Differences between EU, EEA, EFTA, and Schengen countries
In this article
The European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), European Free Trade Association (EFTA),
and Schengen area are all similar. However, there are slight differences between them all.
Read on to understand the slight differences between them all.
The European Union (EU)
The European Union (EU) consists of 27 member countries. The European Union has a
total area of 4,233,255.3 km². The total population of the 27 member countries is
about 447 million. The 27 EU countries are Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Cyprus,
Croatia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Sweden, and Spain.
Turkey, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, and Albania are all in talks for being part of
the European Union. To become a European Union country, the countries need to
incorporate EU legislation into national law. Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Kosovo are
potential candidates, but they have not fulfilled the conditions for joining the
European Union.
The European Economic Area (EEA)
There are thirty countries in the European Economic Area (EEA). The thirty countries
include the 27 members of the European Union, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway of
the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The internal market also applies here;
goods, services, persons, and capital can move freely in this zone. The rules about
government subsidy and competition also apply in Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.
The European Economic Area was established in 1992, and it consisted of seven
countries. Three of the members left the EEA to join the EU and Switzerland.
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
The EFTA is a free trade area that consists of four European countries - Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. It has its headquarters in Geneva,
Switzerland. The EFTA countries are all part of the Schengen area but are not part of
the European Union Customs Union. English is their official working language, and Oslo
is the largest city in EFTA.
The EFTA came to be on May 3, 1960. It was established to serve as an alternative
trade bloc for some EU states that were unwilling or unable to join the then European
Economic Community (EEC).
The Schengen Area
There are 26 countries in Europe that mutually abolished all passport requirements and
other border control mechanisms among themselves. The agreement was signed in
Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985.
Of the 27 countries in the European Union, 22 of them are part of the
Schengen area.
The 4 EFTA countries are also part of the Schengen area. The Schengen area was
initiated by Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France in 1985 but has
spread across almost all the European Union. The 26 countries of Schengen are Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Greece,
Hungary, Latvia, Italy, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway,
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and Sweden.
The 5 EU countries that are not part of the Schengen zone are Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Ireland, Croatia, and Romania.
Members of the Schengen countries do not need a visa to enter into some
European ETIAS countries.
However, they will need to apply for the ETIAS
before they can be granted a
visa free entry. ETIAS Europe is known as the European Travel Information and
Authorization System. ETIAS is very similar to the US ESTA, and it will become
obligatory and effective by the end of 2022 when the system will be fully implemented.
The application process is fully online and would only take about ten minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions About EEA, EFTA, and Schengen Countries
What is the EFTA?
The EFTA is known as the European Free Trade Association. It is an intergovernmental
organization established in 1960 by the EFTA Convention. It was created to promote
economic integration and free trade between its member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Norway, and Switzerland, within Europe and even globally.
Can the Member States of the EFTA sign bilateral free trade agreements?
Yes, the EFTA Convention does not oblige its member states to sign bilateral free
trades agreements. They have the right to enter into bilateral third-country
arrangements.
What is covered by the EEA Agreement?
The core of the EEA agreement allows for the freedom of the movement of goods,
capital, services, and persons throughout the EEA States. The EEA agreement covers
consumer protection, social policy, environment, company law, statistics, culture, and
tourism.
What does the EEA Agreement not cover?
The agreement does not cover common agriculture and fisheries policies, common trade
policy, customs union, monetary union, common security, and foreign policy.
FAQ
Are EFTA countries in Schengen?
EFTA countries consist of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, and they participate in Schengen. EFTA countries are constituted by bilateral laws which enable them to freely join any other association. Schengen is closely related to EFTA since it further promotes harmony and unrestricted movement for people of the common judicial system. The EFTA countries are in the Schengen areas, and they function as a single country to aid travel.What European countries are not in the EEA?
Not all European countries are EEA members. EEA serves as a link for EFTA and the European Union state. So members of the EEA are the 27 EU countries and the 3 EFTA countries. Here are the European countries that are not in EEA:Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, France, United kingdom, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Belarus, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Albania, Andorra, North Macedonia, Montenegro, San Marino, Monaco, Vatican CityIs the UK an EFTA?
Uk was one of the countries that signed EFTA when it started. They later pulled out to join the EU, which they have left as well. The UK has clearly stated its disinterest in being an EFTA member. However, they have signed a separate contract with EFTA countries, allowing free trade with the UK and EFTA countries.Who are EU EFTA citizens?
EU EFTA citizens are citizens of the EU and the EFTA states. EU and EFTA citizens are entitled to free movement in each other's states. EFTA citizens are legally allowed to reside and work in all other EFTA and EU states without a visa. EU citizens can do the same in EFTA states. The EFTA states(Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) are members of the EEA, which is intertwined with the EU. Therefore the EFTA states are guided by the EU code except for a few. Switzerland is an EFTA state but not a member of the EEA. It has a separate bilateral agreement with the EU that allows free movement.If you are from these countries, then you are an EU EFTA citizen;27 EU countriesAustria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden3 EFTA countriesNorway, Liechtenstein, Iceland.Switzerland is an EFTA country but operates under its bilateral agreement with the EU for unrestricted movement.
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