COMMITTEES EFTA AND EEA PARLIAMENTARY ntttoaie i te E Jit Parliamentary Joint EEA the in institutionalised were relations these 1994, in Agreement EEA the of force into entry the Parliament With Countries. EFTA of of Members of Parliament Committee European the and the between place taken have meetings regular 1981, Since founded. Countries was EFTA the of Parliament of Members of Committee the when 1977 meetings in formalised These were 1963. in back started countries discussions and EFTA various the from views Parliamentarians between of exchanges Informal HISTORY AND STRUCTURE in theEUandEFTA. Committee also serves as a link between political life the Union, European the in parliamentarians with each member country, and through its co-operation provides EFTA with a valuable link the Committee to political of life in work The structure. EFTA the within body advisory an as functions Committee Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The EFTA countries: Parliamentary the EFTA from four Parliamentarians are Committee the of Members countries. third with EFTA’s relations of trade and EU the with relations countries’ EFTA the of scrutiny democratic and debate for aforum is Committee Parliamentary EFTA The countries. The CMP has up to five members from members five to up has CMP The countries. third with relations particularly with matters, other deals all which (CMP), Countries EFTA the of Parliament of Members of Committee the and (JPC), Committee Parliamentary Joint EEA the of EFTAthe forms and side matters EEA-related with of Members of deals which (MPS), EFTAStates the of Parliament Committee the Committees: EFTAParliamentary two been have there 1994, in Agreement EEA the of force into entry the Since Committee (EEAJPC). Mr Birkir J.Jónsson, Progressive Party Alliance Hlödversdóttir,Ms Bryndis SocialDemocratic Mr Gudlaugur ThórThórdarson , Independence Party EEA andtheSwiss –EUagreements. the promote to States Member the in parliaments their impact on the EEA. The Committee has visited and developments EU Agreements, EU-Swiss the in particular on such issues as EU/EEA enlargement, country relations and WTO matters. Members focus third- EFTA EEA, toa the to related issues of number importance great attaches Committee The between Member States. views EFTA of the in Partners Social exchange and Parliamentarians fruitful a ensure Annual Ministers. Committee Consultative EFTA the with EFTAmeetings with meetings joint customary two the to addition in year, a meetings four holds normally Committee The Parliamentary ACTIVITIES practically asone. Independence Party Mr Gunnar Birgisson (CMP/MPSChairman), Icelandic delegation PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF THE EFTA and MPS hold their meetings jointly and function and jointly meetings their hold MPS and has status observer in the MPS. However, the CMP Switzerland Liechtenstein. from two and Iceland Norway,from members from six four has MPS the the national Parliament of each EFTA country, while Mr Lúdvík Bergvinsson, Social Democratic Alliance

FACT SHEET OF THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2004 1 FACT SHEET OF THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2004 2 Mr Mario Fehr, Social-Democratic Party Mr Eugen David, Christian-Democratic Party Ms Heidi Sørensen, SocialistLeftParty Mr Peter Briner, Radical-Democratic Party Mr Vidar LabourParty Bjørnstad, Mr Hans Ulrich Mathys, Swiss People’s Party EEA JPC1999–2004 RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE The Committee. Joint EEA the and Council EEA the of representatives the to questions written and oral put EEA to right the the have members EUthat Agreement.Its of functioning the the on in impact developments have an scrutinise the Committee to of is focus The Agreement. EEA the by covered fields the in States EFTA the and Community the between understanding better a to debate, and dialogue through contribute, to is The task of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee COMMITTEE (EEA JPC) EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY Mr ErwinJutzet, Social-Democratic Party Swiss delegation(observersintheMPS) Progress Party Mr Morten Høglund (CMP/MPS Vice-Chairman), Norwegian delegation Mr Jürgen Zech, Progressive Citizen’s Party Liechtenstein delegation EEA the and EU the in authorities regional and local of role the democracy: participatory Towards United Kingdom),26-27April 2004 the (ELDR, Wallis Diane Ms (Progressiveand Party,Norway) Høglund Morten Mr Rapporteurs: EEA the Agreement in2003 of functioning the on Report Annual Draft Mr Ivar Østberg, ChristianDemocratic Party Ms Julie Party Christiansen,Conservative Mr Hugo Quaderer, Patriotic Union Ms Gunn KarinGjul,LabourParty year. a twice meets Committee ParliamentaryJoint EEA

The FutureofanenlargedEurope (Labour Party, Norway), 27November 2003 Kingdom) andMr Vidar Bjørnstad United the Diana Wallis(ELDR, Ms Rapporteurs: its and Europe” implications fortheEEA for Constitution “Draft The November 2003 27 Germany), (PES, Mann Erika Ms and Iceland) party,(Progressive Jonsson Birkir Mr Rapporteurs: The Wider EuropeandtheEEA Norway), 26-27April 2004 Party, (Progress Høglund Morten Mr Draftsman: packaging offreshmeat Recommendation on the EU ban of CO gas in the Democratic Alliance, Iceland), 26-27April 2004 (Social Hlódversdóttir Bryndis Ms and Germany) (PES,Mann Erika Ms Rapporteurs: Germany), 27May 2002 (The Skarphedinsson Alliance, Iceland) and Mr Markus Ferber (EPP-ED, Össur Mr Rapporteurs: Agreement in2001 The Annual Report on the functioning of the EEA (PES, theUnited Kingdom), 26November 2002 Norway) andMrGary Titley Party,(Labour Gjul Karin Gunn Ms Rapporteurs: The decision-shapingintheEEA 2002 (EDD, Blokland Johannes Mr Rapporteurs: The FinancialServicesintheEEA (PES, United Kingdom),20May 2003 Party, Iceland) and Mr Gary Titley (Independence Birgisson Gunnar Mr Rapporteurs: Agreement in2002 The Annual Report on the functioning of the EEA (Labour Party, Norway), 20May 2003 Kingdom) andMr Vidar Bjørnstad United the Diana Wallis(ELDR, Ms Rapporteurs: iie’ Pry Lehesen, 6 November 26 Liechtenstein), Party, Citizen’s (Progressive Zech Jürgen Mr and Netherlands) the

Netherlands), 27-28November 2000 (Conservative Party, Norway) and Ms Sterri Toine Manders (ELDR, the Frost Siri Ms Rapporteurs: EFTA participationinECprogrammes 2000 November 27-28 Iceland), Party, (Independence Egilsson Vilhjálmur Mr and Matikainen-Kallström Finland) (EPP-ED, Marjo Ms Rapporteurs: E-commerce andEEA legislation Liechtenstein), 20June 2001 Union, (Patriotic Büchel Otto UnitedMr and Kingdom) the (PES, Titley Gary Mr Rapporteurs: Agreement in2000 The Annual Report on the functioning of the EEA (EPP-ED, Ferber Markus Germany), 20June 2001 Mr and Norway) Party, (Labour Bjørnstad Vidar Mr Rapporteurs: EU ComitologyandtheEEA Markus Ferber (EPP-ED,Germany), 16October 2001 Gunnarsdóttir Mr and Iceland) Thorgerdur Party, (Independence Mr Rapporteurs: New CompetitionPoliciesintheEEA (Progressive Zech Jürgen Citizens’ Party, Liechtenstein),16October 2001 Mr and United Kingdom) the (PES, Titley Gary Mr Rapporteurs: for theEEA implications its and EU the for Governance New Bjørnstad Vidar Mr (Labour Party, Norway), 27May 2002 and Finland) Matikanen-Kallström (EPP-ED, Marjo Ms Rapporteurs: Liberalisation ofEnergymarketsintheEEA For more informationabouttheEEAandEFTA Parliamentary Committees,pleasevisit http://secretariat.efta.int/parliamentar owy ad s aj Matikainen-Kallström (PPE, Finland), 16March 1999 Marjo Ms and Norway) Party, (Labour Knudsen Grete Ms Rapporteurs: Food SafetyintheEEA Gunnarsson (ELDR, theNetherlands), 24-25May 2000 H. Kristinn (ProgressiveParty, Mr Iceland)and Toine Manders Ms Rapporteurs: Homogeneity intheEuropeanEconomic Area (PPE-DE, Norway), 24-25May 2000 Party, (Centre Lund Ferber Morten Mr and Markus Germany) Mr Rapporteurs: Justice andHome Affairs andtheEEA Kingdom), 24-25May 2000 Liechtenstein) and Mr Union,Gary Titley (Patriotic(PES, the United Büchel Otto Mr Rapporteurs: in 1999 The Annual Reporton Party, (Independence Iceland), 16March 1999 Egilsson Vilhjálmur Mr and Sweden) (PSE, Wibe Sören Mr Rapporteurs: EEA the on effect its and EU the of Enlargement The Party, Liechtenstein),16March 1999 (GUE/NGL, Citizens’(Progressive Beck Alois Sjöstedt Mr and Sweden) Jonas Mr Rapporteurs: Consumer issuesintheEEA the functioningofEEA Agreement y

FACT SHEET OF THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2004 3 FACT SHEET OF THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2004 4 EFTA Secretariat,Brussels,74ruede Trèves, B-1040Brussels, Tel.: +3222861711, Fax:+3222861750 Email: [email protected] , Web: h ttp://secretariat.efta.int/