Unofficial Translation

Action plan for the implementation of Norway's European policy

1 Precise and pre-emptive politicial priorities

Vigilance and early warning

Vigilance and early warning are essential if Norway is to have influence in the EU. The Government will seek to ensure that the public administration is able to identify new initiatives and processes that are on the horizon in the EU at an early stage, and consider whether they are likely to become part of EEA legislation or affect Norway in any other way. This will require cooperation and the exchange of information between the public administration and affected parties. Norway’s Mission to the EU and other Norwegian actors in Brussels are important sources of information in this connection.

The dialogue between the Mission to the EU, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassies in EEA countries will also be strengthened.

The Mission to the EU has a particular responsibility for alerting the public administration to new initiatives and processes in the EU. The mission is to be a centre of expertise that serves the entire public administration. Most ministries have their own experts (at counsellor level) at the mission. The reporting routines will be reviewed to ensure that such information is highlighted in reports and promptly reaches the competent ministry. It is important that the mission’s premises are upgraded to serve as a gathering point for Norwegian actors and enhance Norway’s visibility in Brussels.

Priorities and political commitment

The Government will concentrate its efforts on matters that are particularly important for safeguarding Norwegian interests and values. Priorities within the various areas will be integrated into the work programmes for the EEA, justice and home affairs and foreign and security policy.

The purpose of the work programmes is to identify the priorities for Norwegian participation and efforts within the various areas. There must be commitment to these programmes at political level. They will be updated regularly in accordance with the Council’s and the European Commission’s work programmes.

European issues are to be included in the regular work carried out in the ministries and subordinate agencies, and the leadership of the ministry in question must be committed to these efforts. Each ministry will draw up a plan for its work in relation to the EU. The plan is to identify priorities and specify measures and routines to ensure that they are put into practice. These efforts should be seen in the context of the annual work plans. The subordinate agencies will be involved in this process. The plans may be drawn up in cooperation with other ministries where appropriate.

The Government stresses the importance of focusing on the issues that have been given political priority. However, there are also a number of on-going matters of a more technical nature that require follow-up and resources in the day-to-day work of the public administration. This is important in order to ensure that Norway fulfils its obligations, but it is also an opportunity to identify new initiatives and potentially important political matters at an early stage.

Improved communication with the Storting

The Government would welcome more active involvement on the part of the Storting in the work on EU matters. The Government will endeavour to make relevant information available, and ensure that the Storting has a broad base of information, so that input and assessments can be made at an early stage. The Government will therefore give particular priority to providing the Storting with information on draft Community legislation, EU programmes, green and white papers, etc, of relevance to Norway, at the earliest possible time.

The Storting decides its own working methods. The Government invites the Storting to a dialogue on how best to ensure a good flow of information and communication and identify the appropriate form and content of this information. In this dialogue, the Government would welcome the Storting’s opinion on whether the EEA Consultative Committee could be developed to play a more important role and whether the Standing Committees could be more actively involved.

Streamlining the work of the public administration

The Government will improve communication within the public administration and between the foreign service missions and the ministry in Oslo. It will promote new forms of cooperation and better communication. One way of achieving this will be by increasing the use of electronic tools.

The public administration’s guidelines for work on European matters will be reviewed. The various guidelines are to be gathered in one place.

The EEA High-level Coordinating Committee will discuss long-term policy matters and matters of principle, and is intended to be a strategic coordination forum for EEA-related work in the public administration. Meetings of the Coordinating Committee will therefore be held at a high level. There must be close communication between the EEA Coordinating Committee and the relevant EEA special committee in connection with strategic matters.

The Coordinating Committee for Justice and Home Affairs Issues has similar tasks in relation to Schengen matters.

The role and function of the EEA special committees will be reviewed and clarified. It is important that matters are submitted to the EEA special committees at an early stage of the EU decision-making process, among other things in order to identify which new Community acts are relevant to the EEA Agreement. In addition to making assessments in their field of expertise, the special committees are to pay particular attention to matters of principle and political importance that are being prepared in the EU. The responsibility for dialogue with affected parties (through reference groups and/or consultation rounds) will lie with the individual ministry. The chairs of the special committees have a particular responsibility for ensuring that such dialogues take place where this seems natural and appropriate.

The EEA Legal Coordinating Committee will be used more actively to clarify legal questions in connection with the EEA Agreement.

The Government intends to establish one or more special committees to deal with Schengen matters.

The EEA Database is a key tool in the public administration’s work on EU/EEA matters. The purpose of the database is to provide an up-to-date overview of the substance of an act and its status in the decision-making process, Norway’s assessment and position, and finally how the act in question is implemented in Norway. The EEA Database will be further developed. EEA documents are to be drawn up early enough for Norway to have a real opportunity to present its viewpoints within the framework of the EEA Agreement. The form of the documents is to be adapted to the scope and importance of the matter in questions, and a distinction must be made between technical and politically important matters. The database should at all times contain up-dated EEA documents on EEA-relevant proposals such as draft legislation, green papers and white papers. The documents are to indicate how various interest groups have been involved in the process.

The establishment of a corresponding Schengen Database will help to enhance coordination in the field of justice and home affairs.

Involvement of affected parties and interest groups

Dialogue fosters understanding and transparency, and is a means of articulating Norway’s positions. It is vital that dialogue and exchange of information start at an early stage and are maintained on a regular basis. The Government will consider how the European Portal and the ministries’ websites can be used to ensure timely and efficient consultation rounds.

The Government will establish and further develop various forums for dialogue with affected parties and interest groups. A survey will be made of the ministries’ use of reference groups and the use of such groups will be increased.

COORDINATING ACTIVITIES AND EXPLOITING OPPORTUNITIES

Coordination of activities vis-à-vis the EU

The Government will present a clear and coordinated position in meetings with the EU and the Member States. Norway’s Mission to the EU plays a particularly important role in coordinating activities in order to maximise Norway’s influence.

In difficult matters it is especially important that the Government has a clear profile and conveys a coherent message. With this in view, the Government will regularly discuss participation, arrangements and the content of planned political visits and talks with the EU and the Member States. A good exchange of information following meetings and other forms of contact must be ensured. The coordinating committees are responsible for identifying matters where it is particularly important to convey a coherent message.

Participation in committees and working groups is important in order to put forward proposals and evaluations at an early stage. These are also some of the most important channels for obtaining information on initiatives in good time. Thorough preparation and vigilance are necessary to ensure effective participation and ensure that issues that may involve challenges and opportunities are identified. The members of these committees and working groups must have solid expertise in the field in question, be well acquainted with the EU/EEA system, and have good language and negotiating skills.

An overview, ordered by special committee, of the working groups and expert groups under the European Commission in which Norwegian experts take part has been published on the European Portal. We will improve the system for reporting from committee meetings. There is to be close contact between the ministries’ experts (at counsellor level) at the Mission to the EU and the members of committees and working groups.

The EFTA Secretariat can provide valuable expertise and resources for the public administration’s work.

Many organisations and local and regional authorities have an extensive interface with EU bodies and Member States, and can provide expertise, experience and channels for participation. This enables us to identify common interests through dialogue and exchange of experience, and thus make better use of the many different channels available.

Exploiting opportunities

The Government wants to increase the level of strategic awareness. The Government will concentrate its efforts more closely on areas that are particularly important for safeguarding our interests and values.

We must understand the EU decision-making processes so that matters can be presented to the right bodies at the appropriate time. We must more clearly articulate Norway’s views and areas where we have special expertise and resources.

Our bilateral cooperation with EU/EEA Member States will be strengthened. We must identify cooperation partners and build alliances with countries with which we have common interests. This is particularly important with a view to gaining influence on the final decision-making process in the Council. Nordic cooperation is an important arena for exchanging information about European policy questions that are under development or at the decision stage. It is important that the Nordic arena is used actively at political level, in senior-official committees and in expert groups in order to gain influence, coordinate activities and safeguard Norway’s interests in EU/EEA issues.

Technical cooperation with other EEA countries should also be encouraged in matters dealt with by the courts. Contact with countries that share our views in specific cases has proved useful.

The EEA Financial Mechanisms provide a good starting point for strengthening relations with the new Member States. Norway’s support for the Western Balkans is promoting democracy and development both in the candidate countries and in the region, in addition to developing our bilateral relations.

The EU presidency plays a key role as a prime mover and in setting the agenda for cooperation in the EU. The arrangement by which additional staff are posted to the embassy in the country holding the presidency will be continued.

The European Parliament is gaining increasing influence on the development of EU policy and legislation. The co-decision procedure gives the European Parliament competence to make decisions on a par with the Council in certain areas, such as the internal market. The Government will strengthen its dialogue with the European Parliament. The guidelines for Norway’s dealings with the European Parliament will be revised. Formal and informal networks that provide access to the European Parliament are important for a broad range of actors.

Forums for political dialogue and consultations with the EU and the Member States on the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) are important. The mutual benefit of such dialogue as a means of gaining insight will be highlighted. Efforts will be made to develop more permanent arrangements and forms of cooperation in the field of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

The Government will make Norway’s participation in various EU programmes more visible. The Government will, on an on-going basis, consider taking part in new programmes. An overview of programmes in which Norway participates has been published on the European Portal and will be regularly updated.

The Government will participate actively in the European agencies in which it is involved and will, on an on-going basis, consider taking part in other agencies.

The Government will consider the extent to which it is desirable and possible for Norway to take part in cooperation arrangements and forums in the justice and home affairs field that are not already covered by the Schengen cooperation.

Increasing knowledge about Norway in the EU

The Government will promote measures to increase knowledge in EU bodies, in the Member States and in the candidate countries about Norway and Norway’s close association with the EU. This will pave the way for more active participation.

The Government will attach importance to enhancing awareness of Norway as a modern nation of culture and knowledge. Press visits and sponsored trips from the EU countries are valuable in this connection. All foreign service missions in EU countries will develop information tailored to the host country.

The EEA Financial Mechanisms are important tools for increasing knowledge about Norway and the EEA cooperation. Our support to the Western Balkans also gives us an opportunity to increase the visibility of Norway’s contribution to stability and development in Europe.

IMPLEMENTATION OF NORWAY’S OBLIGATIONS

Bolstering European law expertise

The Government will promote greater expertise in European law in the public administration. In connection with proceedings before the EU courts or the EFTA court, it is important that expertise in EU and EEA law in the public administration is further developed, that efforts are closely coordinated, and that there is sufficient capacity to conduct such cases.

Both the EEA Agreement and the Schengen Agreement specify how obligations under the agreements are to be implemented in Norwegian law. The central, local and regional authorities are all responsible for applying the provisions of these agreements. It is often at the local and the regional level that the users of public services meet the practical consequences of these obligations.

Dialogue with the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA)

The Government will give priority to maintaining a close dialogue with the ESA to ensure that Norway’s rights and obligations are fulfilled in the best possible way. A system will be established for early warning of relevant matters. We will give particular priority to strengthening our dialogue in the informal phase, including participation in meetings in different areas (“package meetings”), and to the use of electronic management tools.

Increased awareness of new forms of management

The Government will maintain a focus on the institutional development of the EU, both with regard to general institutional reforms and the development of administrative policy in the EU. In particular, we will follow the efforts to develop new forms of management in the EU, including initiatives to improve forms of regulation, more flexible means of implementation, impact assessments and early rounds of consultation through extended consultation mechanisms.

enhancing knowledge and expertise

Enhancing knowledge and expertise in the political leadership and the public administration

An active European policy is not possible without a high level of knowledge and expertise. Knowledge is essential for identifying developments in the EU and exerting influence.

The Government will promote a high level of awareness and expertise regarding European matters among the political leadership. Various measures have been implemented with this in view.

The Government will promote a higher level of expertise in EU/EEA matters in the public administration. Priority will be given to bolstering expertise in relation to both substance and process. Efforts to boost expertise must be included as a key part of the ministries’ recruitment and training plans.

Particular importance will be attached to training and raising the level of expertise of new employees. It is also important that existing expertise on the EU/EEA in the public administration is further developed. Expertise on the EU/EEA should be organised in such a way that enables the public administration to meet challenges relating to European cooperation as they arise.

Annual conferences will be held for managers and executive officers who work with EU/EEA matters in the public administration. This will increase the exchange of experience and improve coordination.

Courses and further education programmes provided by key research centres and educational institutions in Norway and other European countries will be utilised. Statskonsult already offers courses for executive officers and managers on EU/EEA matters. Efforts aimed at raising the level of expertise in EU/EEA matters among staff at foreign service missions in EEA countries will be intensified and given higher priority.

Preparations are being made to extend the exchange programmes for civil servants with neighbouring countries and other EU countries. The ministries should make it possible for civil servants to serve in the European Commission, the European Parliament, the EFTA Secretariat and the ESA. It is important that the ministries stay in close contact with civil servants during the exchange period. The follow-up of such exchanges is important and should be planned in advance.

Several ministries have very good experience of seconding national experts to the European Commission. National experts have proved to be a valuable source of knowledge and information, and they have also boosted knowledge and understanding of Norway within the European Commission. In 2006, the European Parliament invited Norway to second a national expert. The Government will further explore this opportunity.

The Ministry of Government Administration and Reform has initiated a project to make better use of EU/EEA expertise in the public administration. This will involve developing methods, processes and routines for the ministries’ planning and follow-up of expertise at the foreign service missions. The project will be developed and implemented in cooperation with the ministries. The establishment of a resource base is being considered.

The EEA Agreement allows for representatives of the European Commission to work for a period in EFTA countries. We will utilise such opportunities to boost expertise and make contacts.

At present, Norway has three secondment positions in the European Commission for public administration employees. The ministries award grants to employees who wish to be seconded where this is relevant to their work. It is important that this arrangement is utilised to the full. The traineeship scheme at the Mission to the EU and Norway’s embassies in the EU area will be expanded. The possibility of establishing a secondment scheme at the European Parliament is being examined.

It is important that the knowledge and expertise gained by individual employees through exchanges and secondments is made available to and utilised in the public administration.

Raising the general public’s level of knowledge

The Government will strive to ensure that tailored information is made available to the general public so that it is easier for people to increase their understanding of this field. As EU/EEA issues touch on most areas of society, it is important that the private sector, organisations and the general public are well informed about the EU and the EEA.

The Government will support interest organisations that are involved in information work on the EU/EEA and network-building in EU countries. In particular, the Government will support measures designed to boost knowledge about Europe in Norwegian society. The aim is that knowledge gained from work on European issues is transferred to Norwegian society with a view to stimulating the debate on Europe at home.

The Euro Info Centres (EICs) form a coordinated information network established by the European Commission, with offices in most European countries. In Norway, the network has five regional offices that play an important role in providing information and advisory services on the EEA and the internal market for Norwegian businesses.

We will also intensify education efforts relating to European policy. The European dimension will be incorporated into the curricula that are being introduced in connection with efforts to raise educational standards in primary and lower secondary school. The Ministry of Education and Research’s strategy for raising educational expertise includes measures directed at teachers and school administrators, and also includes training aimed at reaching new educational targets in Social Studies.

The Government will also strive to increase the general level of expertise in the long term. Given the importance developments in the EU have for Norway in a broad range of areas, it will be important to ensure that Norway has a strong community of researchers on European issues, and that the results of their research projects are made available to the general public. It is important that the European policy dimension is included in research in other fields where relevant.

Measures aimed at increasing the exchange of information with researchers on European issues, for example by producing resource catalogues and overviews of current research projects in this field, will also be considered. Annual conferences on Europe will continue to be a key measure in these efforts.

GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND DIALOGUE

Greater transparency

The European Portal is intended as a primary, high-quality source of information about the ministries’ work on European issues. It will be made more visible and effective by improving the quality of the information published, with particular focus on information on the development of legislation. The cooperation between the ministries and the Mission to the EU on the portal will be strengthened. The ministries’ own web pages must give their work on EU/EEA issues more coverage.

The Government will make information in the EEA database available to the public through a link to the base from the European Portal. Information in the planned Schengen database will be made available in the same way.

The Government will strive to improve access to key, basic EU documents that are particularly important for Norwegian interests and the Norwegian public debate. It is especially important to ensure that Community acts that are to be incorporated in the EEA Agreement and Schengen Agreement are translated into Norwegian at an early stage. For the sake of transparency, it is also important that key EU documents are translated.

The EU system is becoming more transparent. The Government will promote greater transparency in the EFTA system. New guidelines have been adopted for public access to EEA/EFTA documents, which are generally in line with EU guidelines for public access.

The Mission to the EU will play a larger role in providing information to the public on Norway and the EU, and two new positions have been created to strengthen the mission’s information work.

Increased visibility

The Government will strive to make Norway’s European policy more visible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will draw up a short annual report on European policy activities, which will be published on the European Portal. The collation of this information will help to create a common knowledge base on Norway’s European policy. The report will discuss the following:

• Main policy priorities
• Overview of activities and visits
• EEA Financial Mechanisms
• Participation in programmes
• Dialogue with the Storting
• Participation in committees and working groups
• National experts and secondees
• Incorporation of new Community acts
• Proceedings before the EU/EEA courts in cases where Norway is involved
• Various measures to promote transparency and boost knowledge and understanding, such as the European Portal, dialogues with external actors, local and regional authorities and the Samediggi (Sami parliament), and information and research efforts, including grants

Improved dialogue

The Government will establish a European forum at the national level, which will be headed by the Foreign Minister. It will be made up of representatives of various groups, including parliamentarians, researchers, media workers and members of interest organisations. The composition of the forum should reflect the breadth of Norway’s links with the EU. It will meet once a year to discuss developments in the EU and the consequences these may have for Norway.

The dialogue with the social partners will be continued. The social partners have useful contacts in Brussels and in other capitals in the EU, and their participation in their European counterpart organisations is of great value. The political leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds meetings on EU/EEA matters with the social partners three times a year. In addition, meetings are held at senior-official level to discuss on-going matters of common interest. Other ministries take part as appropriate. Meetings are also held between the social partners and the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion in the Employment Policy Council. These are important arenas for exchanging information on EU/EEA matters with the social partners. In addition, there is extensive contact with the social partners at senior-official level on specific issues.

The dialogue between central, local and regional authorities and the Samediggi will be continued through the contact group and the local and regional European policy forum. The forum is chaired at political level and meets twice a year. The purpose of the forum is to increase knowledge and stimulate debate on European policy questions at local and regional level and among the indigenous population, and to encourage participation in European cooperation from different levels of the public administration.

The NGO Forum will be continued in cooperation with other ministries. Exchange of information between non-governmental actors and the central administration on Norway’s European policy is important for increasing knowledge. The form, content and frequency of meetings are determined in the light of the organisations’ other interfaces with the central administration.

The Research Forum will also be continued, but the Government will, in cooperation with the research centres, examine how the forum can be made more flexible. The forum promotes valuable dialogue on European policy between researchers and the public administration at both political and senior-official level.

The Government will also consider measures to strengthen the dialogue with the media on European policy questions, for example by establishing more regular contact.

ACTION AND FOLLOW-UP

The Government is ambitious in its European policy. We want to seize the opportunities, and exert an influence in areas of importance to Norway. In this plan we have highlighted our priorities and presented a number of tools that we will use to achieve our objectives.

A great deal of good work is being carried out in the European policy area, but there is also room for improvement. Transparency, expertise and participation are vital if we are to succeed. Putting words into action requires focused and targeted efforts. Successful implementation depends on the political leadership and the public administration pulling in the same direction, and on society as a whole taking its share of the responsibility. We must adapt our perspective and consider together how we can optimise our efforts.

The measures presented in the action plan for implementing our European policy will be followed up in a concrete and systematic way. We will draw up a clear overview of the tasks involved, clarify who has the responsibility for completing them and set deadlines for their completion. The Government will focus on setting clear operative targets and developing performance indicators that make it possible to determine whether they are being met within the specified time frame.

An interministerial working group led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for the implementation and follow-up of the plan. Regular progress reports will be presented to the coordination committees.

The Government will encourage an open dialogue on the follow-up of the action plan. The established dialogue forums, where affected parties are invited to give input and propose improvements, will be important arenas.

The Government’s aim is to make the efforts on European issues more effective. The measures outlined above will contribute to meeting this aim. The need for resources and other financial and administrative consequences of the action plan will be assessed.

The action plan marks the start of a process — not the end. We must ensure that we are continually evaluating how we can best promote our political priorities in a Europe that is constantly developing and of which we are a part.