EEA seminar clarifies market implications of the EEA Agreement

These implications were addressed during the four specific break-out sessions focusing on European Financial Supervision, the EU Energy Union, free movement of Goods and food safety and animal health. The biannual seminar, which takes place at the EFTA Secretariat in Brussels, was attended by approximately 130 participants from both the public and private sectors across Europe.

 

The seminar provided professionals, from both inside and outside the European Union, with a thorough understanding of the Agreement on the European Economic Area and how it extends participation in the EU’s Internal Market to Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. 

 

Representatives of the EFTA Secretariat, the Financial Mechanism Office (FMO), the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) and the EFTA Court gave presentations on the day-to-day operation and management of the EEA Agreement, including recent developments and challenges. Whilst the European External Action Service (EEAS) explained the process behind the procedures on the EU side on incorporation of legislation into the EEA Agreement. 

 

The second half of the seminar was devoted to the four sector specific break-out sessions. These illustrated the market implications of the EEA Agreement by addressing challenges connected to European Financial Supervision and how the EU Energy Union extends to the EEA. Why agriculture is not a part of the EEA Agreement but food safety and animal health are and the process of free movement of goods in the EEA were also explained. The presentations were followed by fruitful and dynamic discussions involving speakers and participants. 

 

EFTA would like to thank all the speakers and participants for making the seminar a success.