Draft withdrawal agreement by  EU and UK

Prime Minister Erna Solberg made the following statement in response to the news:

‘I am pleased that the EU and the UK have succeeded in reaching agreement on a withdrawal agreement.

There is still quite a long way to go. The agreement must, for example, be approved by both the EU and the UK Parliament before it can enter into force on 30 March next year. However, this is a step towards an orderly Brexit, which is important for Norway.

The withdrawal agreement also establishes a transition period that will last until December 2020. During this period, the UK will continue to be bound by the rules and obligations associated with membership of both the EU and the EEA, and we will therefore not notice any change in our trade relationship with the UK. This is important because it provides predictability for all those who are living and working in the UK or who are trading with, or trading in, the UK. It will give us more time to put in place a good framework for the long-term relationship between Norway and the UK.

Norway will use the transition period to negotiate its future relationship with the UK. These negotiations will be conducted in parallel with the negotiations between the EU and the UK on the terms of their future relationship.’