EU plans to expropriate Norwegian oil (Aftenposten)

The European Commission is planning to issue a directive under which the EU would take control of Norway’s oil production in the event of an energy crisis in Europe. Norway would never accept such a directive. Norwegian opponents of EU membership are up in arms and claim that this is a serious attack on Norwegian sovereignty. They are calling for Petroleum and Energy Minister Olav Akselsen to make a statement to the Storting on the issue. Mr Akselsen was unaware of the EU’s plans.

Double role for Statoil (Dagens Næringsliv)

Statoil may experience a conflict of interests when it is given responsibility for selling state-owned gas along with its own. This is because the company will be sitting on both sides of the negotiating table if Statoil establishes strategic alliances with companies who are purchasers of Norwegian gas. Last year the State’s Direct Financial Interest (SDFI) and Statoil accounted for almost 80 per cent of Norwegian gas exports. Statoil’s gas alone accounted for 28 per cent.

Environment Minister calls for taxes on air freight (Dagsavisen)

Emissions of greenhouse gases from the growing air cargo industry are causing concern for Environment Minister Siri Bjerke. "Emissions of greenhouse gases as a result of air freighted salmon exports show how important it is to get international transport included in international agreements on climate change," she says. Ms Bjerke is working for the introduction of international taxes which can slow down the rapid growth in transport.

After-school play schemes to be made free of charge (Aftenposten)

"It is our long-term goal to make after-school play schemes (SFO) completely free of charge," says Education Minister Trond Giske. But he does not think this objective can be achieved during the next parliamentary term. In the medium term the Government’s goal is to make the SFO schemes cheaper for parents. How that is to be achieved is so far unclear.

Stoltenberg more popular (Dagbladet)

27 per cent of Norwegian voters think Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is doing a good job. Only 14 per cent of voters thought the same when the last opinion poll was carried out. "Voters have noticed that Jens Stoltenberg has got a better grip on the political agenda and has become more willing to listen to the mood of the people. That increases the number of people who think he is doing a good job as prime minister," says political scientist Kristin Taraldsrud Hoff, of the market research company MMI.

Must promise not to have children (Nationen)

The Gender Equality Ombud is advising job seekers to reject any form of childlessness contract. "There is no reason to let oneself be pressured into that kind of employment condition. Applicants who are met with demands like that should take time to think through the implications and get advice from the Gender Equality Ombud or the Labour Inspectorate," says Deputy Gender Equality Ombud Lars Christiansen. In Sweden women job applicants are increasingly being met with demands not to have children if they want to get their dream job.

Arrogance a typically Norwegian trait (Dagsavisen)

Norwegian sport at international level has experienced a decade of great success. This has had an enormous influence on the Norwegian people’s opinion of themselves and of Norway as a country. International sporting prowess promotes nationalism and chauvinism, even if it was originally meant to reduce nationalism and be a counterweight to racism. "I would say that arrogance is a typically Norwegian trait," says psychologist Arnulf Kolstad, one of the researchers from the University of Science and Technology (NTNU) behind the long-running study which began in 1988.

Worth Noting

• A project designed to encourage boys to choose non-traditional careers has proved a failure. The low status of typically female occupations frightens men away, according to researchers at Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF). (Dagsavisen)
• Orkla has decided not to contest a fine of NOK 750,000 which the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime has imposed in connection with the company’s failure to disclose details of its sale of shares in the IT company, Merkantildata. Revenue from the sale amounted to NOK 700 million. However, it remains uncertain whether Orkla will now publish the information in question. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Investors lost more than NOK 53 million on investments in Norwegian professional football. This is the price they paid to ensure that the football clubs closest to their hearts could present a healthy-looking balance sheet. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• For the third time a commemorative wedding aquavit is being distilled. The 2001 vintage will be stored alongside the aquavit produced in 1968 for Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja’s wedding, and that produced for the 1929 wedding of Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha. (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Aftenposten

Inflation in Norway is still rising, but the Central Bureau of Statistics’ figures for March were slightly better than many market analysts had forecast. Prices rose by 3.7 per cent from March last year until the same month this year, which is still the highest we have seen since 1991. It is a development which cannot continue if we are to avoid a further rise in interest rates. And the forecasts do seem to indicate that inflation will stabilize and eventually fall back. Oil prices are holding steady and food prices will hopefully see a noticeable reduction when VAT on food products is halved from 1 July. Against this backdrop there should be no reason for the Central Bank of Norway to put up interest rates even if inflation so far this year has risen each month compared with the Government and the Central Bank’s new inflation target of 2.5 per cent. The gap between Norway and the rest of Europe is large, but not so worryingly large that an immediate rise in interest rates would seem necessary. The rate of inflation does, however, indicate that any hope of a cut in interest rates will have to be postponed for some time.

Norway Daily’s editorial staff wish all our readers a happy holiday weekend.