European Free Trade Association

Regional trade organization and free trade area

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February 19 2025 Croatia's EEA agreement officially entered into force.
2022 A members bill about joining the EEA was proposed and largely rejected by the Federal Council, which argued that existing treaties were more advantageous for Switzerland.
December 2022 A poll conducted 30 years after the 1992 referendum showed 71% of Swiss people would now support EEA participation if a new referendum were held.
2020 The United Kingdom left the European Union, affecting the status of its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.
January 28 2020 EEA EFTA States (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) signed a Separation Agreement with the United Kingdom, mirroring the EEA-relevant parts of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.
December 31 2019 Campione d'Italia concludes its exclusion from the EU customs area, marking the end of its special customs status.
January 2017 Theresa May, the British prime minister, announced a 12-point plan of negotiating objectives and confirmed the United Kingdom would not seek continued permanent membership in the single market.
2016 United Kingdom held a referendum to withdraw from the European Union, with potential options for remaining in the European Economic Area (EEA) through EFTA membership suggested by Michael Gove.
October 2015 The Dutch parliament reviewed the OCT status of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, concluding that the current legal structures for governance and integration were not working well, but made no recommendations regarding a potential change to outermost region status.
2014 Albania recognized as a candidate for European Union membership
April 2014 EEA agreement for Croatia was signed.
March 14 2014 Council Decision 2014/137 was issued, outlining the specific relations between the EU and Greenland.
January 1 2014 Mayotte transitioned from an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT) to become an Outermost Region (OMR) of the European Union.
2013 The Council Decision 2013/755/EU established detailed rules and procedures for the EU-OCT Association (OCTA), defining the framework for cooperation and support.
November 20 2013 EEA agreement for Croatia was concluded.
2012 Serbia recognized as a candidate for European Union membership
September 13 2012 Croatia applied to join the European Economic Area (EEA).
February 2012 Finland's 50-year lease renewal for the Saimaa Canal from Russia came into effect, with changes to the territorial management including the end of Finland's management of Maly Vysotsky Island.
January 1 2012 Saint Barthélemy changed its status from an Outermost Region (OMR) to an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT).
March 31 2011 Mayotte transitioned from an overseas collectivity with Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) status to an overseas department of France.
2010 Montenegro recognized as a candidate for European Union membership
2010 The Netherlands Antilles was dissolved, with Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten becoming autonomous countries under Dutch law, while Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba became special municipalities of the Netherlands.

This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles Special territories of members of the European Economic Area & European Economic Area, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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