EEA Joint Committee incorporates 88 legal acts and discusses EEA and Norway Grants

On 6 February, in its first meeting of the year, the EEA Joint Committee adopted 57 Joint Committee Decisions, incorporating 88 legal acts into the EEA Agreement.

Norwegian Ambassador to the EU, Anders H. Eide, co-chaired the Committee on behalf of the EEA EFTA States:

"The first weeks of the year have been action-packed, and we continue to find ourselves operating in an unpredictable and challenging geopolitical environment. As global political tensions intensify, our close relationship, based on the EEA Agreement, remains more important than ever."

Among the 88 legal acts incorporated, the Ambassador highlighted Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1323 on the maximum levels of cadmium in certain foodstuffs. Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal present in the environment, both naturally and as a result of agricultural and industrial activities. Reducing the maximum levels allowed in a wide range of food products, such as fruit, vegetables, cereals and oil seeds, is one of the Commission's measures to protect public health in the EEA.

The EEA EFTA States also briefed the EU side on the state of play of the implementation of the EEA and Norway Financial Mechanisms 2021-2028 followed by an exchange. Good progress has been achieved, with 11 memoranda of understanding signed with beneficiary states so far. The Grants will make EUR 3.268 billion available to support Europe's green transition, democracy and social resilience across 15 programme areas, fostering collaboration and innovation.

The two sides also held their first tri-monthly consultations on safeguard measures with regard to imports of certain ferro-alloying elements.

This was the first meeting since the European Commission took over the rotating Presidency of the Joint Committee at the beginning of the year.

The next EEA Joint Committee meeting will take place on 20 March.

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