Christa Tobler speaks at conference on the future of the EEA Internal Market
The dramatic geopolitical changes of the last few years and other crises have led the EU to reconsider the function and role of its internal market. Increased focus is now placed on ensuring the future competitiveness, economic security and resilience of Europe.
As expressed notably in the Letta report Much more than a Market of April 2024, the internal market is considered a tool to achieve these objectives, rather than principally a goal to be reached in itself.
Through the EEA Agreement, the EEA/EFTA States Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway participate in the EU’s internal market. The new developments in the EU and in particular a number of cross-sectoral EU initiatives in this context have raised questions on how this may affect EEA cooperation. In 2024, the report Cross-sectoral EU initiatives: The way ahead for the EEA was presented to the EFTA Standing Committee. Against this background and on the occasion of 30 years of Liechtenstein’s membership in the EEA, the Liechtenstein-Institut organised the conference The Future of the EEA Internal Market in view of current geopolitical and global economic challenges on 14 May 2025 in the Liechtenstein capital, Vaduz, Liechtenstein.
The EEA Agreement formed the starting point for the EU’s “extended internal market”, with participation – to different degrees – of a number of non-EU-Member States. This also includes Switzerland. At the conference, Christa Tobler was invited to present the view of Switzerland, which has recently concluded negotiations on strengthening its partial participation in the EU’s extended internal market, notably on the institutional level.