Editing European Economic Area (section)

==Withdrawal of the United Kingdom==
{{See also|Membership of the United Kingdom in the European Economic Area}}
The United Kingdom, in [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|a 2016 referendum]], voted to [[Brexit|withdraw from the European Union]]. Staying in the EEA, possibly eventually as an EFTA member, was an option suggested by the then [[Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|Environment Secretary]], [[Michael Gove]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-gove-pushes-a-plan-to-keep-britain-in-the-single-market-after-brexit-2018-8|title=Michael Gove has been privately pushing a plan to keep Britain in the single market|first=Thomas|last=Colson|date=2 August 2018|website=Business Insider|access-date=10 September 2022|archive-date=10 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910100741/https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-gove-pushes-a-plan-to-keep-britain-in-the-single-market-after-brexit-2018-8|url-status=live}}</ref>

A 2013 research paper presented to the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] proposed a number of alternatives to EU membership which would continue to allow it access to the EU's [[European Single Market|internal market]], including continued EEA membership as an EFTA member state, or the [[Switzerland–European Union relations|Swiss model]] of a number of bilateral treaties covering the provisions of the single market.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/rp13-42.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705155512/http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/RP13-42.pdf |archive-date=2013-07-05 |url-status=live |title=Leaving the EU – RESEARCH PAPER 13/42 |date=1 July 2013 |access-date=19 May 2015 |publisher=House of Commons Library}}</ref> The United Kingdom was a co-founder of EFTA in 1960, but ceased to be a member upon joining the European Community. In the first meeting since the Brexit vote, EFTA reacted by saying both that it was open to a United Kingdom return and that it had many issues to work through<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/27/the-associated-press-the-latest-lithuania-says-uk-must-say-if-decision-is-final.html |title=The Latest: Lithuania says UK must say if decision is final |publisher=[[CNBC]] |date=27 June 2016 |via=[[Associated Press]] |archive-date=3 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703064040/http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/27/the-associated-press-the-latest-lithuania-says-uk-must-say-if-decision-is-final.html |access-date=18 September 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> although the Norwegian Government later expressed reservations.<ref>Norway's European affairs minister, [[Elisabeth Vik Aspaker]], told the newspaper ''[[Aftenposten]]'': "It's not certain that it would be a good idea to let a big country into this organisation. It would shift the balance, which is not necessarily in Norway's interests". {{cite news |last=Wintour |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Wintour |date=9 August 2016 |title=Norway may block UK return to European Free Trade Association &#124; World news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/09/norway-may-block-uk-return-to-european-free-trade-association |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128140306/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/09/norway-may-block-uk-return-to-european-free-trade-association |archive-date=28 November 2020 |access-date=17 August 2016 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> In January 2017, [[Theresa May]], then the [[British prime minister]], announced a 12-point plan of negotiating objectives and confirmed that the government of the United Kingdom would not seek continued permanent membership in the [[European Single Market|single market]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/17/theresa-may-brexit-12-point-plan-live/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/17/theresa-may-brexit-12-point-plan-live/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Theresa May confirms Britain will leave Single Market as she sets out 12-point Brexit plan |last=Wilkinson |first=Michael |date=17 January 2017 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=18 January 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The United Kingdom could be allowed by other member states to join the EEA and EFTA but existing EEA members such as Norway would have concerns about taking the risk of opening a difficult negotiation with the EU that could lead them to lose their current advantages.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wintour |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Wintour |date=3 September 2017 |title=Efta court chief visits UK to push merits of 'Norway model' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/03/efta-court-president-suggests-uk-should-join-efta-to-end-brexit-crisis |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206201603/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/03/efta-court-president-suggests-uk-should-join-efta-to-end-brexit-crisis |archive-date=6 December 2020 |access-date=16 March 2018 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> The [[Scottish Government]] has looked into membership of the EFTA to retain access to the EEA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/holyrood/1086376/sturgeon-hints-the-scottish-government-could-seek-norway-style-eu-relationship/ |title=Sturgeon hints the Scottish Government could seek Norway-style EU relationship |date=17 November 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |archive-date=18 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118132915/https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/holyrood/1086376/sturgeon-hints-the-scottish-government-could-seek-norway-style-eu-relationship/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, other EFTA states have stated that only sovereign states are eligible for membership, so it could only join if it became independent from the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/16/iceland-scotland-could-not-start-applying-efta-independence/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/16/iceland-scotland-could-not-start-applying-efta-independence/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Iceland: Scotland could not start applying for EFTA until after independence |date=16 March 2017 |access-date=24 March 2017 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|last=Johnson |first=Simon }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The EEA EFTA States (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) signed a ''Separation Agreement'' with the UK on 28 January 2020, which is understood to mirror the EEA-relevant parts of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.<ref name=UK_Brexit/> The withdrawal agreement stipulated a [[Brexit transition period|transition period]], following the UK's formal withdrawal on 31 January 2020 and ending 31 December 2020, during which both the United Kingdom and the other EEA members remained bound by the existing obligations stemming from international agreements concluded by the EU, including the EEA Agreement.<ref name="UK_Brexit"/> In January and February 2020, the government of the United Kingdom ruled out a future alignment to the rules of the internal market, effectively ruling out EEA membership after the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/2020-01-18/no-eu-regulation-alignment-post-brexit-warns-sajid-javid/|title=No EU regulation alignment post-Brexit, warns Sajid Javid|website=ITV News|date=18 January 2020|language=en|access-date=8 February 2020|archive-date=18 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818020339/https://www.itv.com/news/2020-01-18/no-eu-regulation-alignment-post-brexit-warns-sajid-javid|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/brexit/uk-government-cant-guarantee-frictionless-trade-after-brexit-admits-michael-gove-38913775.html|title=UK Government can't guarantee 'frictionless trade' after Brexit, admits Michael Gove|work=belfasttelegraph|access-date=8 February 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|archive-date=20 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120164215/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/brexit/uk-government-cant-guarantee-frictionless-trade-after-brexit-admits-michael-gove-38913775.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/2e255fd2-45a3-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/2e255fd2-45a3-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Boris Johnson to reject regulatory alignment in EU trade talks|date=2 February 2020|website=Financial Times|access-date=8 February 2020|last=Payne|first=Sebastian}}</ref>