EFTA Free Trade Relations

This edition of the EFTA Bulletin looks at EFTA's free trade relations with partner countries outside the European Union.

When established almost 50 years ago, EFTA was based on the premise of free trade as a means of achieving growth and prosperity among its Member States. EFTA's aim was also to promote closer economic cooperation, in particular with the European Economic Community. EFTA achieved full free trade among its members in industrial products in 1967. Ten years later, the same was achieved with the EEC. During the last decade, EFTA has pursued an active policy of concluding free trade agreements with countries around the world. Now, EFTA is part of one of the
world's largest free trade networks, covering 50 countries and territories, and reaching a population of 850 million on four continents. These trade partners represent one-third of world gross domestic product.3

For this edition of EFTA Bulletin, policy-makers and experts in international trade have been invited to give their views. They include the Director-General of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, the EU Commissioner for External Trade, Peter Mandelson, the Swiss Minister for Economic Affairs, Joseph Deiss and the Prime Minister of Iceland, Geir H. Haarde.

In his article, “The EFTA Way — Half a Century of Free Trade”, the Secretary-General of EFTA, William Rossier, explains why EFTAis an important player in international trade.

This edition also includes opinions and insights from business leaders and social partners in the EFTA States. We should like to express our appreciation to all the contributors. We hope this publication will give readers a better understanding of EFTA's work to contribute to growth and employment in its Member States and to development in partner countries and world trade in general.

EFTA: Publications: EFTA Bulletin http://www.efta.int/publications/bulletins

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