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