About EFTA News

  • EFTA and Serbia hold third Joint and Sub-Committee meetings   20.06.2018

    The third meeting of the Joint Committee established under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EFTA States and Serbia took place on 19 June 2018 in Geneva.

  • Incorporation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into the EEA Agreement and continued application of Directive 95/46/EC   05.06.2018

    The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 entered into force in the EU on 25 May 2018.

  • EFTA Council meets in Geneva   30.04.2018
    Secretary-General Kristinn F. Árnason and Secretary to the Council Adalsteinn Leifsson from EFTA with Ambassador Harald Aspelund who chaired the EFTA Council meeting in Geneva.

    Ongoing free trade negotiations and preparations for the upcoming Ministerial meeting were high on the agenda of the third meeting of the EFTA Council in 2018 in Geneva today.

  • EFTA Council adopts Chairmanship 2019-2022   15.03.2018
    The EFTA Council met for the second time under Icelandic Chairmanship in 2018 in Geneva.

    The EFTA Council met for the second time under Icelandic Chairmanship in 2018 in Geneva.

  • EFTA ambassadors and social partners discuss data protection and Brexit   13.03.2018
    EFTA ambassadors and social partners discuss data protection and Brexit.

    On 12 March 2018, the Standing Committee of the EFTA States and the EFTA Consultative Committee (EFTA CC) met in Norway House, Brussels. This annual meeting is an opportunity for a briefing on developments over the last year, and for the forum to discuss current EEA issues, Swiss-EU relations and future perspectives with the EFTA ambassadors.

  • Iceland's Foreign Minister: EFTA countries are champions of free trade   09.03.2018
    Guðlaugur Thór Thórðarson, right, at EFTA's Ministerial meeting in Geneva on 24 November 2017.

    Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson has been Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs since January 2017; first in the government of Bjarni Benediktsson and since 30 November in the government of Katrín Jakobsdóttir, formed by the Independence Party, the Left Green Movement and the Progressive Party. Previous to that he was Minister of Health and Social Security 2007 to 2009. He has been a member of Althingi, the Icelandic parliament, since 2003, and is a former chair of the EFTA Parliamentary Committee. Gudlaugur Thór will chair EFTA’s next Ministerial meeting, in Sauðárkrókur, Iceland, on 25 June. He spoke to the EFTA Newsletter.

  • EFTA-UK Trade in 2017   09.03.2018
    Last year the EFTA Secretariat published a note on trade between EFTA and the United Kingdom, highlighting the importance of the trade relationship for all EFTA States and for the UK.

    Last year the EFTA Secretariat published a note on trade between EFTA and the United Kingdom, highlighting the importance of the trade relationship for all EFTA States and for the UK.

  • EIB investments in EFTA countries extended for another four years   01.03.2018
    Bjarni Benediktsson and Andrew McDowell after the signature at Iceland's Finance Ministry in Reykjavik.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has extended its lending facilities to the four EFTA countries until 31 December 2021. The investment envelope will also be increased to EUR 1 billion from the previous four-year extension of EUR 800 million.

  • First EFTA Council meeting of 2018   07.02.2018
    Ambassador Harald Aspelund chaired the meeting for Iceland.

    The EFTA Council met for its first meeting in 2018 on 6 February under the Icelandic Chairmanship. The Council approved a number of technical statistical cooperation activities which are coordinated by the EFTA Statistical Office in Luxembourg in close collaboration with Eurostat. Delegates took stock of ongoing free trade negotiations and developments in relations to Brexit.

  • EEA EFTA Comments on the public consultation on reporting formalities for ships   17.01.2018
    Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway submitted a joint EEA EFTA Comment on the public consultation on reporting formalities for ships (European Maritime Single Window environment).

    On 17 January 2018 Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway submitted a joint EEA EFTA Comment on the public consultation on reporting formalities for ships (European Maritime Single Window environment).