Huge price for access to enlarged EU market
By Lisbeth Kirk
Enlargement is worth something for the EU. At least this became clear to Norway after negotiations in Brussels for a renewed EEA Agreement came close to finishing on Tuesday evening.
Only the final little details have still to be settled, Norwegian media reported.
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The three EFTA countries – Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein – must pay ten times more, 230 million euro per year for access to the markets in the enlarged European Union.
Norway will pay 97% of the money. Instead of low customs tariffs on fish, the deal offers quotas for the selling of fish.
"This is an expensive deal for Norway. It gives us a poorer deal on fish and at the same time it costs us much more money," said the leader of the Centre Party Åslaug Haga in a comment to Norwegian daily Nationen.
Up until now, Norway has been selling fish to Eastern European countries without customs or quotas.
In 2001 the Norwegians sold herring to Poland for some half a billion crowns. The Baltic countries also consume large quantities of fish from Norway.
Norwegian foreign minister Jan Petersen informed members of the EEA-committee in the Norwegian Parliament, Stortinget, of the negotiations.
The Social democrat chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Norwegian parliament, Thorbjørn Jagland said it was not a high price to pay for access to the enlarged EU market.
Member of the Parliament's EEA committee from the leftist SV party, Bjørn Jacobsen however said he was unhappy with the deal in sight.
"Norway is selling fish to the EU for 1,6- 1,7 billion crowns per year. This is around the same price as Norway will now have to pay to secure access to the markets for this fish," he said to Nationen.
Half of the money paid to the EU from the three small countries will be spent to level social and economic differences in the enlarged EU.
Parts of the money will be spent on projects in Spain, Portugal and Greece. A new Eastern European foundation will be set up, as well.