Reply to the 13th annual report of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 29 September 1973 (16th Sitting) (see Doc. 3326, report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development). Text adopted by the Assembly on 29 September 1973 (16th Sitting).
The Assembly
1. Takes note of the 13th annual report of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) (
Doc. 3322) and the reply thereto of its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development (
Doc. 3326) ;
2. Welcomes the conclusion of free trade agreements between all EFTA member States and the enlarged European Communities which should result in a vast free trade area for industrial products by 1977 ;
3. Welcomes in principle the fact that the uniform "rules of origin" introduced under these free trade agreements are now applicable in sixteen European countries, but stresses the need for their progressive simplification and liberalisation ;
4. Expects that the Assembly, in particular through its joint meetings with the European Parliament, can continue to play a valuable role as a meeting ground for parliamentarians from the EFTA member States and those from the EEC member States ;
5. Hopes that free trade relations with those European countries with market economies which are Members neither of EEC nor EFTA will be developed and that economic relations with all European countries will be further extended ;
6. Hopes that the considerable increase in trade achieved among EFTA member States since the organisation's creation will be continued in trade among EEC and EFTA countries under the new free trade agreements ;
7. Invites EFTA to continue to work for the elimination, as soon as possible, of non-tariff barriers to trade ;
8. Believes that EFTA has a proper role to play in coordinating the action of its member States with regard to questions arising from the functioning of the European Communities and affecting the economic interests of EFTA member countries.
