THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION and THE EFTA

THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION and THE EFTA STATISTICAL OFFICE Luxembourg, 13 October 2014 Kurt Wass Deputy Head of the EFTA Statistical Office 13 October 2014 1

Agenda The European Free Trade Association 1. 2. 3. 4. History of EFTA Today EFTA Trade (Free Trade Agreements) European Economic Area (EEA) The EFTA Statistical Office 1. 2. 3. 4. EFTA Statistical Office (ESO) Why statistical co-operation? Eurostat and the European Statistical System EFTA statistical cooperation - EEA statistical cooperation - Technical cooperation and training programmes 5. ESO Activities 13 October 2014 2

What is Europe? Source: http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/European_integration 13 October 2014 3

History of EFTA 13 October 2014 4

History of EFTA 1960: EFTA founded by the “Outer Seven” (Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland the UK) 1970: Iceland joins EFTA 1973: Denmark and the UK leave EFTA to join the EEC (Norway says no) 1979: EFTA’s first Free Trade Agreement signed with Spain 1984: Signing of the Luxembourg Declaration between EEC and EFTA (a series of agreements followed laying the ground for the later EEA Agreement) 1985: Portugal leaves for EEC 1986: Finland fully member of EFTA (associated member in 1961) 1991: Liechtenstein joins EFTA 13 October 2013 5

History of EFTA 1992: The EEA Agreement is signed (entry into force in 1994; Switzerland says no) 1995: Austria, Finland Sweden leave EFTA to join EU (Norway says no) 2001: Vaduz Convention signed 2004: EEA enlargement (EU-25) 2007: Further EEA enlargement (EU-27) 2009: 15 th anniversary of the EEA 2010: EFTA celebrates its 50 th anniversary 2011: EFTA Statistical Office celebrates its 20 th anniversary 2013: Further EEA enlargement (EU-28) 13 October 2013 6

EFTA and the EU 13 October 2013 7

EEA 1994 EEA 2014 6 States 26 m. 12 States 357 m. 13 October 2013 3 States 4. 8 m. 28 States 507 m. 8

Small in population – but big in trade • EFTA is the world’s twelfth (2012) largest trading partner for goods • EFTA is the world’s sixth (2012) largest trading partner for services • EU’s third largest trading partner for goods and services • Leaders in GDP world ranking, and important source foreign investment Source: WTO 13 October 2013 9

EFTA Today 13 October 2013 10

EFTA institutions "EFTA Four" and "EFTA Three" – EFTA Council: Governing body of EFTA (GVA) – EFTA Standing Committee: EEA-EFTA States (BRU) – EFTA Court (LUX) – EFTA Surveillance Authority (BRU) – EFTA Secretariat (GVA, BRU, LUX) 13 October 2013 11

The EFTA Secretariat Services the Member State • Headquarters in Geneva (GVA), duty stations in Brussels (BRU) and Luxembourg (LUX) • Secretary-General (GVA), two deputies (GVA and BRU) and 8 Directors for – – – – Secretary-General’s Office (GVA/BRU) Administration (BRU/GVA) Trade Relations Division (GVA) EEA Coordination Division (BRU) Goods Division (BRU) Services, Capital, Persons and Programmes Division (BRU) EFTA Statistical Office (LUX) • Annual budget of € 25 mio • About 90 staff members 13 October 2013 12

Role of the EFTA Secretariat • Management of EFTA-internal free trade relations (GVA, BRU) • Support of Member States in third-country relations (GVA, LUX) – Exploration, co-ordination and organisation of FTA negotiations; – Management of FTAs and JDCs; – Technical assistance • Management of EFTA-EU relations (EEA; BRU, LUX) • Administration (Finance, HR, IT, Organisation; GVA, BRU) 13 October 2013 13

EFTA Trade Free Trade Agreements 13 October 2013 14

FTA Network – across Europe and beyond 13 October 2013 15

The European Economic Area (EEA) 13 October 2013 16

EEA - Internal Market 28 EU member states & 3 EEA-EFTA States: (IS, LI, NO) EU Internal Market: • Free movement of goods, services, persons and capital • About 500 million citizens/consumers • Homogeneous rules and conditions – Remove technical, physical and fiscal barriers (mutual recognition, standardisation) – Competition and state aid (public procurement) – Flanking and horizontal policies • EEA EFTA States take over relevant EU legislation – “Decision shaping” – Autonomous implementation – EFTA Surveillance Authority and EFTA Court 13 October 2013 17

Similar scheme for Switzerland: The Swiss-EU sectoral agreements http: //www. europa. admin. ch/ 13 October 2013 18

The EFTA Statistical Office (ESO) 13 October 2013 19

What is ESO? Ø EFTA Statistical Office was established in 1991 as a liaison office between Eurostat and the EFTA National Statistical Institutes (NSIs) Ø The EFTA NSIs are: Ø Ø Statistics Iceland (Hagstofa Íslands) Statistics Liechtenstein (Amt für Statistik Liechtenstein) Statistics Norway (Statistisk sentralbyrå) Swiss Federal Statistics Office (Das Bundesamt für Statistik/l’Office fédéral de la statistique) Ø ESOs objective is to sustain and promote the participation of EFTA States in the development of an integrated Statistical System which contributes to a European culture of evidence-based policymaking and monitoring 13 October 2013 20

Why statistical cooperation? 13 October 2013 21

Why statistical cooperation? Impartial and reliable statistical data produced by professionally independent statistical agencies are widely considered a prerequisite for a sustainable development of a modern democratic society and a necessary condition for the smooth running of a competitive market economy. Ø Statistics are important for policy making in a modern society Ø Statistics are vital for monitoring the effects of policies Ø Comparable statistics across countries and regions are a necessity in a globalised society Ø Statistics are crucial for understanding the society around us 13 October 2013 22

The European Statistical System – ESS Source: http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/European_integration 13 October 2013 23

ESS Committee: EU + EFTA = 32 European Union: 28 13 October 2014 EEAEFTA: 3 Swiss 24

EFTA statistical cooperation with EU 1. EEA/CH – EU statistical cooperation a. EEA agreement b. Swiss - EU Agreement in the field of statistics 2. Technical Assistance in the field of statistics 3. European Statistical Training Programme (ESTP) 13 October 2013 25

EEA Statistical Cooperation The EEA agreement also includes horizontal provisions relevant to the four freedoms: R&D, Environment, Education, Consumer protection, … and Statistics. Legal and institutional development of the EEA Agreement in the field of statistics (EEA EFTA States) Legal Basis for the EEA Statistical Cooperation – Art. 76 of the EEA Agreement concerns statistical cooperation – Annex XXI deals with EC legislation in the field of statistics relevant for the EEA – Provisions for the organisation of statistical cooperation, including EFTA Statistical Office (ESO), are mentioned in Protocol 30 13 October 2013 26

EEA Statistical Cooperation Objectives of EEA Statistical Cooperation Participation in common programmes and procedures in order to gradually achieve harmonisation for the production, transmission and dissemination of official statistics. Ø Legal and institutional development of the EEA Agreement in the field of statistics (EEA EFTA States) Ø Participation of EFTA experts to the decision-shaping Ø Inclusion of EFTA data in Eurostat databases and publications Ø Participation in EU statistical programmes and actions including the secondment of experts to Eurostat 13 October 2013 27

Swiss Bilateral Agreement in the field of Statistics Ø As of 1 st January 2007 a bilateral agreement between Switzerland the EU governs the statistical cooperation between both parties. Ø The Swiss Agreement ensures full participation of Switzerland in the European Statistical System. Ø Through this agreement Switzerland adopts European norms and standards, and Eurostat is obliged to disseminate Swiss data. 13 October 2013 28

Technical Assistance Ø EFTA and the European Union have a common interest in assisting neighbourhood countries of the enlarged European Economic Area to develop their statistical capacity and to harmonize statistical methods and standards with international norms. Ø The joint EFTA-Eurostat Technical Assistance programme is based on a so-called Administrative Arrangement (AA). Ø The AA covers a three-year periods and involves currently funds totalling 2. 1 million euro. Ø The AA gives priority to countries that have concluded free trade agreements or declarations on co-operation with EFTA: Western Balkans, the Mediterranean region, as well as the east boundary of the enlarged EEA. 13 October 2013 29

European Statistical Training Programme (ESTP) Ø ESTP aims to maintain a high level of competence in order to ensure constant quality throughout the European Statistical System (ESS). Ø EFTA is actively involved in the programme and organises usually three courses per year Ø EFTA-Eurostat cooperation in this field is currently based on an exchange of letters. 13 October 2013 30

EFTA Statistical Office (ESO) Activities 13 October 2013 31

ESO Activities Ø Working group of the Heads of EFTA NSIs Serving the WG of the Heads (general directors of the EEA EFTA States) in all issues concerning statistical co-operation within and outside the EEA Agreement (also includes CH) Ø EEA Statistical programme Drawing up the EEA Annual Statistical Programme in close cooperation with Eurostat 13 October 2013 32

ESO Activities Ø EEA Legislation Identification of new EU legal acts in the field of statistics and initiates their possible incorporation into the EEA Agreement Ø Seconded National Experts (SNEs) to Eurostat Participating in the recruitment procedure of SNEs and assisting EFTA Brussels in all administrative issues concerning the experts 13 October 2013 33

ESO Activities Ø Eurostat meetings and EFTA participation Participation of EFTA experts in decision-shaping Informing EFTA NSIs of meetings organised within the framework of the ESS and announcing EFTA participation to Eurostat Ø Inclusion of EEA EFTA data in Eurostat publications Following up the dissemination by Eurostat of EEA EFTA data and lobbying the European Commission for the inclusion of EEA EFTA data in publications 13 October 2013 34

ESO Activities Ø Technical Assistance In close co-operation with Eurostat, designing and implementing technical assistance projects in the field of statistics in thirdcountries Ø Statistical Training In close co-operation with Eurostat, designing and implementing courses in the framework of the European Statistical Training Programme (ESTP) 13 October 2013 35

ESO Activities Ø Statistics for the EFTA Secretariat Providing the EFTA Secretariat with official statistics and advising on the use of statistical information in all EFTA communication channels Ø Institutional coordination Coordinating institutional relations with the European Commission including the participation in negotiations of agreements within and outside the EEA Agreement Ø Other activities Participating in international meetings in the field of statistics organised by international organisations such as OECD, IMF and the United Nations 13 October 2013 36

Useful links • EFTA website http: //www. efta. int/ • ESO webpage http: //www. efta. int/statistics • Eurostat website http: //epp. eurostat. ec. europa. eu 13 October 2013 37