The EFTA Convention Relations between the EFTA States Brussels, 4 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The EFTA Convention

Relations between the EFTA States

Brussels, 4 December 2017 Ylva Bie Senior Legal Adviser, Secretary-General’s Office EFTA Secretariat

The history of the EFTA Convention

• Signed in Stockholm in 1960

Established EFTA

• Developments in the 1990s leading up to the

revision of the Convention

• Updated EFTA Convention signed in Vaduz in

2001

A brief overview of the EFTA Convention

• Integration of the principles and rules

established between the EU and the EEA EFTA States in the EEA Agreement, and between the EU and Switzerland in the EU-Swiss Bilateral Agreements

• Important new provisions
• Regular updates of the Convention

Areas covered

• Trade in goods, including agricultural products
• Services and investment
• Land and air transport
• Movement of persons, social security and mutual recognition of

diplomas

• Intellectual property rights
• Government procurement
• Technical barriers to trade
• Competition, public undertakings and monopolies, and state aid

Institutional setup, surveillance and judicial control

• The Council is the highest body
• Supervision
• Dispute resolution through consultations
• Possibility to establish an arbitral tribunal

Membership and withdrawal

Article 56 :

• Any state may accede to the Convention
• Approval by the EFTA Council
• Association agreement
• Acceding Members shall apply to become a party to

EFTA’s free trade agreements

Article 57:

• Any Member State can withdraw - 12 months notice.

Thank you!

ybi@efta.int