EU/EEA Law

The EEA agreement is the main foundation in Norway's cooperation with the EU. It ensures free movement of persons, goods, services and capital. The overall goal of the EEA agreement is to link the EEA / EFTA countries, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, to the EU's internal market. The internal market is based on a common set of rules that are practiced equally by the person in question in the EU and the EEA. A prerequisite for the EFTA countries' rights in the internal market is that the EU regulations are continuously incorporated into the EEA agreement as this develops. The agreement entered into force on 1 January 1994.

The EEA agreement contains further provisions on state aid. The state aid rules limit financial support from the public sector to companies that carry out financial activity, and have more detailed procedural requirements for approval of such support.

Among other things, we can assist in interpreting and applying the EEA agreement in practice. On behalf of clients, we make assessments of public regulations and schemes are in accordance with the EEA Agreement's rules on the free movement of goods, services, persons and capital. Furthermore, we can assist with interpretations of the scope of the ban on state aid in the EEA Agreement, how public support and support schemes can most appropriately be implemented, and notification and approval of public support to the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA).