At a regular session of the EFTA
Parliamentary Committee, the members of the EFTA/EU Delegation will discuss the
latest developments in global trade policies and address various issues
relating to the process for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The EU’s chief
Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, will present a progress report the
negotiations between the EU and the UK. The members of the EFTA Parliamentary
Committee will also discuss the matter with the members of the EEA Council.
The EEA Council meets twice a year at
ministerial level and provides the necessary political impetus for the
development of the EEA Agreement. The EEA EFTA states are represented at the
EEA Council by their respective foreign or European affairs ministers. EFTA
membership affords Switzerland observer status in the EFTA pillar of the
European Economic Area, which allows it to closely monitor developments in the
EEA.
The delegation’s vice president, National Council
member Eric Nussbaumer (PS/BL), National Council members Kathy Riklin (PDC/ZH)
and Hans-Peter Portmann (PLR/ ZH) and the Council of States member Konrad
Graber (PDC/LU) will represent Switzerland at these two ministerial meetings.
Council of States member Didier Berberat (PS/NE) and National Council member
Jean-François Rime (UDC/FR) will join the delegation in Geneva to participate
in discussions on the future of multilateral negotiations and the development
of cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and
the WTO.