Posted on 03 October 2018
After a first deposit of European Free Trade Association’s historical archives at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence in 2014, a second set of 813 paper files have recently been transferred, treated and inventoried. These files are now available in the HAEU online database and can be consulted in the Archives’ reading room in Florence.
The EFTA archives comprise a total of 1.304 paper files covering the period 1959 to 1995, and contain numerous documents of importance covering the establishment, management and operations of the organization, the work of the EFTA Secretariat-General, the Industrial Development Fund for Portugal, the Joint EFTA-Yugoslav Committee, the creation of the multilateral free trade agreement with Spain and the establishment of the FINEFTA association system between the EFTA and Finland.
Of particular interest in this second transfer are the legal documents of the Council, particularly concerning the EFTA Convention, the papers of the Secretariat-General and the Consultative Committee and the series dedicated to the work of EFTA Parliamentarians. Files concerning EFTA’s relationship with the EEC and other International Organisations, opens up a whole new perspective in the study of European cooperation and integration. The important and lasting role of EFTA in European and global economic cooperation cannot be emphasized enough, and the objectives laid down in the Stockholm Convention is evident in this fonds and in particular the importance of its continuing relations with the European Communities.
The Association’s relations with both member countries and third countries, further highlights the wide spectrum of topics covered by EFTA and its partners, which is reflected in the fonds. A substantial amount of documents also concerns the area of reciprocal testing and compulsory technical regulations particularly in the field of marine equipment, agriculture and pharmaceutics.
A third deposit, concerning audio-visual materials, is currently being inventoried and digitized. This collection will further supplement the EFTA fonds and will be made available to the research community soon.
Access the online inventory of the EFTA Fonds.