L 174/40 Official Journal of the European Union 13.6.2014 DECISIONS COUNCIL DECISION of 5 June 2014 on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, within the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms (2014/348/EU) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 46(d), Article 149, Article 153(2)(a), Article 175, third paragraph, and Article 218(9) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 of 28 November 1994 concerning arrangements for imple- menting the Agreement on the European Economic Area (), and in particular Article 1(3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Whereas: (1) Protocol 31 to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (‘the EEA Agreement’) contains specific provisions and arrangements concerning cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms. (2) It is appropriate to extend the cooperation of the Contracting Parties to the EEA Agreement to include Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). (3)  Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly, in order to allow for this extended cooperation to take place from 1 January 2014. (4)  The position of the Union within the EEA Joint Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft Deci- sion, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 The position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, in the EEA Joint Committee on the proposed amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms, shall be based on the draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee attached to this Decision. Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption. Done at Luxembourg, 5 June 2014. For the Council The President N. DENDIAS () OJL305,30.11.1994,p. 6. (*) Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on a European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (‘EaSI') and amending Decision No 283/2010/EU establishing a European Progress Microfinance Facility for employment and social inclusion (O] L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 238).