The EFTA Surveillance Authority as the EEA w atchdog Brussels, 2 2 Novem ber 2 0 0 7 I nge Hausken Thygesen Press & I nform ation Officer w w w .eftasurv.int
W hat is the EFTA Surveillance Authority? EEA Agreement entails mutual obligations The European Commission monitors the EU Member States The Authority monitors (three of) the EFTA States The Commission has the right of initiative The Authority does not The Authority is a judicial body and not a political body
The Authority is the w atchdog Monitor the EFTA Countries fulfilment of EEA Agreement obligations The Authority shall be independent General surveillance EFTA countries implementation of the principles on the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital Horizontal areas (e.g. labour law, company law, environmental and consumer protection) Specific surveillance Competition, state aid, public procurement
Certain characteristics of the EEA Agreem ent The EEA Agreement requires homogeneity Common rules in all 28 countries Same interpretation of the rules in all 28 countries The EEA Agreement is dynamic New rules are adopted every month EEA law is intrepreted by the EU and EFTA Courts, the Commission and the Authority
ESA truer barnetrygden i Nord- Troms og Finnmark (Nordlys) Trussel om Lotto-skatt EFTAs overvåkingsorgan (ESA) har kommet med krav om at Norge enten må innføre skatt på ESA-offensiv mot Norge gevinster vunnet i Norge eller oppheve skatten på Freser mo Fr mot E ESAs h hindr dringe ger For øyeblikket har EØS-avtalens gevinster som er vunnet i utlandet. (Aftenposten) kontrollorgan, ESA, i Brussel hele 50 saker som går på norske forhold. – Ap-leder Jens Stoltenberg går til frontalangrep på ESA, som er De tolker regelverket altfor rigid, EØS-avtalens overvåkingsorgan. (VG) mener leder for Nei til EU, Sigbjørn Gjelsvik. (Nationen) Til dom s Dagbladet 0 3 .1 2 .2 0 0 1 0 6 :1 0 PÅ LEDERPLASS: Radikal kjønnskvotering strider m ot EØS-avtalen, ifølge EFTAs overvåkingsorgan ESA.
or… Don’t blam e ESA, it’s your Governm ent’s fault…
EFTA countries are obliged to … Implement and follow the EEA Agreement, i.e. : To take all appropriate measures to ensure fulfilment of the obligations arising out of the Agreement Abstain from any measure which could jeopardize the attainment of the objectives of the Agreement Facilitate co-operation within the framework of the Agreement Provide the Authority with all necessary information
General surveillance Implementation control EEA Acts shall be implemented into national law Directives have implementation time limits Implementation must be notified to the Authority Conformity assessment Correlation between directives and national provisions Case handling Own initiative cases Complaints
I f som ething is w rong ... Own initiative cases Based on Notification control Conformity assessments Information in the media etc. Complaints No power of instruction The Authority decides on breaches of EEA Law National authorities must decide on the proper action to rectify the breach
Procedures Requests for information Informal action Pre-Article 31 letters Package meetings Formal Letters of formal notice procedure “Breach of Reasoned opinion treaty” SCA Art. 31 EFTA Court
State Aid The state aid rules Main principle: State aid is prohibited State aid: Aid to undertakings, in whatever form A number of exceptions that the Authority monitors Requests from an EFTA State to grant state aid must be notified to and approved by the Authority Authority may request that unlawful aid be recovered
Com petition rules Competition rules applicable to undertakings Cartels and other forms of concentration between undertakings Abuse of a dominant market position The Authority monitors competition in EFTA States, co- operates closely with natl. authorties and Commission Concentrates on cross-border problems The Authority may issue fines to undertakings for breaches of EEA competition rules
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