欧洲经济区（EEA）在欧洲自由贸易联盟（EFTA）与欧盟（EU）达成协议后，于1994年1月1日生效，旨在让欧洲自由贸易联盟的成员国，无需加入欧盟也能参与欧洲的单一市场。

瑞士公民在公投中否决加入欧洲经济区。瑞士通过瑞士-欧盟双边协议参与欧洲单一市场。现时欧洲经济区成员为四个欧洲自由贸易联盟成员中的三国：冰岛、列支顿士登和挪威（瑞士除外），以及28个欧盟成员国。

参阅：欧盟扩大#欧洲自由贸易联盟

The European Economic Area (EEA) provides for the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital within the internal market of the European Union (EU) between its 28 member states, as well as three of the four member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Agreement is applied provisionally with respect to Croatia—the remaining and most recent EU member state—pending ratification of its accession by all EEA parties.