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European Free Trade AssociationLink to Address of OrganizationWeb Address of this Organization

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was established in 1960 by the Stockholm Convention to eliminate tariffs and other restrictions on trade between EFTA members. EFTA has its headquarters in Geneva and is headed by Secretary General William Rossier of Switzerland.

EFTA currently comprises Iceland, Liechstenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Until January 1, 1995, the organization had seven member states, but on that date Austria, Sweden and Finland left to join the European Union.

Three of EFTA's four members - Iceland, Liechstenstein and Norway - are participants in the European Economic Area (EEA) accord, an agreement linking EFTA and EU countries in the world's largest and most comprehensive multilateral trading area. Switzerland voted against joining the EEA in a referendum in December 1992.

The EEA Agreement in essence extends the Community's internal market to the three EEA/EFTA states. In addition they participate in EU activities in areas such as culture, research and development. The agreement is amended on a continuous basis to insure that relevant and acceptable Community legislation is extended to the EEA/EFTA states. This results in close EFTA-EC cooperation. The EFTA secretariat in Brussels assists the members states on EEA matters.

EFTA is committed to bringing the Central and East European countries gradually into the multilateral free trade system. The EFTA countries have concluded free trade agreements with 10 Central and East European countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, the Slovak Republic and the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In addition, EFTA has signed free trade agreements with Turkey, the PLO, Israel and Morocco.

EFTA promotes cooperation among its members on economic questions dealt with by larger international bodies such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Internet
www.efta.int

Address
European Free Trade Association
9-11, rue de Varembe
CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. 749.1111
Fax. 733.9291