EFTA Bulletin (Switzerland) articles from January 2000

EFTA Bulletin (Switzerland) archives from January 2000

In commemoration of EFTA's 40th anniversary: foreword.
January 1, 2000... When the achievements of the European Free Trade Association are measured against the fundamental objectives set by its founding states there is ample reason to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Association. The core objectives were to...

A continuing saga of achievement.(Iceland)
January 1, 2000... Measured against the objectives that EFTA set itself forty years ago in the EFTA Convention, its achievements are impressive. Its key first objective of promoting continuous improvement in living standards in the EFTA States has clearly been...

EFTA's contribution to the economic and political development of Liechtenstein.(Liechtenstein)
January 1, 2000... It has been a tradition within EFTA to celebrate anniversaries every five years. At the 35th anniversary of EFTA, in 1995, Liechtenstein participated as a full member for the first time, having become EFTA's newest member in 1991. However, my...

Still going strong after forty years.(Norway)
January 1, 2000... EFTA is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary as a small but efficient organisation that safeguards the economic interests of its Member States. When the EFTA family was reduced from 7 to 4 members in 1995, many people predicted that this...

The significance of EFTA for Switzerland.(Switzerland)
January 1, 2000... In the course of the past four decades EFTA Countries have been remarkably successful in promoting cooperation between themselves. This cooperation has brought additional economic benefits, permitted them to make a contribution to the European...

EFTA facts and figures.
January 1, 2000... The European Free Trade Association is a free trade area comprising four small open economies: The Republic of Iceland The Principality of Liechtenstein The Kingdom of Norway The Swiss Confederation The core activities of...

EFTA: 40 Years of free trade.(The History)
January 1, 2000... The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was founded on the premise of tree trade as a means of achieving growth and prosperity amongst its Member States as well as promoting closer economic co-operation between the Western European...

EFTA at the service of its members.(Former Prime Minister of Norway)
January 1, 2000... In the history of European Integration, historians are paying attention to the nature of the institutions that help drive it. It is a characteristic of the cooperation among European democracies that governments have access to a variety of...

EFTA forty years.(Former Trade Ministers of Sweden and EU-Commissioner)
January 1, 2000... When EFTA celebrated its last birthday in 1990 I had the honour in my capacity of Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade and European affairs to be in the Chair. The celebration took place in Gothenburg in the most beautiful summer weather. The...

Friendship and co-operation.(Co-chairman of the EEA Consultative Committee)
January 1, 2000... Mr Jon Ivar Nalsund, Chairman of the EFTA Consultative Committee, and I are the co-Chairmen of the EEA Consultative Committee. Co-operation between EU delegates and their counterparts from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland (which...

From tariffs to politics.(President of EFTA's Consultative Committee)
January 1, 2000... Forty years ago I was preparing for my college exams and had to read a considerable amount of documents about the new international animal that was called EFTA. Unfortunately, it was all wasted because during the examination I had to write...

Engine of trade liberalisation.(EU Commissioner for External Relations)
January 1, 2000... FTA's history is one of constant change: of its original seven founding members (Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and UK), only two--Norway and Switzerland--are still members of EFTA. In the meantime, others have joined...

Democracy and European integration.(Chairman of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee)
January 1, 2000... On 1 January 1994, with the entry into force of the EEA Agreement between the EU and the five members of EFTA, (Liechtenstein joined in 1995 and Switzerland achieved observer status following the result of a referendum in 1992 not to joint the...

Platform of co-operation.(Chairman of the Committee of Members of Parliament)
January 1, 2000... While EFTA celebrates its 40th anniversary, the Committee of Members of Parliament (CMP) is quite a few years younger. During its first fifteen years EFTA did not officially have a parliamentary body, even though there were informal meetings...