During the meeting, the Council discussed ongoing preparations for the EFTA Ministerial meeting on 22 and 23 June in Reykjavík, and approved the appointment of the Liechtenstein member to the EFTA Board of Auditors “at four”.
With regard to EFTA–EU relations, the Council reviewed recent developments in cooperation under the EEA Agreement. It took note of progress in the incorporation of EU legal acts into the Agreement, as well as recent meetings of the EFTA Standing Committee and EEA Joint Committee. The Council also noted the outcomes of the EEA Council meeting in May in Brussels, and of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee and EEA Consultative Committee meetings in May in Vaduz. In addition, the Council was updated on preparations for the welcome reception for the incoming Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
On the EU side, the Council was informed about preparations in the European Parliament and the Council for the forthcoming negotiations with the European Commission on the next Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034.
On trade-related matters, the Council reviewed developments across EFTA’s ongoing third-country trade agenda. With regard to Viet Nam, the Council took note of continued work on outstanding issues across a limited number of areas, as well as intersessional work in view of the planned negotiation round prior to the EFTA Ministerial in June. The Council also noted progress in the implementation of the EFTA–India Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, including ongoing outreach activities. Concerning signed agreements, the Council reviewed the status of ratification processes with several partners, including Kosovo, Ukraine and Thailand, and noted the expected timelines for their entry into force, subject to the completion of domestic procedures. Council members exchanged views on potential modernisation processes with selected partners, including Canada, Mexico and Korea, and took note of developments in other trade policy processes, including work under the PEM framework, engagement with ASEAN, and ongoing exchanges on possible future trade dialogues.
Finally, the Council welcomed the continued work on preference utilisation monitoring and related horizontal trade policy tools, including the newly launched EFTA Free Trade Dashboard.
The next EFTA Council meeting is scheduled to take place on 22 September 2026.
