The first round of discussions at the 50th meeting of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee is dedicated to the issue of Brexit and its possible consequences for the EEA. Among those attending the meeting are the Director General of the Norwegian Department for European Affairs, Niels Engelschiøn, and the two MEPs and members of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee, Catherine Stihler (UK, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats) and Rupert Matthews (UK, European Conservatives and Reformists Group). In addition to Brexit, bilateral relations between Switzerland and the EU will also be addressed.
Discussions will then move on to other current European policy issues. The MEP Julia Pitera (POL, Group of the European People’s Party) will report on the EU’s activities in the field of cybersecurity. Afterwards MEP Daniela Aiuto (ITA, Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group) will present the EU’s Clean Mobility package, which aims to reduce current CO2 emissions by EU member states by at least 40% by 2030. The last topic on the agenda is the package of measures under the heading of Clean Energy for all Europeans, aimed at facilitating clean energy transition.
The EEA Joint Committee brings together the European Parliament’s Standing Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and the EEA (SINEEA Delegation) and the standing Parliamentary Delegations of the three EEA/EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). Although Switzerland is not party to the EEA Agreement, it enjoys observer status on the Joint Parliamentary Committee and is represented at the bi-annual meetings by members of the EFTA/EU Parliamentary Delegation. The delegation’s vice president, National Council member Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL), National Council members Kathy Riklin (CVP, ZH), Thomas Aeschi (SVP, ZG) and Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH) will be attending the meeting.