European Economic Area - advantages and disadvantages of incomplete integration

About the project

Excellent grant

European Economic Area - advantages and disadvantages of incomplete integration

Number of the project:  UK/3268/2024

Responsible solver: Mgr. Igor Sloboda

The European Economic Area is a unique system of regional cooperation, which is specifically linked to the European Union compared to other regional cooperation organisations. Like the EU legal order, the EEA is based on a sui generis international treaty. Through the EEA, a homogeneous economic area has been created guaranteeing the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. The EEA thus links the EU and the European Free Trade Association states that are parties to the EEA Agreement and extends the EU internal market to these states. Relations between EU Member States and EEA/EFTA States are characterised by institutional, legislative and judicial dialogue. The creation of a two-pillar structure by the EEA Agreement has created a unique mechanism linking the legal systems of the EU and the EEA/EFTA States. The analysis of this regional cooperation scheme is relevant to the volume for several reasons. This is primarily due to the special relationship between the EU and the EEA/EFTA States, as together they form a large economic bloc. On the second level, institutional and political partnerships reflecting those of the EU are created through the EEA. All legislation adopted by the EU with EEA relevance transposed by the EEA/EFTA States and interpreted in the light of the Treaties. This has a basis in the very composition of the EEA, the EU is its founding pillar, future developments are thus firmly linked to those of the EU, but this may result in negative disparities towards the EEA/EFTA states on a number of levels.