Committee presents review of Norway’s agreements with the EU

The committee appointed to review the consequences of the EEA Agreement and Norway’s other agreements with the EU presented its report today.

“The EEA Agreement is the most comprehensive international agreement that Norway has entered into and has a major impact on Norwegian jobs, value creation and welfare. The committee’s report will be very important in increasing our knowledge of how the Agreement functions,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The Government announced in its second policy platform that it would establish a broad-based committee to undertake a thorough, broad-based review of the EEA Agreement and its consequences for all areas of society. The committee was appointed in January 2010 and, after spending two years on the review, has now submitted its report to the Government.

“I would like to thank the committee for the great diligence, inclusiveness and thoroughness with which it has carried out its task. Its report will provide a good basis both for debate on our association with the EU and for the white paper the Government intends to present later this year,” said Mr Støre.

The white paper will deal with the EEA Agreement and Norway’s other agreements with the EU. The committee’s report will provide an important frame of reference for the work on the white paper.