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Home , EEA and Norway Grants, European Economic Area, European Union

Further information on EFTA’s activities – EEA How does the EEA affect and institutional framework is available people and businesses? on our website. Extending the Internal Market of the EU people and businesses? to , and www.efta.intwww.efta.int

What is EFTA? The European Free Association (EFTA) is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, NorNorwayway and . It was set up in 1960 by its then seven Member States for the promotion of and between its members, within and globally. The Association has responsibility for the management of: • TheThe EFTA Convention, which regulates economic relations between the four EFTA States • TheThe Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement), which brings together the Member States of the (EU) and three of the EFTA States - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway - in a , also referred to as the “Internal Market” EFTA Secretariat, • EFTEFTA’sA’s worldwide network of free trade agreements The European Economic Area brings together the Member Rue Joseph II, 12-16, The European Economic Area brings together the Member (currently at 27 FTAs with 38 partners outside the EU) States of the European Union and three countries in the 1000 Brussels, StatesEuropean of theFree European Trade Association Union and in three a single countries market in with the free What is the EFTA Secretariat? Europeanmovement Free of goods, Trade Associationservices, capital in a single and persons. market with free The headquarters of the EFTA Secretariat are located Tel. +32 2 286 17 11 movement of goods, services, capital and persons. The headquarters of the EFTA Secretariat are located The EEA Agreement guarantees equal rights and obligations in , with offices in Brussels and . In Email: [email protected] Thewithin EE Athe Agreement Internal Market guarantees for individuals equal rights and and economic obligations Geneva, the Secretariat assists the EFTA Council in the Geneva, the Secretariat assists the EFTA Council in the eftasecretariat withinoperators the inInternal the EEA. Market for individuals and economic management of relations between the four EFTA States operators in the EEA. and deals with the negotiation and operation of EFTA’s free @EFTAsecretariat trade agreements and agreements with non- EU countries. In Brussels, the Secretariat provides support for the management of the EEA Agreement, including preparation of new legislation and assistance in the elaboration of input into EU decision making. The EFTA Statistical Office in Luxembourg contributes to the development of a broad and integrated European 2018 Updated Brussels, Secretariat, EFTA statistical system.system. What is the EEA? When was the EEA established? What is not covered by the EEA Agreement? Does the EEA have its own institutions? The European Economic Area (EEA) brings together 31 The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA The EEA Agreement does not cover the EU’s common Yes. Common bodies such as the EEA Council and the European countries in a single market, also referred to Agreement) was signed in 1992 and entered into force in agricultural and fisheries policies, , common EEA Joint administer the EEA Agreement. as the Internal Market: the 28 Member States of the 1994. trade policy, common foreign and security policy, justice There are also two common advisory bodies: the EEA European Union (EU) and three of the four Member States and home affairs or the monetary union. Joint Parliamentary Committee and the EEA Consultative of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Iceland, What is covered by the EEA Agreement? Committee. Liechtenstein and Norway (often referred to as the EEA The EEA Agreement ensures that EU law in areas covered by Do the EFTA States have other agreements Also, as the EEA EFTA States are not members of the EU, EFTA States). the four freedoms, i.e. the free movement of goods, services, with the EU? they are constitutionally unable to accept direct decisions capital and persons, is applied in all 31 EEA countries. It also Switzerland is the fourth member of EFTA, but does not Yes. All four EFTA States are members of the Schengen of the or the Court of Justice of the ensures common rules on competition and state , and take part in the EEA. Instead, several bilateral agreements cooperation. They also have bilateral agreements with the European Union. Separate EEA EFTA bodies have therefore covers horizontal areas such as environment, , regulate Swiss-EU relations. EU on agricultural products, fisheries, and asylum been set up to correspond to these EU bodies: the EFTA , statistics and company law. Finally, the cooperation, and cooperation on foreign and security Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court. EEA Agreement allows for the participation of the three EEA policy issues. EFTA States in a number of EU agencies and programmes, Can the EEA Agreement be amended? including the Horizon 2020 and + Programmes. An The EEA Agreement is dynamic in character. This The EEA EFTA States’ trade in goods with the overview of legal acts that have been incorporated into the means that it is continuously updated and amended to EEA and the rest of the world, 2017 EEA Agreement can be found at: www.efta.int/eea-lex. incorporate new Internal Market legislation in order to maintain common rules across the EEA. ICELAND COUNCIL LIECHTENSTEIN EEA COUNCIL How exactly is EU law extended to the EEA? 31% 34% 28% 35% NORWAY & EEAS New EU legislation with possible EEA relevance is scrutinised by the EEA EFTA States. For relevant acts, draft decisions incorporating them into the EEA Agreement EFTA EEA EUROPEAN are submitted by the EEA EFTA side to the EU for STANDING JOINT EXTERNAL consideration. Formal decisions incorporating the acts are COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ACTION taken by the EEA Joint Committee. As the decisions do not have direct effect in the EEA EFTA States, the acts must EFTA subsequently be implemented in national law. Currently, EUROPEAN SURVEILLANCE the EU and the EEA EFTA States share than 5 000 COMMISSION AUTHORITY The EEA acts in force in the EEA. 69% 66% 72% 65% Which countries can join the EEA? EFTA COURT OF Any new EFTA State may apply to join the EEA. Any new COURT two-pillar structure JUSTICE EU shall apply to become a Contracting Party to the EEA Agreement.

COMMITTEE OF EEA JOINT What are the EEA and Norway Grants? EUROPEAN MPs OF THE PARLIAMENTARY PARLIAMENT The EEA and Norway Grants aim to reduce economic and EFTA STATES COMMITTEE social disparities in the EEA and to strengthen bilateral Iceland Liechtenstein* Norway EU28 relations by providing funding to 16 EU countries in Central Trade with EEA partners Trade with the rest of the world EFTA EEA ECONOMIC and . The current funding schemes cover CONSULTATIVE CONSULTATIVE AND SOCIAL the 2014-2021 period and are managed by the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels: www.eeagrants.org. Source: (COMEXT) and COMMITTEE COMMITTEE COMMITTEE * Trade with Switzerland not included