2012 52Nd Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
52ND ANNUAL REPORT 2012 OF THE EUROPEAN FREE TraDE ASSOCIATION Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association 2012 Editor: Tore Grønningsæter Copy Editor: Juliet Reynolds Layout: INSPIRIT International Communication sprl Worldwide network map: Orangemetalic Published March 2013 Cover picture: Vennesla Library and Cultural Centre in Vennesla, Norway, designed by Helen & Hard. Photo: © Hufton + Crow/VIEW/Corbis Editor’s Note: For an overview of EFTA’s activities and institutional framework, please see the publication “This is EFTA”. Further information is also available on our website: www.efta.int. TABLE OF Contents FOREWORD 5 EFTA-EU Cooperation in Statistics 27 EFTA COUNCIL 6 Technical Cooperation in the Field of Statistics 28 EFTA Ministerial Meetings 6 The EFTA Council 6 EEA GRANTS AND The EFTA Convention 7 NORWAY GRANTS 30 Annual Meeting of EFTA and EU Finance Ministers 7 ADVISORY BODIES 33 FREE TRADE RELATIONS 8 The Parliamentary Committee 33 EFTA Consultative Committee 34 Main Developments 9 The EEA EFTA Forum 35 Management of EFTA’s Free Trade Agreements and Joint INFORMATION ACTIVITIES 37 Declarations on Cooperation 11 Technical Cooperation 11 ADMINISTRATION 38 Relations with the WTO 11 THE EEA AGREEMENT 13 APPENDICES 39 The EEA Council 13 FIGURES The EEA Joint Committee 14 Fig 1 Joint Declarations on Cooperation 9 The Standing Committee of and Free Trade Agreements between the EFTA States 14 EFTA and non-EU Partners Legal and Institutional Fig 2 Joint Committee Meetings in 2012 11 Fig 3 Meetings Held and EU Acts 16 Matters 14 Incorporated in 2012 Free Movement of Goods 15 Fig 4 Publication in the EEA Supplement 37 Free Movement of Capital 2012 and Services 22 Fig 5 2012 EFTA Budget 38 Fig 6 Contributions from the EFTA States to 38 Free Movement of Persons 23 the 2012 EFTA Budget Flanking and Horizontal Policies 23 4 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION 2012 TRADE ASSOCIATION THE EUROPEAN FREE REPORT OF ANNUAL EFTA and the 15 beneficiary countries in Central and Southern Europe. Key areas of support include FOREWORD environment and climate change, civil society, human and social development, cultural heritage, research and In 2012, EFTA celebrated scholarships, and justice and home affairs. the 20th anniversary of the signing of the The EFTA States have preferential free trade relations Agreement on the with 60 countries in Europe and across the world, as European Economic Area well as between themselves. This means that 80% (EEA), which in 1992 of EFTA’s merchandise trade is now covered by represented a major step preferential trading arrangements. Other important towards the realisation of economic activities such as trade in services, a genuine Internal Market cross-border investment and access to government encompassing a large part procurement markets also benefit from favourable of Europe’s economy. provisions in EFTA agreements. Today, the EEA Agreement remains of fundamental In 2012, new free trade agreements entered into force importance for the three EEA EFTA States’ with Hong Kong China, Montenegro and Ukraine. cooperation with the European Union. It integrates Furthermore, EFTA broadened the range of its free trade them into the Internal Market and is efficient in activities in terms of both geographical and substantive ensuring its homogeneity. With a population of over coverage, with negotiations taking place with several 500 million, the EEA constitutes the world’s biggest countries in Europe, Asia and Central America. EFTA common market, and the Agreement has proved to be Ministers also signed joint declarations on cooperation a durable instrument of cooperation and a reference for with Georgia and Pakistan. European integration. 5 EFTA’s free trade agreements are fully compatible with In 2012, a particularly high number of EU legal acts were incorporated into the EEA Agreement following the multilateral trading regime and are complementary a joint effort by the EU and the EEA EFTA States to to the system. The EFTA States thus continue to streamline the relevant decision-making procedures. demonstrate their full commitment to a robust Among them were the New Legislative Framework for multilateral framework and remain strong supporters Goods, the Temporary Agency Workers Directive and of the World Trade Organization. the Regulation on Roaming on Public Communications Looking ahead, the senior management of the Networks. Decisions were also taken to secure the Association will strive to ensure that the EFTA continued participation of the EEA EFTA States in the Secretariat continues to provide a high level of services EU Emissions Trading System from 2013. to our Member States and to our partner countries Through the EEA Grants and Norway Grants, Iceland, worldwide. Liechtenstein and Norway continue to contribute to reducing economic and social disparities in the Kristinn F. Árnason EEA and strengthening bilateral relations between Secretary-General ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION 2012 TRADE ASSOCIATION THE EUROPEAN FREE REPORT OF ANNUAL EFTA COUNCIL EFTA Ministerial Meetings The communiqués from the 2012 Ministerial meetings can be found in the appendices to this report. The EFTA Council met twice at Ministerial level in 2012, on 28 June in Gstaad, Switzerland and on 12 November in Geneva. The Council was chaired by New Secretary-General Switzerland in the first half of 2012 and by Iceland in On 1 September, Kristinn F. Árnason of Iceland took up the second. his duties as Secretary-General of EFTA. As outgoing The EFTA Ministers discussed the state of the global Ambassador and Permanent Representative to EFTA, economy and the prospects for international trade, the World Trade Organization and other international expressing concern over weakening international organisations in Geneva, as well as former Ambassador economic activity and the projected slowdown in to Norway, he joined the Secretariat with a wealth of global trade. They underlined the importance of experience in EFTA affairs. His predecessor, Kåre policies to support economic and financial stability Bryn, stepped down on 31 August, along with Bergdís and job creation, while at the same time preventing Ellertsdóttir, Deputy Secretary-General in Brussels. At protectionism and ensuring open, competitive markets. their meeting in Gstaad, the EFTA Ministers thanked them for their excellent service to the organisation and Ministers signed joint declarations on cooperation to its members. (JDCs) with Georgia and Pakistan. They reviewed developments in EFTA’s ongoing trade negotiation processes with partners worldwide, including Bosnia 6 The EFTA Council and Herzegovina; the Central American States of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama; the The EFTA Council met eight times in 2012 at the level Customs Union of the Russian Federation, Belarus and of heads of permanent delegations to EFTA in Geneva. Kazakhstan; India; Indonesia; Malaysia and Vietnam. Delegates discussed EFTA’s relations with countries Ministers decided to examine further the possibilities outside the European Union, including free trade of developing closer trade relations with potential negotiations and the management of existing free trade partners in the Sub-Saharan African region. They also agreements. They also approved a number of technical emphasised the importance of revising and updating cooperation projects and dealt with administrative and existing free trade agreements in the light of global budgetary matters. developments in this area. At their June meeting in Gstaad, EEA EFTA Ministers welcomed the 20th anniversary of the signing of the EEA Agreement, and highlighted that the Agreement was continuing to function well in accordance with the original objectives. Ministers welcomed the recent progress made with regard to the processing of acquis into the Agreement, noting that the amount of Single Market legislation awaiting incorporation had been substantially reduced since the beginning of 2012. Ministers noted with concern the difficulties ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION 2012 TRADE ASSOCIATION THE EUROPEAN FREE REPORT OF ANNUAL encountered with regard to EEA EFTA participation in certain EU programmes and agencies and called on Iceland chaired the EFTA Council during the second half of 2012. all parties to look for pragmatic solutions in order to Ambassador Martin Eyjólfsson of Iceland chairing a meeting of the resolve these challenges. Council in Geneva. The EFTA Convention Annual Meeting of EFTA and The Council is responsible for the Vaduz Convention, EU Finance Ministers which is updated regularly to reflect legislative The annual meeting of EFTA and EU Finance developments in the EEA Agreement and the Swiss- Ministers took place on 13 November under the topic EU Agreements. In 2012, the Council adopted “Financial market integration and economic growth”. amendments to Annex E on Seeds and Annex Q on The meeting was chaired by Vassos Shiarly, Minister Air Transport. The Council further adopted substantial of Finance, representing the Cyprus Presidency of amendments to the Convention’s provisions regarding the EU Council. EFTA was represented by Sigbjørn agriculture, including the restructuring and renaming Johnsen, Minister of Finance of Norway, as EFTA of affected annexes. The entry into force of that Chair; Klaus Tschütscher, Prime Minister and Minister Decision is pending ratification by the Member States. of Finance of Liechtenstein; Katrín Júlíusdόttir, Further amendments to the Convention