European Economic Area (EEA)

European Economic Area         Европейска икономическа зона  (Bulgarian) Europski gospodarski prostor  (Croatian) Evropský hospodářský prostor  (Czech) Europæisk Økonomisk Samarbejdsområde  (Danish) Europese Economische Ruimte  (Dutch) Euroopa Majanduspiirkond  (Estonian) Euroopan talousalue  (Finnish) Espace économique européen  (French) Europäischer Wirtschaftsraum  (German) Ευρωπαϊκός Οικονομικός Χώρος  (Greek) Európai Gazdasági Térség  (Hungarian) Evrópska efnahagssvæðið  (Icelandic) Limistéar Eorpach Eacnamaíoch  (Irish) Spazio economico europeo  (Italian) Eiropas Ekonomikas zona  (Latvian) Europos ekonominės erdvės  (Lithuanian) Żona Ekonomika Ewropea  (Maltese) Europeiske økonomiske samarbeidsområde  (Norwegian) Europejski Obszar Gospodarczy  (Polish) Espaço Económico Europeu  (Portuguese) Spaţiul Economic European  (Romanian) Európsky hospodársky priestor  (Slovak) Evropski gospodarski prostor  (Slovene) Espacio Económico Europeo  (Spanish) Europeiska ekonomiska samarbetsområdet  (Swedish)
EU member states   EEA member   Provisional EEA member (Croatia) EFTA member states   EEA member   EFTA signatories that have not ratified (Switzerland)
Institutions  • Governance  • Regulators  • Courts	EEA Joint Committee EEA Council EC EFTA SA ECJ EFTA Court
Member states	27 EU states  Austria  Belgium  Bulgaria  Cyprus  Czech Republic  Denmark  Estonia  Finland  France  Germany  Greece  Hungary  Ireland  Italy  Latvia  Lithuania  Luxembourg  Malta  Netherlands  Poland  Portugal  Romania  Slovakia  Slovenia  Spain  Sweden  United Kingdom 3 EFTA states  Iceland  Liechtenstein  Norway 1 EU state with provisional membership  Croatia
Establishment
• EEA Agreement signed	2 May 1992
• Entry into force	1 January 1994
Area
• Total	4,944,753 km2 (1,909,180 sq mi)
Population
• 2015 estimate	513,772,446
GDP (nominal)	2014 estimate
• Total	€14 trillion ($18 trillion)
• Per capita	€27,300 ($34,000)

EU member states

EFTA member states

The European Economic Area (EEA) is the area in which the Agreement on the EEA provides for the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital within the European Single Market, including the freedom to choose residence in any country within this area. The EEA was established on 1 January 1994 upon entry into force of the EEA Agreement.

The EEA Agreement specifies that membership is open to member states of either the European Union (EU) or European Free Trade Association (EFTA). EFTA states which are party to the EEA Agreement participate in the EU's internal market without being members of the EU. They adopt most EU legislation concerning the single market, however with notable exclusions including laws regarding agriculture and fisheries. The EEA's "decision-shaping" processes enable EEA EFTA member states to influence and contribute to new EEA policy and legislation from an early stage. Third country goods are excluded for these states on rules of origin.

When entering into force in 1994, the EEA parties were 17 states and two European Communities: the European Community, which was later absorbed into the EU's wider framework, and the now defunct European Coal and Steel Community. Membership has grown to 31 states as of 2016: 28 EU member states, as well as three of the four member states of the EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The Agreement is applied provisionally with respect to Croatia—the remaining and most recent EU member state—pending ratification of its accession by all EEA parties. One EFTA member, Switzerland, has not joined the EEA, but has a series of bilateral agreements with the EU which allow it also to participate in the internal market.