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.