Reply to the 12th annual report of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 23 October 1972 (15th Sitting) (see Doc. 3173, report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development). Text adopted by the Assembly on 23 October 1973 (15th Sitting).
The Assembly
1. Takes note of the twelfth annual report of the European Free Trade Association (
Doc. 3162) and the reply of its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development thereto (
Doc. 3173) ;
2. Congratulates EFTA on having achieved successfully the objectives adopted by it at its initiation ;
3. Takes note of the Norwegian rejection of membership of the European Communities, and hopes that before 1 April 1973 Norway will be able to come to a satisfactory agreement over its future economic relations with EEC ;
4. Welcomes fully the fact that :
a two EFTA member States, together with Ireland, have successfully negotiated their accession to the European Communities ;
b it has been possible for the other EFTA countries and the European Communities to come to mutually acceptable and advantageous agreements on their future economic relations ;
c all these agreements will enter into force simultaneously, thus avoiding the re-erection of most of the previously abolished trade barriers ;
5. Draws attention to the advantages for all concerned of as close co-operation between the remaining EFTA countries and the enlarged European Communities as their constitutions allow on matters of common interest such as monetary, energy, transport, industrial development and world trade questions ;
6. Believes that the three neutral EFTA States and Finland can by reason of their geographical situation and political status work in a useful way towards detente and the development of economic relations between Eastern and Western Europe ;
7. Looks forward to maintaining with the remaining EFTA States the close ties already established with the association since its creation ;
8. Underlines the valuable role that the Consultative Assembly can play as a meeting ground between parliamentarians from the remaining EFTA States and from the States of the enlarged European Communities.
