European Economic Area Council, 16/05/2017 - Main results

Meeting documents

Provisional agenda

Progress Report by the EEA Joint Committee

Draft minutes of the 46th EEA Council

The 47th meeting of the European Economic Area² (EEA)Council was held in Brussels, under the Presidency of Mr Louis Grech³, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for EU Affairs of Malta. The EEA EFTA side was led by Mr Frank Bakke-Jensen, Minister for EEA and EU Affairs of Norway. He was accompanied by Ms Aurelia Frick, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, and Mr Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland.

The EEA Council assessed the overall functioning of the EEA agreement. In particular, it examined the cooperation between the EU and the EEA EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) within the framework of the EEA agreement.

The EEA Council recognised that the close partnership between the EU and the EEA EFTA States was the best guarantee for long-term shared prosperity and stability. It also acknowledged the key role played by the EEA agreement for more than 20 years in advancing economic integration between the EU and the EEA EFTA States.

The EEA Council acknowledged the positive contributions made by the EEA EFTA States to the decision-shaping process of EEA-relevant EU legislation and programmes through their participation in the relevant committees, expert groups, studies and agencies, as well as through the submission of EEA EFTA comments.

The EEA Council also held a debate on joint fulfilment of the Paris Agreement and related GHG emissions reductions targets for 2030.

EEA Council page on the EFTA website

• 1. 

  In the Council, government ministers from each EU country meet to discuss, amend and adopt laws, and coordinate policies. The ministers have the authority to commit their governments to the actions agreed on in the meetings.
  Together with the European Parliament , the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU.
  Not to be confused with:
   
• 2. 

  De Europese Unie en drie van de landen van de Europese Vrijhandelsassociatie (EVA) - Liechtenstein, Noorwegen en IJsland - vormen samen de Europese Economische Ruimte (EER). In de EER gelden de regels voor de interne markt (het vrije verkeer van goederen, personen, diensten en kapitaal) en de regels voor mededinging en overheidssubsidies.
   
• 3. 

  Louis Grech was a member of the European Parliament from 20 July 2004 to 12 March 2013 as an independent member, and was aligned with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Grech took seat in Parliament on behalf of Malta.