The Committee emphasised particularly the importance of equal conditions for emission trading throughout the EEA to avoid competitive disadvantages and environmental dumping. While acknowledging the right and competence of each EEA EFTA Member State to develop national allocation plans reflecting national conditions and concerns, the Committee underlined that the allocation of allowances needs to be compatible with agreed principles and rules in the EEA. Read the full statement here.

In addition to the greenhouse gas emission trading issue, the Committee received a briefing from the new EFTA Deputy Secretary-General in Brussels, Ms Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, on other outstanding issues in the EEA and on EEA EFTA participation in EU programmes. Mr Kåre Bryn, EFTA Secretary-General, presented the Committee with the latest developments in EFTA's third-country relations, and the Committee had an exchange of views on more horizontal policy issues such as the EU Reform Treaty, flexicurity and the up-coming Single Market Review.