The EU has very close relations with a number of its neighboring countries. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, which enables them to participate fully in the Single Market and other EU policies. Switzerland cooperates with the EU in a more selective manner, through around 120 bilateral agreements with the EU in different areas. Last but not least, the EU has very close relations with the Western Balkan countries and Turkey, based on a perspective for EU membership and many common interests and challenges. The seminar will take stock of the EU’s relations with these close neighbors. It will focus on the commonalities and differences between these relationships and will also discuss the challenges and future prospects.<\/p>\n
Angelina Eichhorst, Deputy Managing Director within the EEAS (the Foreign Service of the EU), and Director responsible for Western Europe (incl. EFTA), Western Balkans and Turkey<\/p>\n
Panel discussions:<\/strong> Moderator:<\/strong> Dav\u00ed\u00f0 \u00de\u00f3r Bj\u00f6rgvinsson, Research professor at the Department of Law, University of Iceland, and former judge on behalf of Iceland to the European Court of Human Rights<\/p>\n
\nBjarkey Olsen Gunnarsd\u00f3ttir, MP for the Left-Green Movement and Deputy Chairman of the Icelandic delegation to the EFTA and EEA Parliamentary Committees
\nD\u00f3ra Sif Tynes, Lawyer and former Director of the Legal Services of the EFTA Secretariat in Brussels
\nSm\u00e1ri McCarthy, MP for the Pirate Party and Chairman of the Icelandic delegation to the EFTA and EEA Parliamentary Committees<\/p>\n