European Economic Area (EEA) Council
Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Jonas Gahr-Store
© Conseil de l'Union européenne
- On: 13.11.2008
- In: Brussels
The European Economic Area (EEA) was formed in 1994 by three of the four countries of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA: Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland) and the European Community. Only Switzerland is not part of the EEA, although it has bilateral agreements with the European Community.
The EEA extends to the three EFTA members of the EEA the four freedoms that form the basis of the EU's internal market: the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The EEA Agreement also provides for cooperation in the fields of research and education. In return, the three EEA-EFTA countries must adopt the Community acquis where it relates to domains covered by the Agreement, such as competition and state aid and protection of consumers and the environment.
Meetings of the Council of the EEA usually proceed in two parts: they begin with political dialogue involving the foreign affairs ministers of the three EFTA-EEA countries, and this is followed by the meeting of the actual EEA Council.
This Council on 13 November 2008 will help reinforce the ties between the EU and the three countries of the EEA-EFTA:
- economic and social affairs, in particular with regard to the reduction of economic disparities within the EEA;
- environment and energy issues, particularly climate change and the policy with regard to the Arctic;
- international issues, such as Afghanistan, Russia and Zimbabwe.
- Updated: 30.12.2008
