The Internal Market aims to ensure that goods can move freely across the borders of all 31 countries in the EEA on the basis of equal conditions of competition. Buyers and sellers of goods do not have to pay customs duties when trading in most products. Prior to the Internal Market, there were many different national technical regulations and standards, which stipulated that products needed to be manufactured and tested in specific ways or that the products had to have certain properties. Through mutual recognition or harmonisation of national technical standards, and through mutual recognition of testing procedures, these technical barriers to trade are being removed.
Subcommittee I under the EFTA Standing Committee prepares for the integration into the EEA Agreement of legislation relating to the free movement of goods, competition, state aid, public procurement and energy. Subcommittee I is assisted by 11 working groups, 24 expert groups and four ad hoc groups.
A substantial part of the legislation incorporated into the EEA Agreement concerns the free movement of goods. The objective of this legislation is to ensure the free circulation of products and secure a high level of protection of health, safety and the environment. The rules on competition, state aid and public procurement apply to trade in services as well as goods, and ensure a fair and efficient market.
Read more about the policy areas dealt with by Subcommittee I in the Goods section .