ISSN 0804-709X
www.norwaves.com
NORINFORM - Weekly Edition
Produced by NORINFORM, Norwegian Information Service,
P.O. Box 241 Sentrum, N-0103 Oslo, Norway
Tel (47) 22 11 46 85, Fax (47) 22 42 48 87
Editors: Ragnvald Berggrav, Helge Loland
The NORINFORM press office was established by The Norwegian
Information Council and provides overseas news services in
several languages, daily (in English only) and weekly.
NORINFORM also produces the monthly magazine Norway Now and a
fulltext database containing bulletins and articles about
Norway.
Information from Norinform is complimentary. Reproduction
permitted. Please mention source of information.
*****************************************************************************
USD 1 = NOK 7.4 No. 25 - 24 August 1993
CONTENTS:
The battle for the undecideds (1)
Norway poised for upswing (2)
Record high turnover at Oslo Bourse (3)
Exports buoyant again (4)
Trouble in the 'loophole' (5)
Silver Wedding will be celebrated in grand style (6)
EC opposition continues to grow (7)
Superboost for Norwegian oil revenues (8)
Whaling methods stringently controlled (9)
Norwegians fear nuclear power (10)
norinform/1 24 August 1993
THE BATTLE FOR THE UNDECIDEDS
The Labour Party continues to move forward while the Conservatives and
the Socialist Left fall behind. This is the trend revealed in an
opinions poll conducted by Opinion three weeks before Norwegians go to
the polls on 13 September. Another poll shows that 54 per cent of
interviewees would prefer Gro Harlem Brundtland to continue as prime
minister. Only 15 per cent favour Conservative leader Kaci Kullmann
Five while 13 per cent would back the Centre Party's Anne Enger
Lahnstein. According to the poll, the Labour Party now has 32.8 per
cent voter support (up 1.2 percentage points), while the Conservatives
and the Socialist Left have fallen back 2.9 points and 2.8 points to
20.3 per cent and 10.4 per cent respectively. The Centre Party has lost
support, in contrast to the Christian Democrats and the Progress Party.
Unemployment, law and order, health policies, the EC, the composition
of the Government, and the environment are some of the themes that will
dominate debate in the weeks leading up to the election. The prime task
will be to coax the one million undecided voters out of their armchairs
and into the polling booths.
Womanpower will be the key word as three women will be battling for
supremacy. Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, Kaci Kullmann Five and
Anne Enger Lahnstein are likely to completely overshadow their male
counterparts. The Centre Party and the Socialist Left are doing their
utmost to make the Common Market a central theme of the election
campaign, while the Labour Party and the Conservatives attempt to play
it down. The Christian Democrats are spotlighting traditional values,
while the Progress Party is bringing law and order to the forefront of
debate.
norinform/2 24 August 1993
NORWAY POISED FOR UPSWING
Norway is headed for a longish period of growth, say economic experts in
the Norwegian Federation of Trade Unions (LO). In their opinion demand
is set for a gradual rise, though there is no question of another
spending spree similar to that of the 1980s. The experts also agree
that unemployment will fall; LO economist Stein Reegaard believes it can
be halved in the course of four to five years. The strength of the
upswing will balance somewhere between what Reegaard terms a rather bleak
international picture and vigorous growth in Norway.
Reegaard points out that the fall in unemployment has slackened for the
first time in 20 years and that there are signs of an upswing in
industrial employment. At the same time, interest rates are dropping.
In this context, the uncertain factor is whether the Norwegians will
continue their present tendecy to pay off debts at a quicker rate, or
whether they will spend their increased income on goods and services.
Director Olav Magnussen in the Confederation of Norwegian Business and
Industry (NHO) is reluctant to estimate the size of a possible fall in
unemployment, but on the whole shares LO's optimism. He too expects
demand to rise, though only moderately. In contrast to the LO
economist, he puts considerable emphasis on impulses from abroad.
Norges Bank, the central bank of Norway, has added to the good news this
week. Despite falling interest rates, the country's currency reserves
have reached a record-breaking size. Preliminary figures from the end
of July show that reserves exceeded USD 20.1 billion, up USD 8.7 billion
since the turn of the year.
norinform/3 24 August 1993
RECORD HIGH TURNOVER AT OSLO BOURSE
Friday the thirteenth of August turned out to mean anything but bad luck
for the Oslo bourse as turnover soared to record heights for the second
day running. The turnover of USD 194 million surpassed the day-old
record by USD 40.5 million. At the same time, the all shares index
continued to rise, from 580.59 points on August 12 to 591.08 points on
the following day. At the turn of the year, the index read 400.
The Oslo bourse is in the middle of a phenomenal period of growth, with
an average daily turnover the last few weeks of USD 121,6 million,
compared to an average of USD 54 million for the year so far. The
records did not come as a surprise, although the size of the turnover
did. "The increase is so much larger than we could expect," says bourse
head of information, Bernt Bangstad.
There is brisk activity in all areas of trade, but it is particularily
high in industry and shipping. Banking is also picking up after having
been through severe crises in the last few years.
The sharp increase shows that funds which earlier were channelled
elsewhere, now find their way to the stock market. Mostly, this is due
to falling interest rates and stronger faith in the Norwegian economy.
This faith was strengthened on August 13 when the Central Bureau of
Statistics reported a surplus of USD 5 billion in the Norwegian balance
of trade for the first seven months of 1993.
norinform/4 24 August 1993
EXPORTS BUOYANT AGAIN
After a succession of years in the doldrums, Norwegian exporters are
riding a wave of optimism. Mainland industry, particularly in West
Norway, seems set for a 3 per cent rise in exports following a 5 - 6 per
cent sales increase during the last three months. Major new markets are
opening up in Asia and Eastern Europe.
Since 1990 exports have stagnated or decreased, but the tide is turning
and 1993 looks like being a good year. "We're entering a new period of
growth," said Kjell-Martin Fredriksen, head of the Norwegian Trade
Council, when he recently presented statistics on Norwegian commodities
exports for the first half. These showed that total exports during the
period equated a good USD 15 billion, including oil and gas activities
and sales of ships and offshore platforms. When these are excluded,
export earnings stand at USD 7.35 billion.
Topping the list of popular export goods are fish, refined mineral oil
products, artificial fertilizer and pharmaceuticals. Pulp and paper are
in stagnation, but the improved dollar exchange rate has eased the
situation. It has also benefitted companies exporting metals such as
aluminium,and magnesium and ferro-alloys, all of which are fighting hard
to increase exports.
Falling exports to Western Europe have been offset by a steep rise in
exports to Eastern Europe and also to Asia, where the increase has been
remarkable. During the last six months Norwegian firms have boosted
their exports to China by 90 per cent, to Taiwan by 50 per cent and to
Hong Kong by 30 per cent.
norinform/5 24 August 1993
TROUBLE IN THE 'LOOPHOLE'
Norwegian and Icelandic authorities have yet to reach a solution to a
dispute involving the 62,400 km2 'loophole' sector of the Barents Sea.
The issue became more acute last week when Icelandic trawlers followed
the initiative of six Caribbean-registered vessels and started fishing
for cod in the area. At one point, a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel fired
across the bow of a trawler registered in the Dominican Republic. The
Icelandic foreign minister, Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson, says that he hopes
to find a political solution to the problem, but that he is not
empowered to stop the trawlers.
Norway and Russia, who in concert manage the Norwegian-Arctic cod stock
in the area, consider the 'loophole' to be a vulnerable feeding area for
the fish, and Norwegians characterise trawling in the sector as pirate
fishing. However, the 'loophole' got its nickname because it is just
that - it lies in international waters outside the Svalbard zone as
well as the Norwegian and Russian economic zones. Press Spokesman
Ingvard Havnen at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that
fishing in the area undermines resource regulation and conflicts with
international law.
An Icelandic fisheries spokesman has disclosed that the fleet's ultimate
goal is to win a quota in the sector. Norwegian fishermen advise against
any such concessions and threaten to confront the Icelandic trawler
armada. In the meanwhile the foreign trawlers are being kept under
observation by Norwegian Coast Guard aircraft.
norinform/6 24 August 1993
SILVER WEDDING WILL BE CELEBRATED IN GRAND STYLE
August 29th marks the 25th wedding anniversary of Norway's King Harld V
and Queen Sonja. The event will be celebrated in right royal fashion,
with no less than 40 representatives of Europe's royal houses topping
the lengthy guest list.
Five monarchs; Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Sweden's King Carl Gustaf,
King Juan Carlos of Spain, the Dutch Queen Beatrix and Grand Duke Jean
of Luxembourg have accepted invitations to attend. Princess Anne and
Prince Edward will represent Queen Elizabeth. Due to the recent death
of King Baudouin, the Belgian royal house will not be represented.
But it is the royal "children" who will probably steal the limelight
during the festivities. No less than 15 princes and princesses will
meet at the celebrations - constituting the biggest assembly of young
royals to have gathered for almost 40 years.
The Norwegian royal couple will host a palace ball on 28 August, while
the Government will hold a banquet for the King and Queen and their
guests on the following evening at the ancient fortress of Akershus, in
Oslo.
Most of the guest are expected to attend a special three-day sightseeing
trip to West Norway where the King and Queen will show their guests some
of the most beautiful scenery that Norway has to offer. The older guests
will travel aboard two royal yachts, the Norwegian "Norge" and the
Danish "Dannebrog". The younger royals - with Norway's Crown Prince
Haakon and Princess M?rtha Louise as their hosts - will travel by bus -
staying at hotels en route.
norinform/7 24 August 1993
EC OPPOSITION CONTINUES TO GROW
Despite the fact that the EC-friendly parties seem to be making headway
in North Norway, the bastion of Euro-scepticism, the latest nationwide
opinions poll reveals mounting opposition to Norwegian membership of the
European Community.
The newspaper Dagbladet recently commissioned an opinions poll which
revealed that 54 per cent of interviewees would vote against Norwegian
EC membership if a referendum were to be held now. This is a five per
centage point increase on this figure since the previous poll, which was
held in June and the strongest opposition registered so far. In the June
poll, the "yes" side had nudged forward a little since the previous
figures were released, but this trend was now reversed. Only 35 per
cent now say that they favour joining the Community, a drop of three
percentage points.
The "don't know" group is dwindling, having fallen to 11 per cent as
against 13 per cent in June. When urged to take a stance on the issue,
those who would vote "yes" are only slightly fewer than the "no" group,
while one third of interviewees in the group remain adamantly
undecided.
The Labour Party appears to have the largest number of voters who have
not yet selected a standpoint. In the first round of questioning as
many as 43 per cent said they were undecided while the "yes" and "no"
groups numbered 34 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.
The powerful "No to the EC" movement attributes the growing EC
opposition in Norway to general voter disillusionment with Community
policies, while the European movement complains of lack of funds to
drive home its message.
norinform/8 24 August 1993
SUPERBOOST FOR NORWEGIAN OIL REVENUES
Fresh estimates of Norway's North Sea oil reserves have resulted in an
upgrading of 500 million tonnes for fields which are already on stream
or under development. At current oil price levels, this means an extra
USD 62 billion in revenues.
Nearly all the upgradings apply to fields where investments have already
been calculated in the budget, says Arild Nystad in the Petroleum
Directorate. He adds that an improved knowledge of the reservoirs,
better charting methods and more sophisticated technology must be given
the credit for the encouraging new figures. The most recent of these was
from the Shell oil company, which upgraded the Draugen field on the
Haltenbenken by 200 million barrels of oil - an increase of no less than
37 per cent. This field alone will boost revenues by USD 3.4 billion.
Viewing the Norwegian shelf as a whole, current estimated reserves
constitute 5,6 billion tonnes of oil equivalents of which 40 per cent
consists of oil. About one third of present reserves are the result of a
later upgrading of initial figures. "Most of the improved estimates
apply to the major oil and gas fields, and we do not expect to find so
many more of those," says Arild Nystad. "If we look at the figures in a
historical perspective, a 30 per cent upgrading is a realistic figure
for the majority of fields," Nystad states.
norinform/9 24 August 1993
WHALING METHODS STRINGENTLY CONTROLLED
The agriculture and fisheries committee of the Council of Europe this
week expressed its acceptance of Norwegian minke whaling and in
September will table a resolution to this effect to the Council.
The control of the Norwegian minke whale hunt constitutes the world's
most stringent surveillance of the slaughter of wild animals, says
Minister of Fisheries Jan Henry T.Olsen. In accordance with demands
from Norwegian authorities, veterinary surgeons carry out inspections on
<
all of the 28 boats engaged in the hunt.
More than half of the whales die instantaneously, according to
information which researcher Egil Ole Oeen has compiled over a number of
years. Oeen has been commissioned by Norwegian authorities to lead
surveillance of the hunt this year. "It's too early to draw conclusions
so far," says Oeen. "Seven boats, with a total quota of 50 animals, have
not yet submitted their reports. But information that at least two minke
whales are said to have lived up to half an hour after they were
harpooned is not so surprising," says Oeen who calls Norwegian killing
methods "examplary", and draws parallels with big game hunting, where,
for example, only one in ten elks dies from the first bullet. The
criteria which determine whether a whale can be declared dead are
extremely stringent, and this serves to lengthen the average time of
slaughter.
A survey recently completed by the Norwegian Trade Council has revealed
that only one per cent of 800 Norwegian firms questioned have so far
reported losing trade through reactions to the resumption of commercial
minke whaling.
norinform/10 24 August 1993
NORWEGIANS FEAR NUCLEAR POWER
The environmental threat that Norwegians fear most is pollution from
nuclear power plants. Second on the list is industrial discharges.
More than 1,400 Norwegians were recently questioned on their
environmental fears, as part of the regularly conducted international
survey known as "Attitudes Towards the Environment " - a study which
is carried out in 15-20 countries.
Answers were graded on a scale of five, ranging from extremely
dangerous, through very dangerous, fairly dangerous, to not so dangerous
or definitely harmless. A good 70 per cent of the Norwegians questioned
regard nuclear power as "extremely dangerous" or "very dangerous" to the
environment; 60 per cent have the same opinion regarding air pollution
from industrial emissions.
As many as 44 and 43 per cent respectively consider the pollution of
Norwegian lakes and rivers and the greenhouse effect to be extremely or
very dangerous; 38 per cent believe exhaust from cars to be an equally
big risk, while only 26 per cent regard agricultural pesticides as any
serious threat.
The Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe appears to have had a strong influence
on how Norwegians feel about the threat from such plants. Ten years
ago, nuclear power was considered to be a clean and safe source of
energy, involving only a negligible risk of damaging the environment.
However, Norway has no nuclear power plants itself.
.