What is the EEA?

On 1 May 1995, Liechtenstein officially joined the European Economic Area (EEA), becoming a full participant in the European single market. The EEA brings together the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) and the three EEA/EFTA states – Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway – into a single market of around 455 million consumers, in which the same fundamental rules apply to all participating countries.

Citizens of all 30 EEA Member States have the right to exercise the four fundamental freedoms:

• movement of goods
• movement of persons
• movement of services
• movement of capital

Moreover, Article 4 of the EEA Agreement prohibits any discrimination on grounds of nationality (prohibition of discrimination). 

What does the EEA Agreement not cover?

The EEA Agreement does not cover the following EU policy areas, among others:

• common agricultural and fisheries policies
• customs union
• common commercial (trade) policy
• fiscal policy
• common foreign and security policy
• justice and home affairs (the EFTA countries are part of the Schengen area)
• economic and monetary union (EMU)