Welcome from the Chair
Welcome to the website of DEEA - the European Parliament's Delegation for Northern cooperation and for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee.
DEEA ensures democratic oversight of the implementation of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, through the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee. It also covers the EU's bilateral inter-parliamentary relations with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Furthermore, DEEA deals with the EU's Northern policies and relations with various parliamentary forums of the North. During the 8th parliamentary term, the delegation constructively participated in activities of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) and its Standing Committee. The European Parliament hosted the Fifth Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum and maintained close contacts with the Nordic Council and the West-Nordic Council. Regarding the Arctic, it is our intention to keep the subject high on the agenda of the delegation, as requested by decisions of Parliament and its committees.
In 2019, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the EEA Agreement. The EEA agreement guarantees equal rights and obligations within the Internal Market for citizens and economic operators in the EEA. It has brought numerous benefits to our citizens and has opened up new opportunities for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. Moreover, our excellent cooperation has allowed for necessary flexibility in a world that is increasingly complex and constantly changing.
Twice per year, the DEEA Members meet with their counterparts from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland (the latter as observer) in the framework of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee to exchange views and provide substantive input and orientations to the executive branch of the EEA. Over the past years we have been able to develop our relationship further by establishing a deep political dialogue in areas of mutual interest, such as citizens' rights; addressing the challenges of migration and refugees; boosting our cooperation in security and defence; following up the implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change; and, last but not least, developing our dialogue on the future of the Arctic, Baltic and the High North.
The EEA EFTA States and Switzerland are our closest allies and like-minded partners in a very challenging global context. Our relations with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are therefore of the highest importance to the EU and we need to do our utmost to safeguard our special relationship!
Andreas SCHWAB
DEEA ensures democratic oversight of the implementation of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, through the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee. It also covers the EU's bilateral inter-parliamentary relations with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Furthermore, DEEA deals with the EU's Northern policies and relations with various parliamentary forums of the North. During the 8th parliamentary term, the delegation constructively participated in activities of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) and its Standing Committee. The European Parliament hosted the Fifth Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum and maintained close contacts with the Nordic Council and the West-Nordic Council. Regarding the Arctic, it is our intention to keep the subject high on the agenda of the delegation, as requested by decisions of Parliament and its committees.
In 2019, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the EEA Agreement. The EEA agreement guarantees equal rights and obligations within the Internal Market for citizens and economic operators in the EEA. It has brought numerous benefits to our citizens and has opened up new opportunities for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. Moreover, our excellent cooperation has allowed for necessary flexibility in a world that is increasingly complex and constantly changing.
Twice per year, the DEEA Members meet with their counterparts from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland (the latter as observer) in the framework of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee to exchange views and provide substantive input and orientations to the executive branch of the EEA. Over the past years we have been able to develop our relationship further by establishing a deep political dialogue in areas of mutual interest, such as citizens' rights; addressing the challenges of migration and refugees; boosting our cooperation in security and defence; following up the implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change; and, last but not least, developing our dialogue on the future of the Arctic, Baltic and the High North.
The EEA EFTA States and Switzerland are our closest allies and like-minded partners in a very challenging global context. Our relations with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are therefore of the highest importance to the EU and we need to do our utmost to safeguard our special relationship!
Andreas SCHWAB
