The EEA, or European Economic Area, is a regional agreement that allows for the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital among its member countries. It includes all the member states of the European Union (EU) along with three of the four European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries: Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This arrangement helps to create a single market across Europe. The EEA was established in 1994 to extend the benefits of the EU's single market to EFTA countries that chose not to join the EU. While EEA members participate in the single market, they do not have a say in EU decision-making processes, which are reserved for EU member states.