European Economic Area, EEA

(Photo: EUobserver.com)

European Economic Area, EEA

A free trade area for the EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein all being members in EFTA. The free trade does not include agricultural products and fish.

Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have adopted around 4000 EU laws, mainly relating to the Internal Market. Formally, they have a special veto right as regards these, but it has never been used.

The EEA Treaty obliges Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to pay a contribution to the EU structural funds.A Council that meets bi-annually and a Joint Committee of high-ranking civil servants that meet at least monthly govern the EEA.

The EEA countries have also become members of the Schengen cooperation establishing common external border control

Notes

• Iceland applied for membership in the EU in July 2009 but has cancelled the negotiations

• The European Parliament has a joint delegation with MPs from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. 

• The EEA Treaty is established in accordance with the EU rules for Association agreements, which require unanimity in the Council and the assent of the European Parliament. 

• The EEA Treaty has established a special EEA Court to ensure that its rules are interpreted identically in the EU and the EFTA countries without the EEA-Countries actually ceding sovereignty to the EU. 

• Switzerland is a member of EFTA but has refused to become a member of EEA through referendum. 7 bilateral agreements with the EU cover basically the same areas of cooperation and Switzerland is also a member of the Schengen area
  
  

Links

http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/eea/