Policy paper

UK-EEA EFTA Separation Agreement Joint Committee annual report 2024 (HTML)

Published 18 May 2026

Report from the Secretariat to the Joint Committee on the functioning of the Agreement on arrangements between Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Kingdom of Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the EEA Agreement and other agreements applicable between the United Kingdom and the EEA EFTA States by virtue of the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union (The Separation Agreement)

for the calendar year 2024

Introduction

1. The Separation Agreement established a Joint Committee (Article 65) to supervise and facilitate the implementation and application of the Agreement. The Separation Agreement requires the Joint Committee to issue an annual report, drawn up by the Secretariat, each calendar year. This report is provided pursuant to Article 65(6).

2. The Secretariat to the Joint Committee operates under the authority of the rotating Joint Committee Chair to perform the tasks conferred on it, as outlined in the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Committee. The Secretariat is composed of officials from His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom and the EFTA Secretariat.

3. The Separation Agreement requires the Joint Committee to meet at least once a year after the end of the transition period as defined in Article 2(h). In 2024, the Joint Committee met once, on 19 June 2024. The meeting was chaired by an official from the United Kingdom.

4. This report provides an overview of Separation Agreement activity from 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2024.

5. The report contains 2 annexes:

(A)The Joint Statement issued by the Parties following the meeting of the Joint Committee; and

(B) Reports by the Independent Monitoring Authority and the EFTA Surveillance Authority, respectively, issued pursuant to Article 64(3) of the Separation Agreement.

Separation agreement joint committee activity in 2024

6. The Joint Committee met on 19 June 2024. The United Kingdom chaired the meeting, which was held in London.

7. At the meeting, representatives from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United Kingdom gave updates on their implementation and application of the Separation Agreement, with a particular emphasis on the provisions relating to citizens’ rights. Both the EEA EFTA States and the United Kingdom agreed that implementation of the Agreement was going well and that citizens’ rights remain a priority.

8. Representatives of the Independent Monitoring Authority and the EFTA Surveillance Authority also attended, presenting information on the monitoring of the implementation and application of the Separation Agreement.

9. The EEA EFTA States and the United Kingdom noted at the meeting that they shared the objective of ensuring the continued correct implementation and application of the Separation Agreement, to provide certainty to citizens. A Joint Statement to this effect was issued by the Parties following the meeting of the Joint Committee.

Conclusion

10. The Joint Committee’s actions in 2024 provide a solid foundation for the ongoing cooperation between the EEA EFTA States and the United Kingdom and the continued proper implementation of the Separation Agreement.

Signed in Brussels, 21 October 2025

For the Joint Committee The Chair

Finnur Þór Birgisson

Deputy Head of the Mission of Iceland to the European Union

Annex A - Joint statement of 19 June 2024

Separation Agreement Joint Committee Meeting, 19 June 2024 Joint Statement

The fifth meeting of the Separation Agreement Joint Committee was held in London on 19 June 2024, chaired by officials from the United Kingdom, with representatives from Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway participating. The Committee was established by the Separation Agreement to monitor its implementation and application. The Separation Agreement ensures that nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway (‘the EEA EFTA States’) already living in the UK, or UK nationals living in the EEA EFTA States at the end of the transition period, have largely the same rights as before the UK left the EU. In addition to the right of residence, these include entitlements to social security and the recognition of professional qualifications.

During the meeting, representatives from the EEA EFTA States and the UK updated each other on their implementation and application of the Separation Agreement, focusing on the provisions relating to citizens’ rights. Representatives of the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the Independent Monitoring Authority also presented information on the monitoring of the implementation and application of the Separation Agreement.

The EEA EFTA States and the UK continue to work together to ensure the correct implementation and application of the Separation Agreement, to provide certainty to citizens.

Annex B - Reports by the independent monitoring authority and the EFTA surveillance authority

The Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) annual report for 2024 to the Specialised Committee and Joint Committee is available to download from the IMA publications page.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) annual report for 2024 to the Separation Agreement Joint Committee is available to download from the ESA annual reports page.