The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Oslo Press Division

Norway Daily No. 114/00

Date: 20 June 2000

JAGLAND FORCES ACCEPTANCE OF PATENT DIRECTIVE (Dagsavisen)

Despite opposition within the Labour Party to the EU’s controversial patent directive, party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland managed to railroad support for Norway’s acceptance of the directive through the Labour Party’s executive committee. The committee took a stand yesterday in favour of supporting Norwegian acceptance of the directive, while upholding the criticism it has previously expressed against the EU. It also continues to support the Dutch, who have initiated legal proceedings to determine whether the directive violates the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

OFFICERS TO BE OFFERED 4 YEARS’ PAY TO RETIRE (Aftenposten)

The Defence Study to be submitted by Chief of Defence Staff Sigurd Frisvold on Thursday is expected to contain a proposal to cut the number of military employees from 24,0000 to 18,000. One element of the proposal will be to offer four years’ salary in severance pay to officers who have passed the age of 47 as an incentive for leaving the military. Befalsbladet, a periodical aimed at officers, is the source of this information. A measure passed by the Storting in 1992 calls for 6400 man-years in military manpower reductions. Only 2000 man-years have been eliminated so far.

CLEMET: VALUES COMMISSION UNSUCCESSFUL

"I must admit that I do not think this has been successful," says Kristin Clemet, one of the 40 members of the Values Commission. Ms. Clemet, who is also a director of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), has no problem with the likelihood that the next meeting of the commission in September will be the last.

CENTRE TURNING TO THE RIGHT (Vårt Land)

The political centre is taking deliberate steps to improve relations with the Conservatives."We hope to establish a more constructive dialogue with the Conservatives so that they will see the need to replace the Labour Government with something else," says Kjell Magne Bondevik, prime minister candidate for the centrist alliance.

ROYAL MANOR DETERIORATING (Dagbladet)

The celebration of Princess Ragnhild’s 70 ^th> birthday, which was held at the Bygdø Royal Manor last week, had to be held in the garden because the manor house is in such poor condition. The interior displays evidence of mildew, rot and rats. "The state has neglected its responsibilities," says palace manager Thomas Willoch. The most thorough maintenance programme ever carried out at the manor took place in 1905.

JAGLAND CAUTIONS AGAINST MALCONTENTS (Aftenposten)

In his regular email missive to his voters, Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland ponders the recurrence of "depression and discontent" in the ranks of the Labour Party over poor ratings in the opinion polls. Mr. Jagland brushes off the notion that he and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg may get involved in the power struggle he asserts that someone is trying to orchestrate.

NO RESOLUTION IN JOURNALIST TALKS (NTB)

The bargaining deadline between the Norwegian Union of Journalists and the Norwegian Newspaper Publishers' Association went out at midnight last night, but the negotiators were still at it at seven o’clock this morning.

WORTH NOTING

• A lockout will bring production of oil and gas in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea to a standstill on Saturday if the Government does not decree compulsory mediation. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• It is now one year since the establishment of Kvinnebasen, a government initiative which took aim to put more women in positions of power in corporate boardrooms. Of 15 women registered in this database, not a single one has been contacted. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• The EU’s salmon industry is reeling from the price shock from Norwegian salmon farmers. Danish salmon trader Kim Brodersen, the largest in Europe, now predicts good times for the salmon industry, with sales through long-term contracts far outstripping the spot market. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• 90 per cent of those who apply to inspect any files the National Police Security Service (POT) may have on them are likely to learn nothing. This is the trend from the first cases handled by the Examination Committee. Applicants who are denied access to their files are not told the reason. (Klassekampen)
• Norwegian sheep gut is too large for European sausages, so it is sold overseas. Norwegian sausagemakers use sheep gut from small sheep imported from the Middle East. (Nationen)

TODAY’S COMMENT from Dagens Næringsliv

Strange things can happen in politics. The Storting has just completed a tough job cutting a few million here and a few million there in order to alleviate pressure on the Norwegian economy, while Defence Ministry officials negotiate buyback agreements with the Spanish Bazan shipyard. The paradox is that these buyback deals raise the cost of Norway’s defence procurements. There should be no problem agreeing on a proposal offered by Kåre Willoch, however. The proposal suggests that tenders should specify two prices, on with and one without buyback agreements. This would put a figure on the indirect support paid to Norwegian industry. It should also be easy to reduce the buyback ratio to under 100, especially in times like the present, when the economy is under pressure. The fact that the government is demanding NOK 14 billion in defence contracts at a time when budget considerations prevent it from funding Norwegian research is definitely a paradox.