1.

Member(s) notifying:

Norway and the Republic of Moldova

2.

Date of notification: 9 September 2024

3.

Notification pursuant to

[X] Article XXIV:7(a) of GATT 1994

[X] Article V:7(a) of GATS

[ ] Paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause

4.

Parties to the Agreement:

Republic of Moldova and the EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland)

5.

Date of signature: 27 June 2023

6.

Date(s) of entry into Force:

1 November 2024 (for the Republic of Moldova and Norway)

7.

Brief description of the Agreement:

The Agreement covers liberalization of trade in goods, i.e. industrial goods, including fish and marine products, and agricultural goods, in conformity with Article XXIV of GATT 1994, and liberalization of trade in services in conformity with Article V of GATS. By 1 November 2024, customs duties on substantially all goods will be eliminated.

In addition, the Agreement includes provisions on investment, intellectual property rights, e-commerce, government procurement, competition, trade and sustainable development, and cooperation, as well as horizontal, institutional and dispute settlement provisions. This is the first agreement signed by EFTA containing a chapter on e-commerce.

The Agreement establishes a Joint Committee which, among other functions, will supervise and examine the application thereof.

8.

Text and related schedules, annexes and protocols are:

[X] submitted to the WTO Secretariat (electronic format)

[X] available from the following official Internet link(s):      

https://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/legal-texts/free-trade-relations/moldova/EFTA-Moldova_Main_Agreement.pdf

https://www.efta.int/trade-relations/free-trade-network/moldova