The European Economic Area Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) will meet in Vaduz (Liechtenstein) on 30–31 October. This is the first official JPC meeting at-tended by representatives from the new European Parliament. Topics for discus-sion include current challenges in the European Economic Area and relations be-tween Switzerland and the EU.

​The EEA Joint Committee unites the European Parliament’s permanent delegation for relations with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and the EEA (SINEEA Delegation) and the permanent parliamentary delegations of the three EEA/EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). Switzerland has observer status in the EEA JPC. The chair of the EFTA/EU Delegation, Hans-Peter Portmann (National Council, FDP/ZH), vice chair Eric Nussbaumer (National Council, SP/BL), and delegates Konrad Graber (Council of States, CVP/LU), Hannes Germann (Council of States, SVP/SH) and Kathy Riklin (National Council, CVP/ZH) will attend the meeting.
 
The joint parliamentary committee meeting, the first to be held since the European Parliament elections in May 2019, will be attended by the newly constituted SINEEA Delegation, headed by Andreas Schwab of the German CDU.
 
Discussions will focus on the scope of the EEA Agreement, its institutions and development and the challenges it faces, and the future of the single market. Recent events in relation to Brexit and relations between Switzerland and the European Union are also on the agenda. Further information on the 53rd meeting of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee can be found on the European Parliament website.