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EFTA

EU’s neighbours strike Mercosur trade deal as Brussels awaits
4-Jul-2025 Euractiv
The European Free Trade Association has clinched a trade agreement with Mercosur, while the EU’s own trade agreement with Mercosur has been delayed.
Mercosur, EFTA blocs finalize free-trade agreement, say sources
2-Jul-2025 Reuters
South American bloc Mercosur has concluded talks for a free-trade agreement with a group of four European nations known as EFTA.
EFTA states and Malaysia sign economic partnership agreement with investment promotion chapter
1-Jul-2025 CMS Law-Now
The trade agreement includes an investment chapter aimed at promoting mutual foreign investment flows between the EFTA states and Malaysia
Malaysia too hasty in signing EFTA trade agreement
1-Jul-2025 Consumers’ Association of Penang
Consumers’ Association of Penang express strong disappointment over Malaysia’s rushed signing of a trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, criticizing the government’s failure to address concerns about the intellectual property (IP) provisions.
Remove TRIPS+ demands from the EFTA-Malaysia Free-Trade Agreement
25-Jun-2025 Alliance Sud
The undersigned Swiss NGOs are urging the Swiss government to actively engage within EFTA to drop these provisions known as TRIPS+.
Malaysia signs free trade pact with Norway, Iceland and other EFTA countries
25-Jun-2025 ScandAsia
Malaysia has signed a wide-ranging economic partnership agreement with the four member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Malaysia-European Free Trade Association partnership agreement could negatively impact many sectors, says CAP
16-Jun-2025 The Star
The proposed Malaysia-EFTA Economic Partnership Agreement (MEEPA) could negatively affect public health, farmers’ rights, and food security in Malaysia. It includes "TRIPS-plus" intellectual property provisions that extend patent monopolies, limit access to affordable generic medicines, and increase drug costs.
Malaysia-EFTA economic partnership agreement (MEEPA) would tie Malaysia’s hands on access to medicines
12-Jun-2025 Info Justice
Malaysian negotiators have accepted intellectual property protections above those required by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, which will adversely affect affordable and equitable access to medicines in Malaysia for generations.
Swiss firms keen to expand India presence as FTA implementation draws near
12-Jun-2025 Financial Express
Swiss firms eye India expansion as FTA with EFTA nears implementation. With $100B investment planned over 15 years, sectors like biotech, pharma, and engineering align with India’s growth goals, making it a key hub for global value chains and innovation.
FTA with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein likely to come into effect by Sep 2025: Piyush Goyal
10-Jun-2025 CNBC TV18
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Free Trade Agreement with the European Free Trade Association is likely to come into effect from September 2025.
EFTA-Malaysia FTA: Protection of intellectual property annex (June 2025)
5-Jun-2025
Don’t trade away farmers’ rights: reject UPOV in EFTA-Malaysia agreement
30-May-2025 Sahabat Alam Malaysia
CSOs in Malaysia write a letter to expresses serious concerns about the potential inclusion of UPOV 1991 in the Malaysia-European Free Trade Association Economic Partnership Agreement (MEEPA), warning that it could undermine Malaysia’s existing plant variety protection law, harm farmers’ rights, and restrict seed sovereignty.
After India-Norway pact, Nordic cos eye Goa as hub
19-May-2025 The Times of India
The recently signed India-EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Free Trade Agreement between India and Norway has prompted Nordic firms to explore Goa as a potential hub.
India, Norway discuss implementation of EFTA trade pact
2-May-2025 ETV Bharat
India and Norway on Wednesday discussed the implementation of the India-EFTA free trade agreement, which was signed in March last year to boost economic ties.
Piyush Goyal meets UK counterpart, push FTA talks
29-Apr-2025 Financial Express
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal meets UK counterpart Jonathan Reynolds to advance India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks. The negotiations, nearing completion, focus on trade, investment, and visa flexibility.
European bloc turns to Southeast Asia in bid to hedge protectionism
28-Apr-2025 Nikkei Asia
Four-member EFTA comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland concludes trade deal with Malaysia as US tariffs sweep world.
EFTA and Ukraine sign updated free trade agreement
9-Apr-2025 Swiss Info
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, and Ukraine signed an updated free trade agreement in Kyiv.
EFTA–Moldova Free Trade Agreement takes effect for all parties
4-Apr-2025 SeeNews
The EFTA–Moldova Free Trade Agreement came into force for all parties on April 1, following the completion of the necessary internal procedures by Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the European Free Trade Association said.
Parliament approves the free trade agreement with India
20-Mar-2025 Blue news
The Swiss parliament has approved the free trade agreement between the EFTA states and India. After the Council of States, the National Council also approved the corresponding federal decree on Thursday. Switzerland is one of the EFTA states.
Thailand signed FTA with EFTA: no worries about TRIPs Plus, except Border Measure & IP Enforcement
17-Feb-2025 Access to Medicines
While the Thailand - EFTA agreemnts avoids TRIPS-plus measures that would directly impact medicine access and the universal healthcare system, Thai CSOs group remain concerns regarding border measures and intellectual property enforcement.