Environment chapter included in EFTA - Hong Kong trade deal

June 21st Norway and EFTA signed a free trade agreement with Hong Kong. For the first time, EFTA negotiated a free trade agreement with a separate chapter on trade and environment.

- This is a milestone in the government's efforts to promote an international trade regime that puts great emphasis on environment, says Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim. - The chapter on trade and environment enhances and strengthens the environmental concerns in the agreement and is therefore an important contribution to ensuring that our trade with Hong Kong is contributing to sustainable development, says Solheim.

Norway took an initiative in the European Free Trade Association EFTA (which consists of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) in 2008 to include both environment and labour rights in future trade agreements. The EFTA ministerial meeting in 2010 agreed to include a chapter on trade and sustainable development in all ongoing and future negotiations on free trade agreements. The agreement with Hong Kong is the first that is negotiated after this decision.

Read more about the free trade agreement with Hong Kong on EFTAs webpage