Since I took over as Secretary-General in late 2006 it has been a very important goal for me to foster a culture of sharing information, internally and externally, and thereby making EFTA more open to the outside world. In this process modern technology is a key factor. In mid-2007 we took the first step by launching a new, internal web site (Intranet) for the organization. Today we take the leap to share this progress with the outside world.   

Our new web presence is more news-driven than before and also offers more background information on our many important activities. The work to further improve and expand the site will continue. We hope you also find the new navigation structure easy to use. EFTA is a complex organization with various trade and economic activities, so we have developed a series of “mini-homepages” for the major fields of activity. This should make it easier for visitors to find the information they are looking for and follow developments in their respective fields of interest.    

Regarding the technology, what you see is not only a new online presentation of EFTA. In fact our web site has moved to another technology platform which provides us with all the modern tools you can expect of a modern web site, like a powerful search engine and the possibility to syndicate information to other web sites using XML/RSS. Over the next weeks and months we will continue introducing new online features, such as regular newsletters and a new Extranet.

We now have the tool to offer you what you can expect of a modern organization like EFTA. We are proud and excited that we will be able to provide you with an improved online service.