[PEN-L:3789] Re: Norway, the FTA and the EEA

[Trond Andresen <Trond.Andresen@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rick Wicks replies to me, on Tue, 16 Apr 1996:

> Am I mistaken in thinking that the EEA gives Norwegians the right to work
> anywhere in the EEA, which the FTA did not?

There are two points to make in reply to this:

1) Yes, it does, and the FTA didn't. At the same time the EEA also
gives EU citizens the right to work in Norway, so the EEA as opposed to
the FTA doesn't give any net advantage to either side, or if anything
possibly to the EU, since average unemployment there is double that of
Norway.  Anyway, Norwegian emigration to work inside the EU has until
now been negligible.  The same the other way.

2) Rick's question doesn't have any bearing on my criticism of
Norwegian sell-out, since my criticism concerned other, assymmetric and
much more important parts, of the EEA agreement. The quote from me that
Rick uses -

>The parliamentary majority/gvt. was/is so eager to get us in (to the EEA) that
>they sold out/sell out for nothing in return!

- is still perfectly valid.


Trond Andresen