From left to right: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Environment and Culture of Liechtenstein Sabine Monauni, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Espen Barth Eide, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for European Affairs of Denmark Marie Bjerre, and Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification Valdis Dombrovskis
On 20 November, Ministers from the EEA EFTA States and the EU gathered for the 61st meeting of the EEA Council, the highest cooperation body under the EEA Agreement.
The EEA EFTA Ministers met with the EU side at EFTA House to discuss the functioning of the EEA Agreement and the EU’s simplification agenda. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir on behalf of the EEA EFTA States.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Environment and Culture Sabine Monauni attended the meeting on behalf of Norway and Liechtenstein, respectively. Minister for European Affairs of Denmark Marie Bjerre represented the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The European Commission was represented by Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification, and the European External Action Service (EEAS) was represented by Claude Véron-Réville EU Special Arctic Envoy, Head of Division Western Europe.
In an informal meeting following the Council, the EEA EFTA States, Council Presidency and EEAS discussed Ukraine and Russia, transatlantic relations and the Middle East.
The EEA Council meets twice a year at Ministerial level and provides the political direction for the EEA Agreement. The EEA EFTA States are represented by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs, while the EU is represented by the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as by representatives of the EEAS and the Commission. The next EEA Council meeting will take place in spring 2026.
