Meeting of the EFTA Consultative Committee chaired by Kristin Hansen, Chair of the EFTA CC
The EFTA Consultative Committee (CC) that consists of social partners of the EFTA States, met in Brussels on 13 April 2023 for a comprehensive day of meetings. The meetings were chaired by Kristin Hansen, Chair of the EFTA CC.
Their day started with thematic discussions on green subsidies and the nexus of climate and trade policy. The group held discussions with Daniel Gerber, a European Commission representative, on the Green Deal Industrial Plan and the Net Zero Act and how the EU had reacted to the US Inflation Reduction Act. Dr David Kleimann from Bruegel provided valuable insights regarding green subsidies and their relation to trade.
The EFTA social partners also met the Standing Committee of the EFTA States consisting of EEA EFTA Ambassadors to the EU to discuss the development of the EEA Agreement. There was a clear consensus between the social partners and Ambassadors on how essential the EEA Agreement is as a basis for cooperation with the European Union. The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Rolf Einar Fife, the Chair of the Standing Committee of the EFTA States.
The Ambassadors touched upon both general and specific topics related to the EEA EFTA States’ participation in the Single Market. They discussed incorporation of EU legal acts into the EEA Agreement and a broad array of areas the Agreement covers such as the digital and green transitions, COVID-related acts, and many others.
The EFTA business, industry and labour representatives further continued an important dialogue with the relevant EFTA Working Groups: the Working Group on Health and Safety at Work and Labour Law and the EFTA Working Group on Free Movement of Persons, Employment and Social Policy. The Working Groups were represented by Ingrid Finsland, Chair of the Working Group on Health and Safety at Work and Labour Law. They liaised with the Swedish EU Presidency and held internal deliberations between the social partners and experts on topics such as platform work and the minimum wage directive.
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