The EFTA Council is the highest governing body of EFTA. It usually meets eight times a year at Ambassadorial level (Heads of Permanent Delegations to EFTA) and once a year at Ministerial level.
During Council meetings, the delegations consult one another and negotiate and decide on policy issues regarding EFTA. Each Member State is represented, and decisions are taken by consensus. The Member States take turns to chair the Council, rotating yearly.
The Council discusses substantive, governance and organisational matters, especially relating to EFTA’s relations with third countries, technical cooperation and the management of free trade agreements. It also keeps relations with the EU, third-country policy and administration under general review.
The Council has a broad mandate to consider possible policies to promote the overall objectives of the Association and to facilitate the development of links with other states, unions of states or international organisations. Its members adopt the annual EFTA budget and administrative measures linked to the running of the Association and the EFTA Secretariat. The Council also manages relations between the EFTA States themselves under the EFTA Convention, and adopts decisions to reflect legislative developments in the EEA Agreement and in the Switzerland-EU bilateral agreements.
Several committees report to the Council, and the Council is often called to formalise decisions and recommendations made by those committees.
Parliamentary Committee
The Parliamentary Committee advises the Council on matters falling within the scope of work of the Association and serves as a channel of information between Members of Parliament in the EFTA States.
Consultative Committee
The Consultative Committee is a forum for employees’ and employers’ organisations from the four EFTA States. It also serves as a link between social partners in EFTA and their counterparts in the EU. The Committee may consider any matter falling within the scope of work of the Association. Each Member State is represented by up to six members, appointed by their respective governments.
Committee on Third-Country Relations
The Committee on Third-Country Relations oversees the functioning and development of free trade and cooperation agreements with third countries.
Committee on Trade Facilitation
The Committee on Trade Facilitation exchanges information, reviews developments and advises the Member States and Council on matters related to trade facilitation. This includes proposals related to EFTA’s free trade agreements, measures to monitor and strengthen the implementation of trade facilitation commitments, and technical assistance and training. It also covers matters related to EU policy or practice affecting the trade facilitation policy or trade procedures of the EFTA States.
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
The Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade advises the Council on standardisation policy, conformity assessment policy, relations with other European quality infrastructure organisations and international aspects of technical regulatory work.
Committee of Origin and Customs Experts
The Committee of Origin and Customs Experts oversees cooperation in the customs field, particularly in relation to free trade agreements.
Vaduz Committees
The EFTA Convention was revised in 2001, establishing the Vaduz Convention. The Vaduz Convention covers important aspects of modern trade and reinforces ties between the EFTA States. The Vaduz Convention established several new committees with the view to keep the Convention timely and updated:
- Committee on Seeds
- Committee on Organic Agriculture
- Committee on Mutual Recognition
- Committee on the Movement of Persons
- Committee on Land Transport
- Committee on Air Transport
- Committee on Public Procurement
Rather than holding formal meetings, the Vaduz Committees normally work through written procedure in parallel with the relevant bodies under the EFTA Standing Committee.
Economic Committee
The Economic Committee provides the procedural and operational basis for economic and monetary policy cooperation with the EU. It is involved in preparing for the annual meeting of EFTA and EU Ministers of Finance and Economy (also known as EFTA ECOFIN) and exchanging information with the European Commission.
Budget Committee
The Budget Committee assists the Council in matters related to the EFTA Budget.
EFTA Board of Auditors
The EFTA Board of Auditors acts as the supreme auditing authority for the EFTA Secretariat, the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court. It also functions as a contact point for the European Court of Auditors regarding the control and auditing of EEA EFTA contributions to the EU Budget.