Guilty (Dagsavisen)

Yes, yes, yes and yes, said the jury. All four defendants were found guilty of complicity in the murder of Kristian Magnus Orderud, Marie Orderud and Anne Orderud Paust. Legal experts believe that all four can expect to receive maximum prison terms, when sentencing takes place on 5 April.

Papers commend Appeal Court after verdict in Orderud case (NTB)

The national dailies’ editorials are full of praise for the Appeal Court following the verdict in the Orderud murder case. The day after all four defendants were found guilty of complicity, the newspaper editorials focus on two main issues. Firstly, that the Appeal Court and the jury have done a thorough job, which it is difficult to criticize. And secondly, that the question of who was actually responsible for the triple murder at the Orderud family farm remains unanswered.

Snow White development halted last night (Aftenposten)

The development of the enormous Snow White gas field off the Finnmark coast was halted last night. The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) claims that the Storting’s decision to grant tax relief in connection with the Snow White development project is in violation of the EEA Agreement. This upsets the project’s entire economic foundation. The oil companies were persuaded to make this investment, which will cost more than NOK 40 billion, by the promise of tax breaks. Last night the partners in the Snow White development project held an emergency meeting. The written protest from the ESA came as a shock to the oil companies involved. They are now demanding clarification from the Norwegian authorities before they are prepared to resume construction work.

Statkraft runs out of steam (Aftenposten)

Statkraft’s raid on the Norwegian energy industry could come to an abrupt halt. Acquisitions totalling NOK 13 billion may be blocked because it is feared that Statkraft is getting too big. Only Labour and Government Administration Minister Victor D. Norman can save the company’s acquisition plans. Up until yesterday three Statkraft acquisitions were being considered by the Norwegian Competition Authority. But then Knut Eggum Johansen, who heads the Authority, followed up his previous warning and vetoed Statkraft’s acquisition of Agder Energi for NOK 5.5 billion. The Competition Authority has probably never before blocked such a large acquisition.

Investors ask Storting for more money and less tax (Dagens Næringsliv)

At a meeting with the Storting’s Business and Industry Committee yesterday, Norway’s most influential business leaders called for billions in government cash to be funnelled into huge investment funds – and lower taxes. But Johan H. Andresen Jr and Stein Erik Hagen differed slightly on how ‘Norwegian’ company ownership should be. Mr Hagen and his heavy-weight colleagues from Norsk Investorforum, an organization designed to promote the interests of long-term business investors, had invited themselves to the Storting where they held a three-hour seminar for the Business and Industry Committee’s members on ‘measures to promote Norwegian business ownership’ – well ahead of the so-called business ownership report which the Government has said it will lay before the Storting on 19 April.

UDI delays will no longer be grounds for asylum (Aftenposten)

Government policy on the granting of asylum is to be tightened up. The so-called 15-month rule will be abolished for the vast majority of asylum-seekers. From now on as few asylum-seekers as possible will be granted residence permits in Norway because it has taken too long to process their applications. The Government is planning to propose a bill to stop asylum-seekers who come to Norway without identification papers from being covered by the 15-month rule. Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister Erna Solberg has said that the 15-month rule, which has been one of the most important principles in Norway’s immigration policy, is not actually a formal part of the regulative framework. "We will now take the initiative to include the 15-month rule in the regulations in the proper way, but it will only apply to asylum-seekers who do not deliberately destroy their identity papers," she said.

Worth Noting

• Prosecutor Jørn S. Maurud will ask the Appeal Court to sentence all four of those convicted on Thursday of complicity in the triple murder at Orderud farm to 21 years imprisonment. (NTB)
• Newly formed Ford Cermaq and Nutreco together control 22 per cent of the Norwegian market for farmed salmon and almost 30 per cent of the world market. Salmon exporter Ole-Erik Lerøy thinks the merger will be a spur to further consolidation in the industry. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• According to the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), the Government’s decision to cut grants to businesses by NOK 14,000 for each apprentice they take on threatens the entire apprenticeship system. When the cut is fully implemented it will save the Government NOK 160 million per year, according to NHO estimates. (Aftenposten)
• The state provides NOK 23,000 in subsidies for very single person living in Finnmark, while every inhabitant of the Oslo/Akershus region makes a contribution of NOK 66,000 to the Government’s coffers. "This is the result of a deliberate policy," says Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister Erna Solberg. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Norway wants the UN Security Council to tighten up the arms embargo on Somalia by introducing a surveillance system which will reveal the names of arms traders. It is feared that Somalia could turn into a safe-haven for terrorists. This month Norway holds the presidency of the Security Council. (NTB)
• Statoil has signed an agreement with Shell to take over all Shell’s petrol stations in the Baltic region. The acquisition includes 61 petrol stations: 26 in Estonia, 19 in Latvia and 16 in Lithuania. The deal must be approved by the authorities in each individual country. (NTB)
• Statoil chief executive Olav Fjell will not be receiving any bonus, despite the company’s record results last year. The board of directors have concluded that Mr Fjell’s pay rise last year was big enough. (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment form Dagens Næringsliv

Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland has managed to stir up the beginnings of a debate on EU membership. He has picked up on the positive attitude of the people in Iceland to EU membership, and believes it would be a good idea if Norway and Iceland applied for membership at the same time – possibly even coordinating their applications. This may be a good idea. Regardless of feelings, it will take a long time before Iceland can send an application for membership. By then attitudes in Norway might be different, too. However, until further notice this newspaper feels that the approach taken by Foreign Minister Jan Petersen is eminently sensible. We should keep an eye on what is happening in the EU, and we should analyse and discuss what impact EU expansion and other changes will have on Norway. Europe is so important for this country that we cannot for a moment pretend that the 1994 referendum has solved all our problems until the end of time. We must therefore be perpetually debating the EU and European issues.