The European marketing area (Abk. EWR) extends the domestic market of the European community by three of the four EFTA-STATEs Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

To the EWR at present the 25 member states of the European union (European Union) belong:

• Belgium
• Denmark
• Germany
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• The Netherlands
• Austria
• Poland
• Portugal
• Sweden
• Slowakei
• Slovenia
• Spain
• the Czech republic
• Hungary
• United kingdom
• Cyprus

Further also three of the four EFTA-STATEs:

• Liechtenstein
• Iceland
• Norway

Swiss citizens rejected the participation of Switzerland in a mandatory referendum. Thus Switzerland, as only EFTA-STATE, does not participate in the EWR. It regulates its co-operation with the European Union in bilateral contracts.

In the EWR the tariffs between the member states were abolished and it to apply about 80 % of the domestic market regulations of the European Union. However it does not concern a customs union with common customs tariff. Furthermore are, different than within the European Union to pay consumption taxes with the import. The EWR is nevertheless due to the applicability of a multiplicity of harmonization regulations more than a simple foreign trade zone.

For the EWR countries, which are not member of the European Union, the monitoring of the EWR agreement and the derived regulations takes place via the EFTA supervising authority and the Court of Justice the EFTA. For the European Union member states the European commission as well as the European Court of Justice are responsible.

History

• 1992, 2. May: Signing of the agreement over the European marketing area (EWR agreement) between the European Union and the EFTA-STATEs.
• 1994, 1 January: The entry into force of the EWR agreement for Finland, Iceland, Norway, Austria, Sweden.
• 1994, 17. March: Adjustment minutes to the EWR agreement, since Switzerland had not ratified the EWR agreement.
• 1995, 1 January: The entry into force of the EWR agreement for Liechtenstein; Finland, Austria and Sweden become members of the European Union.

Related links

• EWR contract wording

• Adjustment minutes to the EWR agreement

Articles in category "European marketing area"

We found here 10 articles.