About EFTA News

  • Norway takes on Chairmanship of EFTA Council and presents priorities   11.07.2019
    The EFTA Council met in Geneva under Norwegian Chairmanship on 11 July 2019

    The EFTA Council met in Geneva on 11 July under Norwegian Chairmanship.

  • EFTA Ministerial Meeting, Malbun, 24 June 2019   24.06.2019
    From left: Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Aurelia Frick, Guy Parmelin, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, Henri Gétaz.

    At EFTA‘s Ministerial meeting in Malbun, on 24 June 2019, the Association‘s trade ministers expressed concerns over an increasingly uncertain global trade environment, both due to the uncertain outcome of the Brexit process and escalating trade tensions between the US and China. The ministers also underlined the importance of appointing new judges to the Appellate Body of the WTO to ensure the multilateral trade system continues to function while WTO reform is pursued, and reaffirmed their commitment to open trade on the basis of a transparent and rules-based international order.

  • EFTA represented at High-Level Conference on European Standardisation   24.06.2019
    EFTA Secretary-General, Henri Gétaz, participated in a panel discussion at a conference on European standardization titled "Standards advance and deepen the Single Market"

    The Romanian Ministry of Economy, in collaboration with the Romanian National Standards Body ASRO, organized on June 7th, at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, the High-Level Conference on European Standardisation “Standards connect markets – Standards advance and deepen the Single Market”.

  • EFTA Council meets in Geneva   14.05.2019
    The EFTA Council met for the third time in 2019 under the Liechtenstein Chairmanship

    Today, the EFTA Council met for the third time in 2019 under the Liechtenstein Chairmanship. During the meeting, the delegates discussed work with regard to third countries and in particular the recent negotiation round with Mercosur.

  • EFTA's Annual Report 2018   12.04.2019

    The 58th Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association was published before the Easter break. The report contains an overview of the functions and activities of EFTA throughout 2018 in the areas of managing the EEA Agreement, EFTA’s worldwide network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and the EFTA Convention.

  • Second EFTA Council meeting of 2019   12.03.2019
    From left: Hege Marie Hoff, Deputy Secretary-General, Henri Gétaz, Secretary-General, Pascal Schafhauser, Deputy Secretary-General, Peter Matt, Ambassador of Liechtenstein (Chair), Patrick Ritter, Deputy Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein.

  • EFTA organisations in Brussels set to move to a new building in 2020   20.02.2019
    Celebrating signing of the new building, from left: Henri Gétaz, EFTA Secretary-General, Yleiz Bicici, Cofinimmo COO, Jean-Pierre Hanin, Cofinimmo CEO, Bente Angell-Hansen, ESA President, Henning Stirø, Director of FMO.

    The EFTA Secretariat, the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) and the Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) signed today an agreement with the Belgian real estate developer Cofinimmo which will allow the three organisations to move jointly into a new building in the European quarter in Brussels in autumn 2020. The signing today will allow for additional synergies and improved quality of services of the three organisations that have until now occupied different buildings in Brussels.

  • First EFTA Council meeting of 2019   05.02.2019
    The EFTA Council met in Geneva under Liechtenstein Chairmanship.

    The EFTA Council met in Geneva for its first meeting in 2019 on 5 February under Liechtenstein Chairmanship.

  • Minister Schneider-Ammann: EFTA remains a solid anchor of our foreign trade policies   17.12.2018
    Federal councillor, Johann Schneider-Ammann

    Johann Schneider-Ammann has been a Federal Councillor and Minister of Economic Affairs in Switzerland since 2010. In September this year, he announced his retirement and will leave his position at the end of the year. Mr Schneider-Ammann spoke to the EFTA Newsletter about his time as a minister and the accomplishments made during his time being part of the EFTA family.

  • EFTA Council adopts the budget for 2019   11.12.2018
    The EFTA Council met in Geneva for its ninth meeting of the year.

    On 11 December, the ninth and last Council meeting of the year under the Swiss chairmanship took place in Geneva. Liechtenstein will take over the rotating EFTA Chair in the first half of 2019.