(fra EFTA-sekretariatets pressemelding 21.5.2025)

On 21 May 2025, the EEA EFTA States and the EU met at Ministerial level for the 60th meeting of the EEA Council, the highest cooperation body under the EEA Agreement. Discussions focused on economic security and the European Economic Area (EEA) and the EEA Agreement’s functioning in a changing Europe.

In light of the geopolitical challenges facing Europe – including Russia’s war against Ukraine, economic competitiveness concerns and persistent trade tensions – Ms Sabine Monauni, Liechtenstein’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Environment and Culture, underlined the resilience of the EEA cooperation:

“To address the pressure points outlined today, all 30 EEA States must work together and draw on their individual strengths and shared capacities. In a rapidly evolving world, one thing remains clear: together, we are stronger.”

On behalf of the EEA EFTA States, Liechtenstein’s Foreign Minister also stressed the importance of ensuring the Internal Market’s homogeneity to strengthen the joint economic security of the EEA:

“The Internal Market is an important tool to meet global challenges. This also underlines why safeguarding the homogeneity and level playing field within the Internal Market continues to be of paramount importance.”

In the Council, the members appreciated the work being done to ensure the successful operation and good functioning of the EEA Agreement. They also recognised efforts to reduce the number of EU acts awaiting incorporation into the EEA Agreement, and that important progress had been made in 2024 and 2025. The EEA Council noted, however, that the backlog remained high, and stressed the need to continue close cooperation on long-outstanding files to ensure legal certainty and homogeneity.

The EEA Council was chaired by the Undersecretary of State of the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Mr Michał Baranowski, representing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Ms Sabine Monauni co-chaired the meeting on behalf of the EEA EFTA States. Also attending on the EEA EFTA side were Ms Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, and Mr Espen Barth Eide, Foreign Minister of Norway. The EU institutions were represented by Mr Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, and for Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, and Mr Matti Maasika, Managing Director for Directorate Europe at the European External Action Service (EEAS).

In the informal political dialogue that took place after the EEA Council, the Ministers were joined by the Commission’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms Kaja Kallas. In this closed session, members discussed transatlantic relations, Ukraine and Russia, the Arctic, and the Middle East.

The EEA Council meets twice a year at ministerial level and provides the political direction for developing the EEA Agreement. The EEA EFTA States are represented by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs, while the EU is represented by the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as by representatives of the EEAS and the European Commission. The next EEA Council meeting will take place in autumn 2025.

Conclusions adopted by the EEA Council at its 60th meeting