Agricultural Preferences in EFTA

Abstract

EFTA made no attempt to extend free trade to agricultural goods or marine products. Yet, as will be shown below, the Stockholm Convention did attempt to lay down some rules of behaviour with respect to trade in these goods between the members of the Association. As a result of this, agricultural questions were, paradoxically, often raised in the EFTA Council. One might even go so far as to say that of all the issues which arose during the transitional period, agriculture was probably the problem which took up the most time and proved the most taxing as far as EFTA cooperation was concerned. Therefore, although it is right to say that EFTA did not attempt to create a free trade regime for food products, it would be wrong to maintain that it made no attempt to create an EFTA preference for trade in agricultural goods. It in fact tried hard to do precisely this, but was not very successful in the attempt.