Competition for Statkraft (Aftenposten)

The EU is demanding more competition in the Norwegian electricity market, which opens the possibility of a cut in electricity prices. The Government has two months in which to amend a 92-year-old law, and Statkraft, the state-owned power utility, is preparing for tougher competition. The full force of the EEA Agreement has now been applied to Norwegian legislation dating from 1917 which governs the ownership of natural resources. The EU handed down its final judgment on Wednesday. According to the EU the law transferring ownership of waterfalls used to produce hydro-electric power back to the state is discriminatory and must be changed.

Ceiling on nursery fees could cost NOK 5 billion (Dagsavisen)

The introduction of a ceiling on the fees charged for local authority nursery places, as proposed by the Socialist Left Party and the Progress Party, could be extremely expensive, according to the Norwegian Association of Local Authorities (KS). More people will chose a cheap nursery place rather than apply for the additional cash benefit for children under three. If parents do not have to pay more than NOK 1,500 per month for a place, the Government will have to pay that much more. In addition, demand will rise and tens of thousands of new places will have to be provided. The total cost of the scheme will be at least NOK 5 billion, say the KS.

Admiral accuses politicians of losing control of country’s defences (NTB)

Norwegian politicians risk losing control of the country’s defences because too much power is being transferred to Nato, according to Admiral Einar Skorgen, former commander-in-chief of Norway’s armed forces in North Norway. Admiral Skorgen is worried that senior officers in the Norwegian Armed Forces are transferring too much power to Nato. As a result the response to any future crisis situation may be coordinated from Nato headquarters and not from national headquarters based on Norwegian soil.

Historic upswing for the right (Vårt Land)

The political right has never been as strong in this country as it is today. This change can be explained by the current emphasis on materialism and individualism. The Labour Party’ internal problems are also a help. For the first time in history the Conservative Party and the Progress Party are strong at the same time. A total of around 45 per cent of the electorate says it will vote for a party of the right, according to the February polls by MMI and Opinion. The Labour Party’s in-fighting gets most of the credit and the blame for the fact that the right is now riding the crest of a wave.

Solberg calls for end to church sanctuary (NTB)

Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister Erna Solberg wants an end to the practice of churches offering sanctuary to refugees whose applications for asylum have been turned down by the authorities. "We will have to look at what measures we need to put a stop to this," said Ms Solberg in an interview with TV2. One of the possibilities she envisages is for parishes to simply refuse to accept asylum-seekers – which is what many of them already do today. "The police have instructions to respect the sanctity of places of worship and not go in and fetch people out. Changing those instructions is a difficult thing because of our respect for the church, but there is room here for arbitration schemes which can convince people in a crisis that they cannot remain confined in church sanctuary for a long time," said Ms Solberg. According to Ms Solberg 25 people, 10 of them children, are currently claiming church sanctuary.

Strong-arm tactics against Opticom (Dagens Næringsliv)

Following an extraordinary meeting, the board of the Oslo Stock Exchange has lambasted Opticom’s information routines. Weeks of pressure, suspension and threats of expulsion have not made Opticom reveal any more of the details surrounding its agreement with chip-maker Intel. "Positive," was Opticom chief executive Robert Keith’s response to the Stock Exchange’s renewed criticism and the imposition of a daily financial penalty.

Norway sends more observers to Zimbabwe (NTB)

The Government has decided to send a total of 20 Norwegian observers to monitor the upcoming presidential elections in Zimbabwe. Foreign Minister Jan Petersen emphasized that Norway has been asked by the EU to undertake this mission. The EU has pulled its own observers out of the country. "The EU withdrew its observers because relations between the EU and Zimbabwe became particularly strained. There is every reason to monitor the elections. The situation in the country is extremely serious," said Mr Petersen to TV2.

Sick of ‘old boys network’ (Verdens Gang)

Trade and Industry Minister Ansgar Gabrielsen (Con) is sick and tired of business life being dominated by men. He wants company boards to comprise at least 40 per cent women. Kjell Inge Røkke is one of the worst offenders – he has no women on the board at Kværner. "I have heard enough fine words. This is my absolutely final warning," said Mr Gabrielsen in an interview with VG. Mr Gabrielsen added that if necessary he was prepared to amend the Companies Act to achieve his objective.

Worth Noting

• Fish farmers have warned they will go to war against their land-based colleagues to gain free access to the EU for Norwegian fish. A united aquaculture industry is to increase pressure on the Government to make it trade agriculture for fish. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Today the salmon crisis enters a crucial phase. The EU meets Norway in Brussels. The EU is considering the imposition of an additional import duty of EUR 0.38. Norway is pushing to solve the problem by means of higher export fees. (Aftenposten)
• Despite the downturn in the salmon farming industry, concessions in the west of the country are being sold to the tune of more than NOK 30 million. Many fish farmers are struggling, but yesterday the first bankruptcy was narrowly avoided. (Aftenposten)
• Three years’ worth of cod fry have disappeared from the Barents Sea. Small-scale fishermen are up in arms over the trawlers’ overfishing. Both the Fisheries Directorate and the Institute of Marine Research believe developments in one of the world’s most abundant fishing grounds are extremely dangerous. (Dagbladet)
• Nursery places could be cheaper as early as January next year. There are strong indications that the Labour Party will support the proposal made by the Socialist Left Party and the Progress Party – which would give it a majority in the Storting. However, no one yet knows by how much prices will be cut. (Aftenposten)
• The Centre for Economic Analysis (Econ) claims that nurses earn on average NOK 50,000 more than they themselves have indicated. This conclusion is contained in a report commissioned by the nurses’ employers. (Dagsavisen)
• Kjell Inge Røkke has increased his stake in Kværner. Yesterday his wholly-owned company, Aker Maritime, issued a statement saying it had bought an option for 13.9 million Kværner shares, which gives Mr Røkke a 49.9 per cent stake in Kværner. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Straume Group Ltd, the British subsidiary of the Norwegian meat cooperative, Norway Meat, has cost Norwegian farmers almost NOK 100 million over the past two years. The company is now under investigation by British police. (Nationen)
• Forcible relocation to the north of the country has been a blessing for the Norwegian Polar Institute. New research projects are underway, qualified scientists are queuing up to join and absenteeism is extremely low. (Aftenposten)
• Figures from December show that Norwegian fathers owe a massive NOK 2.88 billion in child support arrears. This is an increase of more than NOK 100 million compared with 2000. (Nationen)
• Travel agents are facing a rush of sun-starved Norwegians who want a Mediterranean holiday. Charter tours to the most popular destinations are already sold out for the autumn holiday. (Dagsavisen)
• Two families in North Trøndelag, both living in the country’s most remote mountain farms, are waging a fierce battle against plans to establish Norway’s second largest national park. The five people involved will become the country’s first permanent residents of a national park, and will have to live with strict limitations on their working and private lives. (Nationen)

Today’s comment from Vårt Land

Norwegian voters are moving to the right. According to the latest polls, the Conservative and Progress parties together have the support of 45 per cent of the electorate. Previously the two parties have taken it in turns to grow at the expense of the other. But now both the Conservatives and the Progress Party have gained ground at the same time. The Progress Party’s latest jump is being explained as the result of the latest public debate over the consequences of the development of a multicultural Norway – where the Progress Party can say that its repeated warnings have been proved right. However, though it would not have been possible to prevent the emergence of a multicultural Norway, the integration of immigrants to this country could have been better. But this is too simplistic an explanation of the voters’ swing to the right. What is probably more important is the fact that the right has won credibility as defenders of the welfare state – at the same time as the Labour Party’s credibility has waned. It is here the real battle between left and right must be played out.