Day-to-day management of the Secretariat.
The day-to-day running of the Secretariat is overseen by the Secretary-General from EFTA’s Headquarters in Geneva, assisted by three Deputy Secretaries-General: one in Geneva and the other two in Brussels. The four posts are appointed by the EFTA Council and shared between the Member States.
The division of the Secretariat reflects the division of EFTA’s activities. The Secretariat employs approximately 90 staff members, a third of whom are in Geneva and two thirds in Brussels and Luxembourg.
Geneva
Staff in Geneva deal with the management and negotiation of free trade agreements with non-EU countries and provide support to the EFTA Council. They also work on the implementation of the EFTA Convention’s stipulations on free trade between the four Member States.
Brussels
In Brussels, the Secretariat supports the management of the EEA Agreement and assists the Member States in preparing new legislation for integration into the EEA Agreement. The Secretariat also assists the Member States in providing input into EU decision making.
Luxembourg
The EFTA Statistical Office in Luxembourg contributes to the development of a broad and integrated European Statistical System.