About EFTA News

  • Annual EFTA ECOFIN meeting focuses on sustainable finance   08.11.2019
    From left: Markus Biedermann, Ueli Maurer (Chair), Siv Jensen, Bjarni Benediktsson and Henri Gétaz.

    EFTA and EU Ministers of Finance and Economy discussed the economic, financial and political situation in Europe at their annual EFTA ECOFIN meeting in Brussels on 8 November 2019. This year’s topic concerned sustainable finance as a measure to tackle environmental challenges.

  • EFTA Council adopts different rotation for chairmanship   19.09.2019
    From left: Andri Lúthersson Deputy Secretary-General, Hege Marie Hoff Deputy Secretary-General, Henri Gétaz Secretary-General, Pascal Schafhauser Deputy Secretary-General, Dagfinn Sørli Norwegian Ambassador (Chair), Helga Helland Deputy Norwegian mission.

    On 19 September, the EFTA Council met for the seventh time in 2019, under the Norwegian Chairmanship. During the meeting, the delegates discussed work with regard to third countries and in particular the finalisation of the negotiations with Mercosur.

  • EFTA's 60th anniversary in 2020: Call for papers   12.07.2019
    Gottlieb Gut, Swiss Ambassador, signing the EFTA Convention on 4 January 1960

  • Norway takes on Chairmanship of EFTA Council and presents priorities   11.07.2019
    The EFTA Council met in Geneva under Norwegian Chairmanship on 11 July 2019

    The EFTA Council met in Geneva on 11 July under Norwegian Chairmanship.

  • EFTA Ministerial Meeting, Malbun, 24 June 2019   24.06.2019
    From left: Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Aurelia Frick, Guy Parmelin, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, Henri Gétaz.

    At EFTA‘s Ministerial meeting in Malbun, on 24 June 2019, the Association‘s trade ministers expressed concerns over an increasingly uncertain global trade environment, both due to the uncertain outcome of the Brexit process and escalating trade tensions between the US and China. The ministers also underlined the importance of appointing new judges to the Appellate Body of the WTO to ensure the multilateral trade system continues to function while WTO reform is pursued, and reaffirmed their commitment to open trade on the basis of a transparent and rules-based international order.

  • EFTA represented at High-Level Conference on European Standardisation   24.06.2019
    EFTA Secretary-General, Henri Gétaz, participated in a panel discussion at a conference on European standardization titled "Standards advance and deepen the Single Market"

    The Romanian Ministry of Economy, in collaboration with the Romanian National Standards Body ASRO, organized on June 7th, at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, the High-Level Conference on European Standardisation “Standards connect markets – Standards advance and deepen the Single Market”.

  • EFTA Council meets in Geneva   14.05.2019
    The EFTA Council met for the third time in 2019 under the Liechtenstein Chairmanship

    Today, the EFTA Council met for the third time in 2019 under the Liechtenstein Chairmanship. During the meeting, the delegates discussed work with regard to third countries and in particular the recent negotiation round with Mercosur.

  • EFTA's Annual Report 2018   12.04.2019

    The 58th Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association was published before the Easter break. The report contains an overview of the functions and activities of EFTA throughout 2018 in the areas of managing the EEA Agreement, EFTA’s worldwide network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and the EFTA Convention.

  • Second EFTA Council meeting of 2019   12.03.2019
    From left: Hege Marie Hoff, Deputy Secretary-General, Henri Gétaz, Secretary-General, Pascal Schafhauser, Deputy Secretary-General, Peter Matt, Ambassador of Liechtenstein (Chair), Patrick Ritter, Deputy Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein.

  • EFTA organisations in Brussels set to move to a new building in 2020   20.02.2019
    Celebrating signing of the new building, from left: Henri Gétaz, EFTA Secretary-General, Yleiz Bicici, Cofinimmo COO, Jean-Pierre Hanin, Cofinimmo CEO, Bente Angell-Hansen, ESA President, Henning Stirø, Director of FMO.

    The EFTA Secretariat, the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) and the Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) signed today an agreement with the Belgian real estate developer Cofinimmo which will allow the three organisations to move jointly into a new building in the European quarter in Brussels in autumn 2020. The signing today will allow for additional synergies and improved quality of services of the three organisations that have until now occupied different buildings in Brussels.