EEA Joint Committee incorporates 91 legal acts and discusses EU Single Market Strategy

On 13 June, the EEA Joint Committee adopted 44 Joint Committee Decisions, incorporating 91 legal acts into the EEA Agreement. The EU and the EEA EFTA States also discussed the Single Market Strategy, as well as the new EEA EFTA Comment on the European preference requirement in public procurement.

EFTA Co-chair and Liechtenstein's Ambassador Pascal Schafhauser highlighted the progress being made in the transport sector, noting that among the acts incorporated in the meeting were 16 in the field of transport, 15 of which in civil aviation. The list also contained several important acts in the areas of statistics and financial services, including Directive 2021/2101 on the disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches, which aims to foster corporate transparency and enhance public scrutiny.

Earlier in the week, the EEA EFTA States had submitted a joint position paper to the EU on the European preference requirement in public procurement, which they presented to the Commission in the Joint Committee. In the comment, the EEA EFTA States underline that where a European preference requirement is introduced in public procurement legislation, it should be clarified that this requirement includes all 30 EEA States. The comment cites public procurement as a key pillar for the good functioning of the Internal Market, and as the EEA EFTA States implement this EU legislation through the EEA Agreement, the same rules and regulations should apply across the entire EEA.

"Clear and precise legislation removes uncertainty for contracting authorities and helps improve efficiency, as well as preventing unnecessary disputes," emphasised Ambassador Schafhauser.

The Commission also presented its new Single Market Strategy, which lays out a series of measures to reduce barriers and fragmentation in the Internal Market.

"The development of a horizontal Single Market Strategy is highly relevant to the EEA EFTA States. As members of the Internal Market and fully integrated in European value chains, we share the EU's ambition to strengthen Europe's economic security, resilience, decarbonisation and competitiveness across the entire EEA," commented Ambassador Schafhauser on behalf of the EEA EFTA States.

EU Chair Nicolas von Lingen from the Secretariat-General of the European Commission presided over the meeting. On the EEA EFTA side, this was the final meeting co-chaired by Liechtenstein before Iceland takes over as Chair of the EFTA Standing Committee on 1 July.

The next EEA Joint Committee meeting will be held at EFTA House on 11 July 2025.

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