The European Free Trade Association

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is an intergovernmental organisation set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four Member States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The Association manages the EFTA Convention; EFTA’s worldwide network of free trade and partnership agreements, and the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement.

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News Releases

Ambassador Elin Østebø Johansen chairing the EFTA Council
At its meeting in Geneva on 11 June, the EFTA Council prepared for the summer EFTA Ministerial meeting that will take place in Trondheim, Norway, on 24 June 2013. The Council also reviewed ongoing free trade negotiations, including a recent round with Vietnam.
The Committee established under the EFTA-Mauritius Joint Declaration on Cooperation (JDC) held its inaugural meeting on 10 June 2013 in Geneva.
A fourth round of negotiations on a free trade agreement between the EFTA States and Vietnam was held in Oslo, Norway from 4 to 7 June 2013.
In an EEA EFTA Comment submitted to the EU on 3 June 2013, the EEA EFTA States presented their views on the follow-up to the Single Market Act I and on the Single Market Act II.
Grippa and Sjaastad
Representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway met with the European External Action Service (EEAS) on 3 June 2013 when the Joint Subcommittees I-IV discussed various issues related to the incorporation of legal acts into the EEA Agreement.

Publications

Annual Report 2012
Annual Report 2012

52nd Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association, 2012. The report is only avaliable in electronic form, in PDF format for PCs and laptops and ePUB format for tablets and smartphones.

This is EFTA 2013
This is EFTA 2013

This publication is an overview of EFTA's activities and institutional framework. The publication is only avaliable in electronic form, in PDF format for PCs and laptops and ePUB format for tablets and smartphones.

EFTA at a glance
EFTA at a Glance

This two-page factsheet gives a general overview of the role and tasks of the European Free Trade Association. Several other factsheets can also be downloaded from our website.

EFTA Bulletin 2012
The European Economic Area and the Single Market 20 Years on

EFTA Bulletin - September 2012.

Two decades have passed since  the EEA EFTA States joined the European Community in the effort to complete the Single Market. The Bulletin reviews the past, takes stock of the present, and looks into the future of the European Economic Area.

EFTA Bulletin 1/2011
EFTA/EU Statistical Cooperation Handbook

EFTA Bulletin issue 1, 2011. The purpose of the updated handbook is to describe the institutional and practical aspects of EFTA statistical cooperation within and outside the EEA Agreement and the Swiss-EU Agreement.

50th Anniversary of EFTA 1960-2010

In 2010, the European Free Trade Association celebrated its 50th anniversary. The EFTA Convention entered into force on 3 May 1960. You can read more about the publication and order it here.

Guide to EU & EEA Programmes - New and Updated Edition 2010

EFTA Bulletin issue 1, 2010.

This publication is an updated overview of EU programmes with EEA EFTA participation.