EFTA hosts workshop for international experts on FTA preference utilisation

EFTA organised a workshop on FTA preference utilisation, bringing together experts to discuss the latest findings and perspectives on the effective use of EFTA’s free trade agreements (FTAs). The event, which took place on 1 and 2 April, followed the release of the latest edition of the EFTA FTA Monitor.

On the first day, representatives from EFTA Member States engaged in bilateral exchanges with counterparts from the European Commission and the UK’s Department for Business and Trade. EFTA experts also held discussions on further improvements to the EFTA FTA Monitor.

The second day featured a broad range of discussions with experts from the European Commission, the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, and the Korea Institute of Origin Information, as well as invited researchers working on preference utilisation (PU) from academia and international agencies, such as the Inter-American Development Bank. Key topics included data visualisation and the dissemination of PU-related information, research works on the use of FTAs, and the impact of FTAs on product diversification.

Also at the event were private-sector representatives from BusinessEurope and economiesuisse, as well as representatives from Switzerland Global Enterprise. They discussed the practical application of FTAs and highlighted key challenges faced by economic operators, especially SMEs, using FTAs, specifically access to or lack of information, communication, complex rules of origin, and administrative costs to comply.

To learn more, see the newest edition of the EFTA FTA Monitor on the EFTA website.

High-resolution photos from the meeting

Video interviews from the meeting