Annual Report 2002
The 2002 edition is the EFTA Surveillance Authority's ninth Annual Report.
The EFTA Surveillance Authority was established to ensure, together with the European Commission, the fulfillment of obligations under the EEA Agreement. Pursuant to Article 21 of the Agreement between the EFTA States on the establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice (the Surveillance and Court Agreement), the Authority publishes a general report on its activities each year. This is the Authority's ninth Annual Report. In addition to the printed version, the Annual Report is available online at the Authority's website (www.eftasurv.int). The online version of the Report contains an additional annex providing information in tabular form on the EFTA States' progress, as of 31 December 2002, with regard to implementation of directives.
Chapter 3 of the Report provides basic information on the EEA Agreement and the Authority itself, including an introduction to its tasks and competences and to its organisational set-up. A short account of the Authority's information policy is also given.
Chapter 4 of the Report provides reports on the Authority's general surveillance work with respect to the free movement of goods (including food safety), persons, services and capital, as well as the so-called horizontal areas. Chapter 4.2 gives statistical information on general surveillance carried out by the Authority during the five years period 1998-2002. This includes the implementation status of directives, case handling, infringement cases, closure of cases and the Authority's workload at the end of the reporting period. In the subsequent parts of Chapter 4, an account is given, sector by sector, of the implementation and application of the EEA Agreement in the EFTA States. An account is also given of the steps taken by the Authority in ensuring fulfillment by the EFTA States of obligations under the EEA Agreement and for the management thereof. Information is also given on certain procedures administered, and functions carried out, by the Authority in the application of the EEA Agreement.
Chapter 5 of the Report describes the field of public procurement. Following an introduction and general overview, the Chapter describes the implementation control undertaken by the Authority in this sector during 2002, with particular emphasis on the complaints against EFTA States handled during the year.
Chapters 6 and 7 set out the main principles and rules in the fields of competition and state aid respectively, together with an outline of the powers of the Authority. Also provided in these Chapters is an overview of cases handled in 2002, of non-binding acts issued in the form of amendments to the Authority's State Aid Guidelines and in the form of notices in the field of competition respectively. Co-operation with the European Commission and the national authorities of the EFTA States is also mentioned.
In Chapter 8 to the Report, the appearances of the Authority before the EFTA Court and the Court of Justice of the European Communities are described.
