1/THREAD on EFTA & the EEA Agreement
-EFTA is an intergovernmental not supranational structure; one of the two independent separate jurisdictions implementing the EEA Agreement.
-EEA Agreement is not an EU treaty. It’s a separate body of international law and own legal order.

2/
- can (1) accept reject or request amends via the EEA Joint Commitee and/or (2) refuse to place it into their national law without which they are not bound by it.
-In response the EU either makes changes or takes proportionate countermeasures. Usually they make changes

3/
-EFTA court “gives regard to” ECJ rulings but not obliged to follow it (except pre-EEA Agreement law, ie before 1992)
-As a member would have 1 in 4 of the judges on the EFTA court. Its hearings are in English.

4/
- make NO contribution to the EU budget but pay the costs of participation on joint EU projects. They also make voluntary "grants" to non-EU projects in S&E Europe (sum based on a per capita GDP basis).
- are sovereign, independent states trading with the EU.

5/
- are expected to implement EEA law once it has been approved by them, but "right of reservation" reserves their right to delay or refuse to do so. Purpose, as Jaques Delors said, is to create consent, not imposition.

6/
Calling "rule takers" is both insulting & a myth because they have right to suggest, shape, accept, amend or, through the right of reservation, simply not apply the new EEA law.
The EEA structure - is intended to be durable & not adversarial.

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