European Free Trade Association Native names:
| |
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Secretariat | Geneva Brussels Luxembourg City 46°57′N7°27′E / 46.950°N 7.450°E |
Largest city | Oslo 59°56′N10°41′E / 59.933°N 10.683°E |
Official working language | English |
Official languages of member states | |
Type | Regional organization, Free-trade area |
Member states | |
Leaders | |
• Secretary General | Kurt Jäger |
• Council Chair | Iceland [2] |
Establishment | |
• Convention signed | 4 January 1960 |
• Established | 3 May 1960 |
Area | |
• Total | 529,600 km2 (204,500 sq mi) |
Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 14,400,000 [3] |
• Density | 26.5/km2 (68.6/sq mi) |
GDP (PPP) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | $1.0 trillion [3] |
• Per capita | $70,000 |
GDP (nominal) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | $1.1 trillion [3] |
• Per capita | $79,000 |
Currency | |
Time zone | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Note: Iceland observes WET all year, while Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland observe CET and CEST. | |
Website efta |
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. [4] The organization operates in parallel with the European Union (EU), and all four member states participate in the European single market and are part of the Schengen Area. [5] They are not, however, party to the European Union Customs Union.
EFTA was historically one of the two dominant western European trade blocs, but is now much smaller and closely associated with its historical competitor, the European Union. It was established on 3 May 1960 to serve as an alternative trade bloc for those European states that were unable or unwilling to join the then European Economic Community (EEC), the main predecessor of the EU. The Stockholm Convention (1960), to establish the EFTA, was signed on 4 January 1960 in the Swedish capital by seven countries (known as the "Outer Seven": Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). [6] A revised Convention, the Vaduz Convention, was signed on 21 June 2001 and entered into force on 1 June 2002. [7] [8]
After 1995 only two founding members remained, namely Norway and Switzerland. The other five, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom, had joined the EU at some point in the intervening years. The initial Stockholm Convention was superseded by the Vaduz Convention, which aimed to provide a successful framework for continuing the expansion and liberalization of trade, both among the organization's member states and with the rest of the world.
While the EFTA is not a customs union and member states have full rights to enter into bilateral third-country trade arrangements, it does have a coordinated trade policy. [4] As a result, its member states have jointly concluded free trade agreements with the EU and a number of other countries. [4] To participate in the EU's single market, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway are parties to the Agreement on a European Economic Area (EEA), with compliances regulated by the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court. Switzerland has a set of multilateral agreements with the EU and its member states instead.[ dubious – discuss ]
On 12 January 1960, the Convention establishing the European Free Trade Association was initiated in the Golden Hall of the Stockholm City Hall. [9] This established the progressive elimination of customs duties on industrial products, but did not affect agricultural or fisheries products.
The main difference between the early EEC and the EFTA was that the latter did not operate common external customs tariffs unlike the former: each EFTA member was free to establish its individual customs duties against, or its individual free trade agreements with, non-EFTA countries.
The founding members of the EFTA were: Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. During the 1960s, these countries were often referred to as the "Outer Seven", as opposed to the Inner Six of the then European Economic Community (EEC). [10]
Finland became an associate member in 1961 and a full member in 1986, and Iceland joined in 1970. The United Kingdom and Denmark joined the EEC in 1973 and hence ceased to be EFTA members. Portugal also left EFTA for the European Community in 1986. Liechtenstein joined the EFTA in 1991 (previously its interests had been represented by Switzerland). Austria, Sweden, and Finland joined the EU in 1995 and thus ceased to be EFTA members.
Twice, in 1972 and in 1994, the Norwegian government had tried to join the EU (still the EEC, in 1973) and by doing so, leave the EFTA. However, both the times, the membership of the EU was rejected in national referendums, keeping Norway in the EFTA. Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009 due to the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis, but has since dropped its bid. [11]
Contracting party | Accession | Population [12] [13] (2021) | Area (km2) | Capital | GDP in millions (PPP) [note 1] | GDP per capita (PPP) [note 1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iceland | 1 January 1970 | 370,335 | 103,000 | Reykjavík | 12,831 [14] | 39,223 [14] |
Liechtenstein | 1 September 1991 | 39,039 | 160.4 | Vaduz | 3,545 [note 2] | 98,432 [note 2] |
Norway | 3 May 1960 | 5,403,021 | 385,155 | Oslo | 265,911 [15] | 53,470 [15] |
Switzerland | 3 May 1960 | 8,691,406 | 41,285 | Bern | 363,421 [16] | 45,417 [16] |
State | Accession | Left EFTA | Joined EEC/EU |
---|---|---|---|
Austria | 3 May 1960 | 31 December 1994 | 1 January 1995 |
Denmark | 3 May 1960 | 31 December 1972 | 1 January 1973 |
Finland | 1 January 1986 | 31 December 1994 | 1 January 1995 |
Portugal | 3 May 1960 | 31 December 1985 | 1 January 1986 |
Sweden | 3 May 1960 | 31 December 1994 | 1 January 1995 |
United Kingdom | 3 May 1960 | 31 December 1972 | 1 January 1973 (withdrew 31 January 2020) |
Between 1994 and 2011, EFTA memberships for Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, the Isle of Man, Turkey, Israel, Morocco, and other European Neighbourhood Policy partners were discussed. [17]
In November 2012, after the Council of the European Union had called for an evaluation of the EU's relations with Andorra, Monaco, and San Marino, which they described as "fragmented", [18] the European Commission published a report outlining the options for their further integration into the EU. [19] Unlike Liechtenstein, which is a member of the EEA via the EFTA and the Schengen Agreement, relations with these three states are based on a collection of agreements covering specific issues. The report examined four alternatives to the current situation:
However, the Commission argued that the sectoral approach did not address the major issues and was still needlessly complicated, while EU membership was dismissed in the near future because "the EU institutions are currently not adapted to the accession of such small-sized countries". The remaining options, EEA membership and a FAA with the states, were found to be viable and were recommended by the commission. In response, the Council requested that negotiations with the three microstates on further integration continue, and that a report be prepared by the end of 2013 detailing the implications of the two viable alternatives and recommendations on how to proceed. [20]
As EEA membership is currently only open to EFTA or EU member states, the consent of existing EFTA member states is required for the microstates to join the EEA without becoming members of the EU. In 2011, Jonas Gahr Støre, then Foreign Minister of Norway which is an EFTA member state, said that EFTA/EEA membership for the microstates was not the appropriate mechanism for their integration into the internal market due to their different requirements from those of larger countries such as Norway, and suggested that a simplified association would be better suited for them. [21] Espen Barth Eide, Støre's successor, responded to the commission's report in late 2012 by questioning whether the microstates have sufficient administrative capabilities to meet the obligations of EEA membership. However, he stated that Norway would be open to the possibility of EFTA membership for the microstates if they decided to submit an application, and that the country had not made a final decision on the matter. [22] [23] [24] [25] Pascal Schafhauser, the Counsellor of the Liechtenstein Mission to the EU, said that Liechtenstein, another EFTA member state, was willing to discuss EEA membership for the microstates provided their joining did not impede the functioning of the organization. However, he suggested that the option of direct membership in the EEA for the microstates, outside of both the EFTA and the EU, should be considered. [24] On 18 November 2013, the EU Commission concluded that "the participation of the small-sized countries in the EEA is not judged to be a viable option at present due to the political and institutional reasons", and that Association Agreements were a more feasible mechanism to integrate the microstates into the internal market. [26]
The Norwegian electorate had rejected treaties of accession to the EU in two referendums. At the time of the first referendum in 1972, their neighbour, Denmark joined. Since the second referendum in 1994, two other Nordic neighbours, Sweden and Finland, have joined the EU. The last two governments of Norway have not advanced the question, as they have both been coalition governments consisting of proponents and opponents of EU membership.
Since Switzerland rejected the EEA membership in a referendum in 1992, more referendums on EU membership have been initiated, the last time being in 2001. These were all rejected. Switzerland has been in a customs union with fellow EFTA member state and neighbour Liechtenstein since 1924.
On 16 July 2009, the government of Iceland formally applied for EU membership, [27] but the negotiation process was suspended in mid-2013, and in 2015 the foreign ministers wrote to withdraw its application.
Denmark was a founding member of EFTA in 1960, but its membership ended in 1973, when it joined the European Communities. The autonomous territories of the Kingdom of Denmark were covered by Denmark's EFTA membership: Greenland from 1961 and the Faroe Islands from 1968. [28] In mid-2005, representatives of the Faroe Islands raised the possibility of their territory re-joining the EFTA. [29] Because Article 56 of the EFTA Convention only allows sovereign states to become members of the EFTA, [8] the Faroes considered the possibility that the "Kingdom of Denmark in respect of the Faroes" could join the EFTA on their behalf. The Danish Government has stated that this mechanism would not allow the Faroes to become a member of the EEA because Denmark was already a party to the EEA Agreement. [30]
The Faroes already have an extensive bilateral free trade agreement with Iceland, known as the Hoyvík Agreement. [31]
The United Kingdom was a co-founder of EFTA in 1960, but ceased to be a member upon joining the European Economic Community. The country held a referendum in 2016 on withdrawing from the EU (popularly referred to as "Brexit"), resulting in a 51.9% vote in favour of withdrawing. A 2013 research paper presented to the Parliament of the United Kingdom proposed a number of alternatives to EU membership which would continue to allow it access to the EU's internal market, including continuing EEA membership as an EFTA member state, or the Swiss model of a number of bilateral treaties covering the provisions of the single market. [32]
In the first meeting since the Brexit vote, EFTA reacted by saying both that they were open to a UK return, and that Britain has many issues to work through. The president of Switzerland Johann Schneider-Ammann stated that its return would strengthen the association. [33] However, in August 2016 the Norwegian Government expressed reservations. Norway's European affairs minister, Elisabeth Vik Aspaker, told the Aftenposten newspaper: "It's not certain that it would be a good idea to let a big country into this organization. It would shift the balance, which is not necessarily in Norway's interests." [34]
In late 2016, the Scottish First Minister said that her priority was to keep the whole of the UK in the European single market but that taking Scotland alone into the EEA was an option being "looked at". [35] However, other EFTA states have stated that only sovereign states are eligible for membership, so it could only join if it became independent from the UK, [36] unless the solution scouted for the Faroes in 2005 were to be adopted (see above).
In early 2018, British MPs Antoinette Sandbach, Stephen Kinnock and Stephen Hammond called for the UK to rejoin EFTA. [37]
In 1992, the EU, its member states, and the EFTA member states signed the Agreement on the European Economic Area in Porto, Portugal. However, the proposal that Switzerland ratify its participation was rejected by referendum. (Nevertheless, Switzerland has multiple bilateral treaties with the EU that allow it to participate in the European Single Market, the Schengen Agreement and other programmes). Thus, except for Switzerland, the EFTA members are also members of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA comprises three member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and 27 member states of the European Union (EU), including Croatia which the agreement is provisionally applied to, pending its ratification by all contracting parties. [38] [39] It was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement with the European Economic Community (which had become the European Community two months earlier). [40] It allows the EFTA-EEA states to participate in the EU's Internal Market without being members of the EU. They adopt almost all EU legislation related to the single market, except laws on agriculture and fisheries. However, they also contribute to and influence the formation of new EEA relevant policies and legislation at an early stage as part of a formal decision-shaping process[ citation needed ]. One EFTA member, Switzerland, has not joined the EEA but has a series of bilateral agreements, including a free trade agreement, with the EU.
The following table summarises the various components of EU laws applied in the EFTA countries and their sovereign territories. Some territories of EU member states also have a special status in regard to EU laws applied as is the case with some European microstates.
EFTA member states and territories | Application of EU law | EURATOM | European Defence Agency | Schengen area | EU VAT area | EU Customs Union | EU single market | Eurozone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iceland | Partial | No | No | Yes | No | No | With exemptions, in EEA [41] | No, ISK | |
Liechtenstein | Partial | No | No | Yes | No, Swiss–Liechtenstein VAT area | No, Swiss–Liechtenstein customs territory | With exemptions, in EEA [41] | No, CHF | |
Norway, except: | Partial | No | Participating non‑member state[ citation needed ] | Yes | No | No | With exemptions, in EEA [41] | No, NOK | |
Jan Mayen | Partial | No | Participating | Yes [42] | No, VAT free [43] | No | With exemptions, in EEA [41] | No, NOK | |
Svalbard | No | No | Demilitarised | No [44] | No, VAT free [43] | No | No [41] [45] [46] | No, NOK | |
Bouvet Island | No[ citation needed ] | No | Participating | No | No | No | No | No, NOK | |
Peter I Island | No[ citation needed ] | No | Demilitarised | No | No | No | No | No, NOK | |
Queen Maud Land | No[ citation needed ] | No | Demilitarised | No | No | No | No | No, NOK | |
Switzerland, except: | Partial | Participating associated state [47] | No | Yes | No, Swiss–Liechtenstein VAT area | No, Swiss–Liechtenstein customs territory | With exemptions, sectoral agreements [note 3] | No, CHF | |
Samnaun | Partial | Participating with Switzerland [47] | No | Yes | No, VAT free | No, Swiss–Liechtenstein customs territory | With exemptions, sectoral agreements [note 3] | No, CHF |
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. The EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court regulate the activities of the EFTA members in respect of their obligations in the European Economic Area (EEA). Since Switzerland is not an EEA member, it does not participate in these institutions.
The EFTA Surveillance Authority performs a role for EFTA members that is equivalent to that of the European Commission for the EU, as "guardian of the treaties" and the EFTA Court performs the European Court of Justice-equivalent role.
The original plan for the EEA lacked the EFTA Court: the European Court of Justice was to exercise those roles. However, during the negotiations for the EEA agreement, the European Court of Justice ruled by the Opinion 1/91 that it would be a violation of the treaties to give to the EU institutions these powers with respect to non-EU member states. [48] Therefore, the current arrangement was developed instead.
The EEA and Norway Grants are the financial contributions of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe. They were established in conjunction with the 2004 enlargement of the European Economic Area (EEA), which brought together the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway in the Internal Market. In the period from 2004 to 2009, €1.3 billion of project funding was made available for project funding in the 15 beneficiary states in Central and Southern Europe. The EEA and Norway Grants are administered by the Financial Mechanism Office, which is affiliated to the EFTA Secretariat in Brussels.
EFTA also originated the Hallmarking Convention and the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention, both of which are open to non-EFTA states.
EFTA has 29 free trade agreements with non-EU countries as well as declarations on cooperation and joint workgroups to improve trade. Currently, the EFTA States have established preferential trade relations with 40 states and territories, in addition to the 27 member states of the European Union. [49]
EFTA's interactive Free Trade Map gives an overview of the partners worldwide. [50]
Nation (s) | No of nations represented | Signed | Effective | Coverage | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | 1 | 17 December 2009 | 1 November 2010 | Goods | [51] |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 24 June 2013 | 1 January 2015 | Goods | [52] |
Canada | 1 | 26 January 2008 | 1 July 2009 | Goods | [53] |
Central America Costa Rica Guatemala Honduras Panama | 4 | 24 June 2013 | 19 August 2014 | Goods & Services | [54] |
Chile | 1 | 26 June 2003 | 1 December 2004 | Goods & Services | [55] |
Colombia | 1 | 25 November 2008 | 1 July 2011 | Goods & Services | [56] |
Ecuador | 1 | 25 June 2018 | 1 November 2020 | Goods & Services | [57] |
Egypt | 1 | 27 January 2007 | 1 August 2007 | Goods | [58] |
Georgia | 1 | 27 June 2016 | 1 September 2017 | Goods & Services | [59] |
Gulf Cooperation Council Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates | 6 | 22 June 2009 | 1 July 2014 | Goods & Services | [60] |
Hong Kong China | 1 | 21 June 2011 | 1 October 2012 | Goods & Services | [61] |
Indonesia | 1 | 16 December 2018 | 1 November 2021 | Goods & Services | [62] |
Israel | 1 | 17 September 1992 | 1 January 1993 | Goods | [63] |
Jordan | 1 | 21 June 2001 | 1 September 2002 | Goods | [64] |
Lebanon | 1 | 24 June 2004 | 1 July 2007 | Goods | [65] |
Mexico | 1 | 27 November 2000 | 1 July 2001 | Goods | [66] |
Montenegro | 1 | 14 November 2011 | 1 September 2012 | Goods | [67] |
Morocco [note 4] | 1 | 19 June 1997 | 1 December 1999 | Goods | [68] [69] |
North Macedonia | 1 | 19 June 2000 | 1 May 2002 | Goods | [70] |
Palestinian Authority | 1 | 30 November 1998 | 1 July 1999 | Goods | [71] |
Peru | 1 | 24 June 2010 | 1 July 2011 | Goods | [72] |
Philippines | 1 | 28 April 2016 | 1 June 2018 | Goods & Services | [73] |
Serbia | 1 | 17 December 2009 | 1 October 2010 | Goods | [74] |
Singapore | 1 | 26 June 2002 | 1 January 2003 | Goods & Services | [75] |
South Korea | 1 | 15 December 2005 | 1 September 2006 | Goods & Services | [76] |
Southern African Customs Union Botswana Eswatini Lesotho Namibia South Africa | 5 | 26 June 2006 | 1 May 2008 | Goods | [77] |
Tunisia | 1 | 17 December 2004 | 1 August 2005 | Goods | [78] |
Turkey | 1 | 25 June 2018 | 1 October 2021 | Goods & Services | [79] |
Ukraine | 1 | 24 June 2010 | 1 June 2012 | Goods & Services | [80] |
Signed:
Concluded:
Negotiations:
Negotiations currently on hold
Declarations on cooperation
The following agreements are no longer active: [100]
EFTA member states' citizens enjoy freedom of movement in each other's territories in accordance with the EFTA convention. [101] EFTA & EEA nationals also enjoy freedom of movement in the European Union (EU). EFTA nationals and EU citizens are not only visa-exempt but are legally entitled to enter and reside in each other's countries. The Citizens' Rights Directive [102] (also sometimes called the "Free Movement Directive") defines the right of free movement for citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA), [103] which includes the three EFTA members Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein plus the member states of the EU. Switzerland, which is a member of EFTA but not of the EEA, is not bound by the Directive but rather has a separate multilateral agreement on free movement with the EU and its member states. [104]
As a result, a citizen of an EFTA country can live and work in all the other EFTA countries and in all the EU countries, and a citizen of an EU country can live and work in all the EFTA countries (but for voting and working in sensitive fields, such as government / police / military, citizenship is often required, and non-citizens may not have the same rights to welfare and unemployment benefits as citizens). [105]
# | State | Name | Year |
---|---|---|---|
1 | United Kingdom | Frank Figgures | 1960–1965 |
2 | United Kingdom | John Coulson | 1965–1972 |
3 | Sweden | Bengt Rabaeus | 1972–1975 |
4 | Switzerland | Charles Müller | 1976–1981 |
5 | Norway | Per Kleppe | 1981–1988 |
6 | Austria | Georg Reisch | 1988–1994 |
7 | Iceland | Kjartan Jóhannsson | 1994–2000 |
8 | Switzerland | William Rossier | 2000–2006 |
9 | Norway | Kåre Bryn | 2006–2012 |
10 | Iceland | Kristinn F. Árnason | 2012–2018 |
11 | Switzerland | Henri Gétaz | 2018–present |
The Portugal Fund came into operation in February 1977 when Portugal was still a member of EFTA. [106] It was to provide funding for the development of Portugal after the Carnation Revolution and the consequential restoration of democracy and the decolonization of the country's overseas possessions. This followed a period of economic sanctions by most of the international community, which left Portugal economically underdeveloped compared to the rest of the western Europe. When Portugal left EFTA in 1985 in order to join the EEC, the remaining EFTA members decided to continue the Portugal Fund so that Portugal would continue to benefit from it. The Fund originally took the form of a low-interest loan from the EFTA member states to the value of US$100 million. Repayment was originally to commence in 1988, however, EFTA then decided to postpone the start of repayments until 1998. The Portugal Fund was dissolved in January 2002. [107]
The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the Agreement on the European Economic Area, an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The EEA links the EU member states and three of the four EFTA states into an internal market governed by the same basic rules. These rules aim to enable free movement of persons, goods, services, and capital within the European single market, including the freedom to choose residence in any country within this area. The EEA was established on 1 January 1994 upon entry into force of the EEA Agreement. The contracting parties are the EU, its member states, and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. New members of EFTA would not automatically become party to the EEA Agreement, as each EFTA State decides on its own whether it applies to be party to the EEA Agreement or not. According to Article 128 of the EEA Agreement, "any European State becoming a member of the Community shall, and the Swiss Confederation or any European State becoming a member of EFTA may, apply to become a party to this Agreement. It shall address its application to the EEA Council." EFTA does not envisage political integration. It does not issue legislation, nor does it establish a customs union. Schengen is not a part of the EEA Agreement. However, all of the four EFTA States participate in Schengen and Dublin through bilateral agreements. They all apply the provisions of the relevant Acquis.
The European Union has a number of relationships with foreign states. According to the European Union's official site, and a statement by Commissioner Günter Verheugen, the aim is to have a ring of countries, sharing EU's democratic ideals and joining them in further integration without necessarily becoming full member states.
European integration is the process of industrial, economic, political, legal, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe, or nearby. European integration has primarily but not exclusively come about through the European Union and its policies.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is issued free of charge to anyone who is insured by or covered by a statutory social security scheme of the EEA countries or Switzerland and certain citizens and residents of the United Kingdom. It allows holders to receive medical treatment in another member state in the same way as residents of that state—i.e., free or at a reduced cost—if treatment becomes necessary during their visit, or if they have a chronic pre-existing condition which requires care such as kidney dialysis. The term of validity of the card varies according to the issuing country. The EEA countries and Switzerland have reciprocal healthcare arrangements with the United Kingdom, which issues a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) valid in the EEA countries and, in most cases, in Switzerland.
A customs union is the principal area of robust formal agreement between the Principality of Andorra and the European Union (EU). Andorra borders two EU member states: France and Spain.
The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) monitors compliance with the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (the EEA EFTA States). ESA operates independently of the States and safeguards the rights of individuals and undertakings under the EEA Agreement, ensuring free movement, fair competition, and control of state aid.
Currently, all of the European microstates have some form of relations with the European Union (EU).
The Citizens' Rights Directive 2004/38/EC sets out the conditions for the exercise of the right of free movement for citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the member states of the European Union (EU) and the three European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. Switzerland, which is a member of EFTA but not of the EEA, is not bound by the Directive but rather has a separate multilateral sectoral agreement on free movement with the EU and its member states.
The European driving licence is a driving licence issued by the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA); all 27 EU member states and three EFTA member states; Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, which give shared features the various driving licence styles formerly in use. It is credit card-style with a photograph. They were introduced to replace the 110 different plastic and paper driving licences of the 300 million drivers in the EEA. The main objective of the licence is to reduce the risk of fraud.
Liechtenstein passports are issued to nationals of Liechtenstein for the purpose of international travel. Beside serving as proof of Liechtenstein citizenship, they facilitate the process of securing assistance from Liechtenstein consular officials abroad.
Relations between the Principality of Liechtensteinand the European Union (EU) are shaped heavily by Liechtenstein's participation in the European Economic Area (EEA).
Relations between the Republic of San Marino and the European Union (EU) began in February 1983. San Marino is completely surrounded by one EU member state, Italy.
Relations between the Principality of Monaco and the European Union (EU) are primarily conducted through France. Through that relationship Monaco directly participates in certain EU policies. Monaco is an integral part of the EU customs territory and VAT area, and therefore applies most measures on excise duties and VAT. Monaco borders one EU member state: France. However this relationship does not extend to external trade. Preferential trade agreements between the EU and third countries apply only to goods originating from the customs territory – Monaco may not claim EU origin in this respect.
National identity cards are identity documents issued to citizens of most European Union and European Economic Area (EEA) member states, with the exception of Denmark and Ireland. As a new common identity card model replaced the various formats in use from 2 August 2021, recently issued ID cards are harmonized across the EEA, while older ID cards are currently being phased out according to Regulation (EU) 2019/1157.
The Norwegian identity card, commonly referred to as the national identity card in Norway, is a non-compulsory biometric identity document issued since 30 November 2020. It is one of two official identity documents issued by the Norwegian Police Service, the other being the Norwegian passport. It is only issued to Norwegian citizens, and may indicate citizenship so that it can be used as a travel document facilitating freedom of movement within the European Free Trade Association and the European Economic Area. For travel within the Nordic countries no identity documentation is legally required for Nordic citizens due to the Nordic Passport Union.
The United Kingdom (UK) was a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2020, following the coming into force of the 1992 EEA Agreement. Membership of the EEA is a consequence of membership of the European Union (EU). The UK ceased to be a Contracting Party to the EEA Agreement after its withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020, as it was a member of the EEA by virtue of its EU membership, but retained EEA rights during the Brexit transition period, based on Article 126 of the withdrawal agreement between the EU and the UK. During the transition period, which ended on 31 December 2020, the UK and EU negotiated their future relationship.
Passports of the EFTA member states are passports issued by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. EFTA is in this article used as a common name for these countries.
In British politics, the "Norway-plus model" was a proposal for a post-Brexit settlement, which the British government did not pursue. Proposed in November 2018 as an alternative to the Chequers plan, it would have consisted of membership of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and of membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) as an EFTA member state, combined with a separate customs union with the EU to create a trade relationship similar to that between the EU and its member states today, with the exception of the political representation in the EU's bodies. Michel Barnier, the EU's Chief Negotiator, has always said that a model that combined EEA/EFTA and a customs union was one that he would be happy to consider.
Passports in Europe are issued by each state individually, e.g. the Netherlands or United Kingdom. In general, passports issued in Europe either grant the holder the right of freedom of movement within the European Economic Area, to those that don't. The majority of European states are members of the European Union, and therefore issue EU passports.
The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is a card issued by the NHS Business Services Authority on behalf of the Department for Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom. It is issued free of charge to anyone covered by the social security system of the United Kingdom and provides evidence of entitlement to the provision of healthcare services under the UK's reciprocal healthcare agreements with the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Guernsey and some British Overseas Territories. It is also accepted by Australia as proof of eligibility to enrol in Medicare.
Under its constitutional status the Faroes cannot become a contracting party to the EEA Agreement in its own right due to the fact that the Faroes are not a state.