ABSTRACT
Over the past two decades, the neighbours of the European Union (EU) have increasingly developed ‘a stake’ in the EU’s internal market. The model often referred to as a source of inspiration or a future aspiration is the European Economic Area (EEA) between the EU and the countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). In 1989 Commission President Delors (1989: 17-18) had offered the then seven EFTA countries, which feared disadvantages as a result of the completion of the internal market, to look for ‘a new, more structured partnership with common decision-making and administrative institutions’. The internal market was subsequently extended to EFTA on the basis of two ‘pillars’: the European Community (EC) and a strengthened EFTA. However, in 1995, Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU, while Norway voted against membership for a second time. Switzerland suspended its application for full membership after it failed to ratify participation in the EEA Agreement in 1992. This has in the past two decades left Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein as EEA EFTA states.
