EFTA’s activities beyond free trade agreements
While trade has always been at the heart of EFTA’s mission, the Association also carries out a wide range of activities not directly linked to free trade agreements. These projects highlight EFTA’s broader role in supporting economic development, knowledge exchange and social cooperation.
Development funds
In 1975, EFTA set up a fund to support the development and restructuring of Portuguese industry during a time of democratic consolidation and a critical economic situation. Portugal was one of the founding members of EFTA. The EFTA Industrial Development Fund became operative in 1977 “to contribute to the development of Portuguese industry by financing specific projects for the reconstruction or creation of enterprises, especially small and medium sized, in the private and public sectors” (statute of the fund). The capital of the fund had the character of a loan from the contributory states to Portugal bearing a relatively low interest rate, and only during part of its lifespan. Another important part of the fund’s activity was the allocation of resources to management training. Although Portugal joined the EEC in 1985, the fund remained operational until 2002.
Statistics and data cooperation
In 1991, the Office of the Statistical Adviser (OSA) was established in Luxembourg to coordinate with Eurostat – the statistical office of the European Union – to support the creation of a European statistical area. It allowed the EFTA countries to align with EC norms on statistics for economy, society, environment, migration and more – an essential step towards the EEA.
Technical and policy cooperation
During the 1990s, EFTA supported workshops, seminars and study visits for partner countries, helping them to develop trade policies, customs systems and standards. This support included PHARE programmes in Central and Eastern Europe.
Scholarship and training programmes
EFTA funded scholarships for students from the Baltic States and Albania, covering studies in business, economics and trade in the EFTA countries. Courses and workshops on market economy principles were also provided in Romania, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
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Social and political dialogue
The EFTA Consultative Committee and EFTA Parliamentary Committee organised colloquia and workshops with social partners and parliamentarians from Central and Eastern Europe in the early 1990s. These meetings created a space for dialogue on free trade, market reforms and democratic governance.
EFTA thus played a dual role during this period: negotiating new trade agreements while also fostering technical expertise, institutional development and social cooperation that went far beyond trade.
A dual approach: Liberalisation and technical cooperation
In the decades that followed, EFTA continued to reinforce its external relations with targeted technical cooperation, supporting the implementation of FTAs, running joint EFTA–EU programmes, and supporting trade-related projects and scholarships for partner states. This pragmatic mix of trade liberalisation and capacity building ensured that new FTAs were not only signed but could also function effectively.
Relations with third countries
Partnerships beyond EFTA and the first free trade agreement (1967-1979)
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