EEA cooperation with EFTA
The European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Committee has amended the agreement on the EEA to allow the participation by EFTA states in specific areas of cooperation and, in particular, in a number of European Union R&D programmes. EFTA countries will now be able to participate in the SPRINT programme, the Community's strategic programme for innovation and technology transfer. EFTA countries will also share the cost of the programme and will participate fully in the EC committees which assist the European Commission in the management and development of the programme. In the audiovisual sector the agreement will, as with SPRINT, extend the level and nature of cooperation in the promotion and development of the European audiovisual industry, which is covered by the MEDIA programme. The agreement also covers cooperation in the Community's TEDIS programme for trade electronic data interchange systems.