of Protocol 37 is being prepared in order to allow for EEA/EFTA participation in the interests of the good functioning of the agreement; -the EEA Council notes the participation of EEA/EFTA in the committees established in framework of programmes in which they participate like MEDIA II, INFO 2000 and in the area of Education; -the EEA Council notes EEA/EFTA participation in the Advisory Committee on the Internal market is being favourably considered; -the EEA Council also notes that EEA/EFTA participation as observers to the Commission's Advisory Committee to Cancer Prevention has been agr ...[+++]eed; -noted the ongoing negotiations between the EEA/EFTA States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand of parallel Mutual Recognition Agreements on Conformity Assessment equivalent to those negotiated between the Community and those countries; the EEA Council welcomed the readiness of the EEA/EFTA States to begin parallel negotiations with those countries in Central and Eastern Europe with which the Community intends to conclude European Conformity Assessment Agreements and set up special administrative structures; while referring to the importance of the Commission's Action Plan for the Single Market underlined its general relevance to the EEA Agreement and appreciated the joint intention to cooperate on relevant projects resulting from the Action Plan; welcomed that in a spirit of constructive cooperation a solution to the salmon issue has been found in consultations between the Commission and Norway ; 5. The EEA Council noted the importance of the proposed European Parliament and Council directive on common rules for the internal market in natural gas for the supply and utilization of natural gas within the EEA.