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Commissioners,

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I take great pleasure in welcoming you to Norway. It is indeed proper that you meet here, and we are pleased and proud to have you here in Oslo.

There are a number of good reasons for choosing Oslo as the venue for this years Maritime Industries Forum.

Norway is a strong maritime nation.

With a long and proud maritime history.

Sea-travel connects us. With Europe, the world, and each other.

And we depend on it for livelihoods and prosperity.

Most of our key industries today are maritime industries.

We are a leading country in shipping, ship building, fisheries, offshore petroleum production,and related services.

Norway is one of the largest shipping nations in the world and has the second largest offshore fleet.

Some figures illustrate our maritime process:

Seven per cent of the world’s ships and rigs are ordered by Norwegian shipowners.

This year the value of orders for new ships from Norwegian shipbuilders amounts to approximately 3 billion Euro.

Our export of seafood amounts to 4 billion Euro, 60 % of which is to Europe.

In a few days, a new gas pipeline crossing the North Sea from Norway to the UK will be opened. When I open that pipeline, together with my British colleague, Tony Blair, gas equal to 20 per cent of the UK annual consumption will start flowing. Already, we supply about 75 billion cubic meters of gas to Continental Europe.

We are – and will remain – a stable and reliable supplier of energy to Europe.

Through the Agreement on the European Economic Area, practically all new EU regulations regarding shipping or energy will apply to Norway.

We have been active in the development of the EU maritime Strategy, and we are looking forward to participating in the follow up.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our European to maintain our world-leading position in shipping and maritime activities.

We must meet a global competition.

And protect the marine environment.

Europe must be at the forefront in ensuring that safety and environmental concerns are our No. 1 priority in maritime activities.

Know-how and innovation are of key importance if Europe is to remain competitive. We must be at the forefront, developing ground-breaking technologies for the future.

Sustainability is key.

It is a government responsibility to provide framework conditions that a strong industry needs.

It is the industry’s responsibility to act responsibly within that framework.

We expect the industry to serve our societies in many ways.

We expect the industry not to exploit loop holes or go searching for the lowest and least expensive standards.

We expect the industry to exercise self restraint and to observe high standards with regard to pollution, workers’ protection and workers’ conditions.

That is how the industry can best renew its contract with society. I am pleased and proud that our national industry and our dynamic maritime clusters seem to be guided by such considerations.

* * *

Food from the oceans is humanity’s most important source of animal protein.

However, the world’s catch of wild fish is declining.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) today constitutes a challenge to sustainable fisheries worldwide.

Since the networks behind large-scale illegal fishing are often international and circumvent international and national laws, international cooperation is the only viable avenue towards solving this problem.

Therefore, Norway is working with regional fishery management organisations, the FAO, The EU, The UN and other states to create a port state regime that will stop the landing of illegally caught fish.

We firmly believe this will make illegal fishing costly and risky for the perpetrators.

And we invite you all to take part in campaign to suppress these illegal activities which undermine sound resource management.

Integrated Management of the seas is important. Different uses of the sea, and different interests, must be reconciled.

We must look beyond our own generations.

I am heartened to see such a committed, resourceful gathering. We trust in you to bring the industry into the future, in a way that serves us all.

Thank you