About EFTA News

  • 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.

  • First EFTA Council meeting of 2019   05.02.2019
    The EFTA Council met in Geneva under Liechtenstein Chairmanship.

    The EFTA Council met in Geneva for its first meeting in 2019 on 5 February under Liechtenstein Chairmanship.

  • Minister Schneider-Ammann: EFTA remains a solid anchor of our foreign trade policies   17.12.2018
    Federal councillor, Johann Schneider-Ammann

    Johann Schneider-Ammann has been a Federal Councillor and Minister of Economic Affairs in Switzerland since 2010. In September this year, he announced his retirement and will leave his position at the end of the year. Mr Schneider-Ammann spoke to the EFTA Newsletter about his time as a minister and the accomplishments made during his time being part of the EFTA family.

  • EFTA Council adopts the budget for 2019   11.12.2018
    The EFTA Council met in Geneva for its ninth meeting of the year.

    On 11 December, the ninth and last Council meeting of the year under the Swiss chairmanship took place in Geneva. Liechtenstein will take over the rotating EFTA Chair in the first half of 2019.

  • EFTA Ministerial meeting, Geneva, 23 November 2018   23.11.2018
    From left: Henri Gétaz, EFTA Secretary-General, Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Iceland, Ms Aurelia Frick, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture of Liechtenstein, Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research of Switzerland, and Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, Minister of Trade and Industry of Norway.

    On 23 November 2018, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) held its biannual Ministerial Meeting in Geneva. The meeting was chaired by Mr Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

  • EFTA Council prepares for winter Ministerial meeting   08.11.2018
    The meeting was chaired by Swiss Ambassador Didier Chambovey (right), with EFTA Deputy Secretary-General Pascal Schafhauser (left).

    The EFTA Council met in Geneva on 8 November 2018 for its eight meeting in 2018.

  • Annual EFTA-ECOFIN meeting focuses on financial technology and the FinTech Action Plan   06.11.2018
    From left: Bjarni Benediktsson, Siv Jensen, Adrian Hasler, Ueli Maurer.

    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 6 November 2018. This year, particular attention was given to financial technology and the European FinTech Action Plan. The three EEA EFTA Ministers also discussed Brexit and legal incorporation with the EU Commission’s Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis.

  • New deposit of EFTA archives available for researchers   30.10.2018

    This month, a new deposit of EFTA’s historical archives has been made available for researchers at the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) in Florence.

  • Secretary-General Henri Gétaz: EFTA membership is more important than ever   28.09.2018
    EFTA Secretary-General, Henri Gétaz

    On 1 September, new Senior Management took over at the EFTA Secretariat, with Swiss Ambassador Henri Gétaz as Secretary-General. Before being appointed as Secretary-General of EFTA, Mr. Gétaz headed the Directorate for European Affairs within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.