EEA EFTA States sign amendments to Surveillance and Court Agreement

The three ambassadors signed separately in Brussels, from left: Kristján Andri Stefánsson (Iceland), Rolf Einar Fife (Norway), Sabine Monauni (Liechtenstein).

On 18 November, the ambassadors of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (EEA EFTA States) to the EU signed an amendment to the Surveillance and Court Agreement. This amendment grants powers to the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) and the EFTA Court to monitor the implementation and application of the obligations of the three EEA EFTA States to citizens of the United Kingdom (UK) under the Separation Agreement which was signed on 28 January this year.

The Separation Agreement grants certain rights to EEA EFTA nationals residing or working in the UK and UK nationals residing or working in an EEA EFTA State, provided those citizens resided or worked in the respective States before the end of the transition period. The implementation and application of these rights shall be monitored by an independent monitoring authority in the UK and by ESA as regards the EEA EFTA States. By signing this amendment, the EEA EFTA States establish the arrangements needed for ESA to exercise this role, including the possibility of initiating proceedings before the EFTA Court.

The transition period will end on 31 December 2020 and after that the UK will no longer be covered by the EEA Agreement.

The Surveillance and Court Agreement, as well as its annexes and protocols can be found here.

Find high resolution pictures from the signings here.