ESA’s College in Oslo for meetings with Norwegian Government

The leadership of the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) today concluded a week of discussions with the Norwegian Government in Oslo. On the agenda were issues related to the implementation of the European Economic Area Agreement.

Once a year ESA meets with each of the three EEA EFTA states for solution-focused discussions around ongoing cases and investigations. The aim of the so-called ‘Package Meeting’ is to ensure productive and constructive communication flows and work out agreements and solutions to EEA-related matters. 

In conjunction with the Package Meeting, ESA engaged in several high-level meetings with ministers of the Norwegian Government to discuss opportunities and challenges relating to EEA matters. President Arne Røksund and Vice-Presidents Árni Páll Árnason led the ESA delegation that met with Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tore O. Sandvik, Minister of Climate and Environment, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, Terje Aasland, Minister of Energy, and Jon-Ivar Nygård, Minister of Transport. 

Meetings were also held with the Norwegian Parliament’s Delegation to the EFTA and EEA Parliamentary Committees, and leadership of LO – the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, and NHO – the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise.

The meetings allowed ESA’s College and the Norwegian authorities to discuss a wide array of EEA-related topics, including environment, energy, maritime, transport and state-aid issues. During these discussions, ESA noted the positive overall relations with Norway and identified areas where improved dialogue could help find solutions for people and businesses within the framework of the EEA Agreement. 

On Wednesday 23 October, an ESA Day was held at the University of Oslo, in cooperation with the Centre for European Law. The event marked 30 years of the EEA Agreement and was attended by more than 150 people from the public and private sectors, non-governmental organisations and academia who joined the discussions.

‘This has been a week with very useful discussions. We have been able to untangle some sticking points, and look forward to continuing discussions on other issues going forward,’ said ESA President Arne Røksund. ‘We are also pleased to have been marking 30 years of the EEA this week, allowing us to showcase how ESA’s main role is really to protect the EEA rights of people and businesses.’

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