About EFTA News

  • EFTA Council discusses third-country issues and upcoming Ministerial meeting   19.05.2017
    From left: Kristinn F. Árnason, Secretary-General, EFTA; Adalsteinn Leifsson, Director, Secretary-General's Office, EFTA; Harald Neple, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO and EFTA in Geneva

    On 19 May, at its third meeting of 2017 under the chairmanship of Norway, the EFTA Council discussed ongoing free trade negotiations, the upcoming Ministerial meeting in Svalbard and the recent EEA Council meeting, among other topics.

  • EFTA’s Annual Report for 2016 published   28.04.2017
    The 56th Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association, 2016

    The 56th Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association has been published. The report contains an overview of the functions and activities of EFTA throughout 2016 in the areas of managing the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement), EFTA’s worldwide network of free trade agreements (FTAs) and the EFTA Convention.

  • Council discusses upcoming Ministerial meeting   21.03.2017
    Council Meeting chaired by Mr Harald Neple, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO and EFTA in Geneva

    On 21 March, at the second EFTA Council meeting in 2017 under the chairmanship of Norway, the Council discussed preparations for the upcoming EFTA Ministerial meeting in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard on 26 June 2017.

  • Norwegian EEA Minister: Norway should be included in UK-EU Brexit deal on Internal Market   27.02.2017
    Frank Bakke Jensen, Minister of EEA and EU Affairs.

    Frank Bakke-Jensen became Norway's Minister of EEA and EU Affairs in December 2016. He was interviewed by the EFTA Newsletter.

  • EFTA Council approves priorities of Norwegian Chair for first half of 2017   08.02.2017
    The meeting was chaired by Norwegian Ambassador Harald Neple.

    Norway, holding the rotating EFTA Council Chair for the first six months of the year, presented its priorities at the Council’s first meeting of 2017 on 8 February.

  • EFTA Council approves budget for 2017 in its last meeting of 2016   13.12.2016
    Ambassador Högni Kristjánsson and Deputy Head Nína Björk Jónsdóttir, Permanent Mission of Iceland to the International Organizations in Geneva.

    On 13 December, during its final meeting of 2016, the EFTA Council approved the budget for 2017 and reviewed the recent winter Ministerial meeting, where the possible consequences of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union were high on the agenda.

  • 405 EU acts incorporated into EEA Agreement in 2016   01.12.2016
    Ambassador Oda Sletnes chairing the meeting, with Kristinn Árnason, EFTA Secretary General (right) and Turi Bakke, First Secretary Norwegian Mission to the EU (left).

    In its last meeting of 2016, on 2 December, the EEA Joint Committee adopted 39 decisions incorporating 58 EU legal acts into the EEA Agreement, bringing the total for 2016 to 250 decisions and 405 acts. The EFTA Standing Committee met the day before, on 1 December.

  • EFTA Ministers discuss UK relations and future free trade agreements   21.11.2016
    From left: Ms Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Iceland; Mr Högni Kristjánsson, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Iceland, Geneva

    On 21 November 2016, EFTA held its biannual Ministerial Meeting in Geneva. The meeting was chaired by Ms Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Iceland.

  • EFTA Council prepares for Ministerial meeting in Geneva   10.11.2016
    From left: Mr Adalsteinn Leifsson, Director, Secretary-Generals Office, EFTA, Mr Högni Kristjánsson, Head of Iceland’s Mission to the International Organizations in Geneva

    On 10 November, at the third EFTA Council meeting in 2016 under the chairmanship of Iceland, the Council discussed preparations for the upcoming EFTA Ministerial meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 21 November.

  • The annual ECOFIN-EFTA meeting focused on economic growth and investments   08.11.2016
    From left: Ms Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, Ambassador, Mission of Iceland to the EU, Mr Adrian Hasler, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Liechtenstein, Ms Siv Jensen, Minister for Finance of Norweay, and Mr Ueli Maurer, Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Finance Switzerland.

    The EFTA economic and finance ministers and ECOFIN ministers met at their annual EFTA-ECOFIN meeting to discuss economic, financial and political items of common interest. In the context of the moderate economic recovery in Europe, ministers focused their discussion on the appropriate policy strategy to strengthen the economic growth and employment, with an emphasis on boosting the subdued investments across the continent.