Brussels, 11/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - The strengthening of its relations with the EU, involvement in the Lisbon Strategy, preparation for enlargement, adoption of a new Convention and the development of free trade agreements with countries not belonging to the Europe of Fifteen - such were the main fields of activity covered last year by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), whose Secretary General, William Rossier, presented the annual report 2001 to the press on Tuesday.
The document states that relations between EFTA and the EU continued to develop last year, with a special effort being made by EFTA member countries (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, the latter not being part of the European Economic Area, EEA) in order to integrate EU secondary legislation into their national legislation. EFTA states, however, that, as the European Union has amended its treaties twice over the past ten years (Maastricht and Amsterdam), it would like certain technical changes to be made to the EEA Treaty in order to be able to "further secure the homogeneity of the EEA". In this respect, Secretary General Rossier noted that it would not be a question of renegotiating the treaty, but of making the necessary changes to it.
The report, moreover, stresses that the political priorities of the EU in the context of the Lisbon Strategy will be significant for EFTA. Also, the three EFTA States that are also EEA members last year prepared an action plan aimed at ensuring that they keep abreast of and contribute to this process by, for example, providing input to the spring summits in Stockholm and Barcelona. Mr Rossier noted that EFTA's commitment in the Lisbon Strategy could be considered as 'a pragmatic way of cooperating with the EU outside the formal legal framework of the EEA". With a view to EU enlargement, EFTA has also stepped up its efforts to take in new EEA members. As a result, it is now focusing on preparations for the accession of candidate countries to the EEA, to ensure simultaneous enlargement of the EU and of EEA. Noting the good quality of relations between the EU and EFTA, Mr Rossier pointed out that, in the fish products trade, EU enlargement poses a problem. EFTA has concluded free trade agreements with a certain number of candidate countries, but not with the EU. Once they have joined the European Union, the current candidate countries will be subject to Community regulations. The EEA States therefore fear a loss of trade with the candidate countries in the form of customs obstacles to trade in this sector.
Mr Rossier also insisted on the importance of the new EFTA Convention signed in June 2001 in Vaduz. He pointed out that the Convention reflects the contemporary realities of world trade as well as the developments that have taken place within the European internal market. He said the "Vaduz Convention will not only provide a modern instrument for intra-EFTA trade, it will bring the intra-EFTA relationship up to a similar level of cooperation as enjoyed by the EFTA States and the EU, after the latter concluded seven bilateral agreements with Switzerland. It will also provide a broad common platform for EFTA with their trade partners. It symbolises the determination of the EFTA States to continue to contribute to the strengthening of the multilateral trade environment". The Vaduz Convention should take effect in July 2002.
In addition to its agreements with the EU, EFTA has signed 18 free trade agreements with other European and non-European countries. In autumn 2001, it concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement with Singapore. This is the first agreement of this kind between European States and a South East Asian State. It is also, with the EFTA/Mexico agreement to take effect in 2001, one of the most detailed EFTA agreements. The agreement with Singapore is to be initialled in Geneva on 11 April and will probably be signed during the next ministerial meeting to be held in Iceland during June.