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Transcript of EFTA, the EEA Agreement, and the role of the EFTA Secretariat › media › documents › eea ›...
Policy shaping in the EEA
and the role of the Secretariat
EEA Seminar - 13 September 2012
Tore Grønningæter
Senior Information and Communication Officer
EFTA activities: three pillars
EFTA
Intra-EFTA trade
Stockholm Convention 1960
Updated Vaduz Convention 2001
EFTA-4
Geneva Office
Free Trade Agreements
With the EEC before 1994
Central and Eastern Europe
Third Countries outside Europe
EFTA-4
Geneva Office
EEA Agreement
Access to the Internal Market
Signed 1992, in force 1994-
EFTA-3
Brussels Office
Luxembourg Office (Statistics)
Structure of my presentation
1. EEA – scope and character
2. The formal decision-making process
3. Decision-shaping: can we influence?
1. EEA – scope and character
Jacques Delors’ White Paper (1985)
Three barriers to creating a Single Market
• Physical
• Technical
• Fiscal
Single European Act (1987)
- Removing the obstacles within end of 1992
- Extending the policy areas:
• Social policy
• Environment
• Research
European Economic Area -
extending the EU Single Market
Four Freedoms • Free movement of goods
• Free movement of services
• Free movement of capital
• Free movement of persons
Horizontal policies • Environment
• Social policy
• Consumer protection
• Statistics
• Company law
Common Rules
• State Aid
• Competition
Cooperation
• EU Programmes
• EU Agencies
Cohesion
• EEA Grants / Norway Grants
EEA - static and dynamic
• Static in scope
No additional areas foreseen to be included in the Agreement
• Dynamic in character
Updated continuously by adding new EU legislation
in areas already covered by the Agreement
Extending EU law and cooperation
8800 EU acts incorporated into the EEA Agreement
• 1850 at the signing (1992)
• 5950 added by the EEA Joint Committee
• 1000 added by simplified procedures
~ 4 600 acts in force today in EEA
~15 000 acts in force today in EU
• 17 EU programmes and 13 agencies in the EEA
But...
• Limited to cross-border activites
• No third-country issues
Exception: Food safety (veterinary package 1999)
Cooperation: 17 EU programmes
• Research framework programme
• Lifelong learning and Erasmus Mundus
• Satellite navigation (Galileo) (only Norway)
• Competetiveness and Innovation Programme
• Youth in action
• Media
• Employment and Social Solidarity (Progress)
• Intermodal transport (Marco Polo)
• Culture
• Health
• Community statistics
• Civil protection
• Consumer policy
• Interoperability solutions for public administrations
• Protecting children using the internet
• Combating violence (Daphne)
• Drug prevention
Participation in 13 EU Agencies • European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
• European Aviation Safety Agency
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
• European Chemicals Agency
• European Environment Agency
• European Food Safety Authority
• European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
• European GNSS Agency
• European Maritime Safety Agency
• European Medicines Agency
• European Network and Information Security Agency
• European Railway Agency
The EEA does not cover:
• EU Customs Union (towards third countries)
• Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies
• EU Regional Policy
• Common Trade Policy
• Economic and Monetary Union
• Justice and Home Affairs
• Common Foreign, Security and Defence Policy
2. The decision-making process
COMMISSION
Consultation Proposal
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL
Discussion Adoption
EFTA
WORKING
GROUPS
EFTA
STANDING
COMMITTEE
DECISION-
SHAPING
NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION
EEA
DECISION-
MAKING
EEA DECISION-
TAKING
EEA EFTA Standard Sheet
EEA
SUB-
COMMITTEE
EEA JOINT COMMITTEE
Decision
Comitology
groups
EU adopts new legislation...
The EFTA Standard Sheet
EEA decision-making
EFTA Standing
Committee
EFTA Sub-
committees
EFTA Working
Groups
EEA Joint
Committee
Decision
Council
European
External Action
Service (EEAS)
Commission Constitutional
requirements
Article 103 EEA
Entry into force
Implementation in national law
(Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway)
EFTA
Surveillance
Authority
Adopted
EEA
relevant EU
legislation
Draft decision
STANDING COMMITTEE
OF THE EFTA STATES Consultative Committee
Committees of Members of Parliament
Subcommittee I – IV Subcommittee V
• Competition
• Customs Matters
• Energy Matters
• Fisheries
• Intellectual Property
• Processed Agricultural Products
• Public Procurement
• State Aid
• Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
EEA EFTA Bodies
Legal and Institutional Matters
Flanking and Horisontal Policies
Free Movement of Persons
Free Movements of Capital and Services
Free Movement of Goods
• Company Law
• Electric Communications, Audiovisual Services and Information Society
• Financial Services
• Postal Services
• Free Movement of Persons, Employment and Social Policy
• Recognition of Professional Qualifications
• Social Security
• Budgetary Matters
• Civil Protection
• Consumer Affairs
• Cultural Affairs
• Education, Training and Youth
• Enterprise Policy
• Environment
• Gender Equality…
• Statistics
• Health and Safety
• Research and Development
Draft Joint Committee Decision submitted
to the EU
European External
Action Service
(EEAS)
DIRECTORATE-
GENERALS
LEGAL
SERVICE
DG BUDGET
COUNCIL
(Ministers)
COREPER
(Ambassadors)
WORKING GROUP
ON
EFTA MATTERS
European
Commission
Council
If adaptations or financial
contributions are involved
EEA EFTA States’
position
EU’s position
EEA decision making on the EU side
EEA decision-making
EFTA Standing
Committee
EFTA Sub-
committees
EFTA Working
Groups
EEA Joint
Committee
Decision
Council
European
External Action
Service (EEAS)
Commission Constitutional
requirements
Article 103 EEA
Entry into force
Implementation in national law
(Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway)
EFTA
Surveillance
Authority
Adopted
EEA
relevant EU
legislation
Draft decision
Incorporation into the EEA
... Annex XIII - Transport
...and translated and published
3. Decision-shaping
Commission: right to participate, but not to vote
• EEA Art. 99 Expert groups
• EEA Art. 100 Comitology committees
• EEA Art. 81 Programme committees
• EEA Art 101 Other (advisory) groups
• EEA decisions Agency boards etc.
European Parliament: no access, but open process
Council: no access, but informal approach
Access varies as to who we are approaching
Decision shaping
COMMISSION
Consultation Proposal
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL
Discussion Adoption
EFTA
WORKING
GROUPS
EFTA
STANDING
COMMITTEE
DECISION-
SHAPING
NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION
EEA
DECISION-
MAKING
EEA DECISION-
TAKING
EEA EFTA Standard Sheet
EEA
SUB-
COMMITTEE
EEA JOINT COMMITTEE
Decision
Comitology
groups
• Commission consultations
• Commission comitology groups
• EU Agencies
• EFTA Working Groups, including
EEA EFTA Comments
• EFTA Advisory Bodies
EFTA Consultative Committee
• Shape EFTA and EEA policies
• Influence relevant policies
• Raise awareness of EFTA/EEA issues in social
partners
• Provide a forum for dialogue
Meetings with
- EFTA Ministers and Ambassadors
- EFTA Parliamentarians
- EU Social Partners
EFTA Parliamentary Committee
• Scrutinise EFTA policies and EEA legislation
• Raise awareness of important issues
• Build political consensus
• Advocate for EFTA and the EEA in the national parliaments
• Facilitate political dialogue
Meetings with
- EFTA Ministers and Social Partners
- Representatives from the EEA Council and Joint Committee
- Members of the European Parliament
More information….
www.efta.int