European Economic Area

European Economic Area       Bulgarian: Европейска икономическа зона Czech: Evropský hospodářský prostor Danish: Europæisk Økonomisk Samarbejdsområde Dutch: Europese Economische Ruimte Estonian: Euroopa Majanduspiirkond Finnish: Euroopan talousalue French: Espace économique européen German: Europäischer Wirtschaftsraum Greek: Ευρωπαϊκός Οικονομικός Χώρος Hungarian: Európai Gazdasági Térség Icelandic: Evrópska efnahagssvæðið Irish: Limistéar Eorpach Eacnamaíoch Italian: pazio economico europeo Latvian: Eiropas Ekonomikas zonas Lithuanian: Europos ekonominės erdvės Maltese: Żona Ekonomika Ewropea Norwegian: Europeiske økonomiske samarbeidsområde Polish: Europejski Obszar Gospodarczy Portuguese: Espaço Económico Europeu Romanian: Spaţiul Economic European Slovak: Európsky hospodársky priestor Slovene: Evropskem gospodarskem prostoru Spanish: Espacio Económico Europeo Swedish: Europeiska ekonomiska samarbetsområdet   EFTA member countries   European Union member-states Union type Economic market Established 1994 Members 30 full members Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Finland Estonia France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom Governance Basis EEA Agreement Institutions EEA Council EU Commission EFTA SA ECJ EFTA Court Affiliated with European Union European Free Trade Area Statistics Population 506,465,094 Area 4,944,753 km2 The European Economic Area (EEA) was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Community, later the European Union (EU).1 Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's single market without a conventional EU membership. In exchange, they are obliged to adopt all EU legislation related to the single market, except those pieces of legislation that relate to agriculture and fisheries. Contents 1 Membership 2 Rights and obligations 3 Legislation 4 Institutions 5 EEA and Norway Grants 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Membership Further information: EU enlargement to EFTA states The EEA Agreement was signed in Porto on 2 May 1992 by the then seven states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the European Community (EC) and its then 12 member states.23 On 6 December 1992, Switzerland's voters rejected the ratification of the agreement in a constitutionally-mandated referendum,4 effectively freezing the application for EC membership submitted earlier in the year. Switzerland is instead linked to the EU by a series of bilateral agreements. On 1 January 1995, three erstwhile members of EFTA—Austria, Finland and Sweden—acceded to the European Union, which superseded the European Community upon the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty on 1 November 1993. Liechtenstein's participation in the EEA was delayed until 1 May 1995.5 At present, the contracting parties to the EEA Agreement are the EU and its 27 members plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Turkey and Ukraine could join the EEA immediately, due to there being fewer obstacles to membership of the EEA than to full EU membership.6 Rights and obligations The EEA is based on the same "four freedoms" as the European Community: the free movement of goods, persons, services, and capital among the EEA countries. Thus, the EFTA countries that are part of the EEA enjoy free trade with the European Union. As a counterpart, these countries have to adopt part of the Law of the European Union. These states have little influence on decision-making processes in Brussels. The EFTA countries that are part of the EEA do not bear the financial burdens associated with EU membership, although they contribute financially to the European single market. After the EU/EEA enlargement of 2004 there was a tenfold increase in the financial contribution of the EEA States, in particular Norway, to social and economic cohesion in the Internal Market (€1167 million over five years). EFTA countries do not receive any funding from EU policies and development funds Legislation A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational European organisations.v • d • e The non EU members of the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) have agreed to enact legislation similar to that passed in the EU in the areas of social policy, consumer protection, environment, company law and statistics. These are some of the areas covered by the European Community (the "first pillar" of the European Union). The non-EU members of the EEA have no representation in Institutions of the European Union such as the European Parliament or European Commission. This situation has been described as a “fax democracy”, with Norway waiting for their latest legislation to be faxed from the Commission.78 Institutions A Joint Committee consisting of the EEA-EFTA States plus the European Commission (representing the EU) has the function of extending relevant EU law to the non EU members. An EEA Council meets twice yearly to govern the overall relationship between the EEA members. Rather than setting up pan-EEA institutions, the activities of the EEA are regulated by the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court, which parallel the work of the EU's European Commission and European Court of Justice. See EEA institutions for further information. EEA and Norway Grants The EEA and Norway Grants are the financial contributions of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe. In the period 2004- 2009, €1.3 billion of project funding is made available for project funding in the 15 beneficiary states in Central and Southern Europe. The EEA and Norway Grants were established in conjunction with the 2004 enlargement of the European Economic Area (EEA), which brings together the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway in the Internal Market. See also EudraVigilance Free trade areas in Europe Central European Free Trade Agreement EU enlargement to EFTA states Accession of Iceland to the European Union Liechtenstein and the European Union Norway - European Union relations Switzerland – European Union relations Parallel importation Schengen Agreement Trade bloc References ^ Main text of the AgreementPDF (199 KB) ^ "1992". The EU at a glance - The History of the European Union. Europa. http://europa.eu/abc/history/1990-1999/1992/index_en.htm. Retrieved 7 April 2010.  ^ Final ActPDF (434 KB) ^ Mitchener, Brandon (7 December 1992). "EEA Rejection Likely to Hurt Swiss Markets". The New York Times. http://nytimes.com/1992/12/07/business/worldbusiness/07iht-reax.html. Retrieved 7 April 2010.  ^ "1995". The EU at a glance - The History of the European Union. Europa. http://europa.eu/abc/history/1990-1999/1995/index_en.htm. Retrieved 9 April 2010.  ^ "Leading MEP: Turkey should seek Norway-type EU relationship". http://www.euractiv.com/en/foreign-affairs/leading-mep-turkey-should-seek-norway-type-eu-relationship-interview-498233. Retrieved 29 September 2010.  ^ In Norway, EU pros and cons (the cons still win) nytimes.com ^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 8 Jun 2005 (pt 17) External links More about the EEA on the website of the Mission of Norway to the EU EFTA Secretariat EEA Grants and Norway Grants EFTA Surveillance Authority The EU and the European Economic Area Europa (web portal): External Relations The Austerity Zone: Life in the New Europe - videos by The New York Times v · d · eEurope Culture · Demographics · Economy · Geography · History · Politics Culture Art (Architecture · Capital of Culture · Classical music · Cinema (Film festivals) · Painting · Sculpture) · Cuisine · Etiquette · Literature · Languages (Endangered) · Philosophy · Religion (Christianity · Islam · Judaism) · Sport · Symbols · Universities (Bologna Process · Erasmus) Demographics Ageing · Education · Ethnic groups (Genetic history) · Immigration · Life expectancy · Population Economy GDP (nominal) (per capita) · GDP (PPP) (per capita) · GNI (nominal) per capita · GNI (PPP) per capita · budget revenues (per capita) · awerage wage · HDI · Corruption · Minimum wage · FTAs · EFTA · CEFTA · CUBKR · EAEC Geography Sovereign states and dependent territories · Area and population · Cities · Villages · Geology · Islands · Rivers · Lakes · Mountains · Extreme points History Prehistory · Classical antiquity · Late Antiquity · Middle Ages · Early modernity · Military · Predecessor states · Dates of achieving sovereignty Politics International organisations · Integration · CIS · CoE · CSTO · GUAM · NATO · OSCE (statistics) · Post-Soviet · Transatlantic · Eurosphere European Union Members (future) · Politics · Visa policy · ENP · Foreign relations · Economic relations (FTAs) · Economy · Eurozone · EEA · EUCU · Schengen · Statistics Other Communications · Crisis situations and protests · Financial and social rankings · Internet users · Law · Maps · Press Freedom Index · Transport Portal v · d · eEuropean Union topics History Timeline Pre-1945 · 1945–1957 · 1958–1972 · 1973–1993 · 1993–2004 · since 2004 Predecessors European Coal and Steel Community (1951–2002) · European Economic Community (1958–1993/2009) · Euratom (1958–present) · European Communities (1967–1993/2009) · Justice and Home Affairs (1993–2009) · Details Governance Institutions Parliament · European Council · Council of Ministers · Commission · European Court of Justice · Central Bank · Court of Auditors Agencies European Banking Authority · Eurojust · Europol · Frontex · Environment · Reconstruction · Disease Prevention and Control · External Action Service Politics Elections · European Parliament constituencies · European Parliament groups · Political parties · Enlargement ('95 · '04 · '07) · Integration · Pro-Europeanism · Euroscepticism · Foreign relations · Euromyth Law Acquis · Competition law · Copyright law · Directive · Journal · Government procurement · Four freedoms (Labour mobility) · Procedure · Regulation · Schengen Agreement · Charter of Fundamental Rights · Treaties (Opt-outs) · Enhanced co-operation · Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification Geography Borders · Extreme points · Largest municipalities · Largest urban areas · Largest metropolitan areas · Larger Urban Zones · Member States · Special territories · Regions Economy Currencies · Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) · Budget · Euro · Central Bank · Investment Bank · Investment Fund · Eurozone · Energy · Regional development · Single Market · FTAs · Solidarity Fund · Transport (Galileo system) Culture Citizenship (Passports) · Demographics · Driving licence · Education · Institute of Innovation and Technology · Laissez-Passer · Languages · Religion · Sport · Holidays · Telephone numbers · Symbols · Statistics · Douzelage · Greater Europe Lists Agencies · Councils · Directives · Political parties · Presidency · NUTS regions · Tallest buildings · Vehicle registration plates · Acronyms, jargon and working practices Theory Supranationalism · Intergovernmentalism · Supranational union · Multi-speed Europe · Eurosphere · Optimum currency area Portal v · d · e International reach and expansion of the European Union Theory Eurosphere · Pax Europaea · Superpower status · Federal Europe Reach ACP (Economic Partnership Agreements) · Association Agreement · Free trade agreements · Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) · European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) (missions) · European Economic Area · European Neighbourhood Policy (statistics) · Northern Dimension · Union for the Mediterranean · High Representative (Bosnia) · International Civilian Representative (Kosovo) Expansion Stabilisation and Association Process · Eastern Partnership · Europeanisation Representation High Representative · President of the European Council · President of the European Commission  · Delegations of the European Parliament Assets Economy · Euro (International status and usage)  · ECHO · Galileo · Military