ISSN 0804-709X
www.norwaves.com
ATTN: PRESSE- OG KULTURKONTORET
THE ROYAL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Press Division, Oslo
NORWAY DAILY NO. 54-58/94 OeW/KJ
DATE: 17 March 1994
NOW WE NEED A POPULAR MAJORITY (Aftenposten)
The Government jumped into the EU fray yesterday: the battle for
the popular vote is now starting in earnest. The Prime Minister
takes over for the Brussels negotiating team when she presents the
results of the EU negotiations to the Storting on Thursday
morning. Both sides acknowledged yesterday that with the accord
in Brussels, the EU campaign has entered a new phase. All agree
that the debate will rise to new levels of intensity, encompass
more issues and go into greater detail as the technicalities of
the final agreement with the EU are clarified.
REFERENDUM LIKELY IN NOVEMBER (Aftenposten)
At this point, it seems likely that the EU referendum will be held
sometime in the last two weeks of November. For this to happen,
though, the Council of the European Union will have to resolve its
own internal disagreement on voting practices next week. This in
turn would enable the European Parliament to deal with the
enlargement proceedings in May, making it possible for the new
members to be admitted on 1 January next year. Prime Minister Gro
Harlem Brundtland suggested at a press conference on Monday night
that the referendum would be held towards the end of the year.
She also announced that party chairmen and the leaders of the
various lobbying organizations would be invited to discuss the
date.
JAGLAND CAN VOTE BEFORE SWEDEN (Verdens Gang)
Labour Party chairman Thorbjoern Jagland is willing to hold the
referendum in Norway before the Swedes go to the polls, if that's
what opponents to EU membership want. He is confident of a Yes
majority, regardless of which way Sweden votes. The Labour
chairman is optimistic about the future based on the agreement
achieved between Norway and the EU. He does not agree that a Yes
vote in Norway is dependant on a Swedish decision to join the
Union. He was unwilling to discuss dates for holding the
referendum.
ICELAND MAY RECONSIDER EU STAND (Dagbladet)
Icelandic foreign minister Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson feels Norway
has achieved a much better accession agreement with the EU than
anticipated, and that the fisheries solution introduces a
completely new frame of reference for Icelandic membership.
"Iceland should reconsider its EU stance. The Union has displayed
a high degree of flexibility on fishery issues," says Mr.
Hannibalsson.
GOOD RATINGS FOR JAN HENRY (Verdens Gang)
Initial voter impressions of the outcome of the EU negotiations
are good. An opinion poll conducted by Scan-Fact on Wednesday
indicates that people think the Government did a good job in
Brussels. There are many more people who have a good impression
of the agreement than there are who support Norwegian membership
of the EU. The Prime Minister has thus won the first round in the
battle for voters' favour before the referendum. 59 per cent of
those questioned feel that "No-fish Olsen" has done a good job.
31 per cent give him a "fair" rating, and only 10 per cent "poor".
WILL PUSH FOR COMMON CURRENCY (Dagens Naeringsliv)
If the Norwegian people vote in favour of EU membership, Minister
of Finance Sigbjoern Johnsen intends to make Norway a driving
force behind the effort to implement a common European currency
and a central European bank. Mr. Johnsen will lay the issue of a
common currency before the Storting before it is decided in the EU
Council, and will probably secure a majority. "Now that the
outcome of the negotiations is on the table, we've got a much
better basis for taking the offensive," says Mr. Johnsen. He
feels that Norway would benefit from being part of a greater
monetary policy system which would have the additional effect of
removing much of the uncertainty that presently exists.
TODAY'S COMMENT:
The Government has every right to be satisfied with its
performance in the membership negotiations with the EU. Not least
Minister of Fisheries Jan Henry T. Olsen, who Tuesday night
brought home a fisheries accord which gives every reason to
believe that our vital interests will be safeguarded. When the
final pieces are in place, we will have obtained, as Prime
Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland points out, an agreement which
gives Norway an equal footing in the shaping of Europe's future.
(Aftenposten)
Now that we know the terms of Norwegian membership of the EU,
we are even more certain. Norway has negotiated a good solution.
If Austria, Finland and Sweden join the Union, our only
alternative to membership would be a severely weakened EEA
Agreement. It is unrealistic to believe that the EU will maintain
the EEA framework out of consideration for Iceland, Liechtenstein
and Norway. (Arbeiderbladet)
The race is on. The debate can really get started now that
Norway and the EU reached an accord Tuesday night.
Congratulations are in order to the Government for the outcome of
its efforts. Considering the initial positions and circumstances,
much has been achieved. (Dagens Naeringsliv)
Not only has the Government sold off cod quotas in Brussels,
the Norwegian negotiators have also accepted that Norwegian waters
will become EU waters after a transition period of a few years.
(Klassekampen)
The Government concluded the EU negotiations in a style which
has become increasingly familiar: after abandoning requests
originally presented as absolute, they then try to sell the
outcome as a very good and serviceable agreement. (Nationen)
The negotiations and the agreement leave no doubt that
membership of the EU will bring about far-reaching changes in
Norway. This applies particularly to agriculture and the
fisheries industry, which both face a future filled with
uncertainty and difficulties. Most of the other economic
readjustments have already been implemented in the EEA Agreement.
(Vaart Land)
DATE: 18 March 1994
"NOW WE CAN FULFIL OUR VISION" (Arbeiderbladet)
"Norway, in company with the other Nordic countries, can do its
part to fulfil the vision of cooperation throughout Europe," said
an exultant Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland when she
presented the results of the EU negotiations to the Storting
yesterday. Ms. Brundtland repeated that the Government has
achieved good solutions for Norway in all key areas. There was
only one issue on which she was not satisfied - the granting to
Ireland of access to the North Sea mackerel fisheries. Ms.
Brundtland argued fervently for Norwegian membership of the EU,
but she also underscored that it is up to the Norwegian people to
decide. "Our freedom to act will be curtailed drastically if we
stay out," she said. The Prime Minister stated that a new
situation will arise in the Nordic countries if Sweden and Finland
join the EU. "It would be most unnatural if the external border
of the EU were to be drawn between Sweden and Norway," she said,
adding that the character of the EFTA and EEA cooperation will
change, becoming fundamentally weaker if Sweden, Finland and
Austria join the Union.
PARTY CHAIRMEN CALL FOR OBJECTIVE DEBATE (Aftenposten)
"The Prime Minister's statement that the only thing she found
fault with was the outcome for the North Sea mackerel fisheries
does not inspire confidence." This was how Socialist Left party
chairman Erik Solheim expressed his doubts that the Prime Minister
had given a balanced presentation of the results of the
negotiations. "The Prime Minister has painted a rosy picture of
the situation, and that's fine. I wish Anne Enger Lahnstein would
do the same for her alternative society, too, instead of simply
painting the grimmest possible picture of the consequences of EU
membership," said Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen. "The
negotiations have clearly demonstrated that when all the cards are
down, the interests and directives of the EU are all that count,"
stated Centre Party chairman Anne Enger Lahnstein. Kjell Magne
Bondevik (Christian Democrat) felt the Government's performance on
agricultural and fishery issues has left a "deep dent in its
credibility". Kaci Kullmann Five (Conservative) felt there was
every reason to praise the work of the Government and its
officials.
SUPPORT FOR EU MEMBERSHIP RISES DRAMATICALLY (Dagbladet)
The "don't know's" are coming down on the Yes side. According to
a poll conducted by MMI for Dagbladet in the two days following
the conclusion of negotiations in Brussels on Tuesday night,
support for membership of the EU has taken a great leap forward.
In comparison with the Dagbladet/MMI EU barometer two weeks ago,
support for membership of the EU has gone up 7 percentage points,
from 34 to 41 per cent. The opposition has lost 3 percentage
points, from 52 to 49 per cent. The "don't knows" have gone down
from 14 to 10 per cent.
WE MUST WAIT UNTIL SWEDEN HAS VOTED (Nationen)
The conflict over the referendum date is approaching a climax.
Conservative Party chairman Kaci Kullmann Five has now said that
holding the Norwegian referendum before the results of Sweden's
and Finland's referendums become known would be unfair to the
voters. "We would be committing an injustice against the people
by not letting them know how our Nordic neighbours have voted
before they go to the polls themselves," she said.
UN REQUESTS NEW ANSWERS FROM NORWAY (Aftenposten)
After five months of investigations, the UN's Sanctions Committee
has stated that they take a serious view of the fact that NOK 25
million in Norwegian development cooperation funds ended up in the
coffers of a Serbian state-owned enterprise. The Norwegian Agency
for Development Cooperation (NORAD) paid the funds directly to the
Serbian enterprise and its subcontractors 15 months after the UN
ratified economic sanctions against Serbia. The Sanctions
Committee is not satisfied with the answers provided by the
Foreign Ministry's investigation of the foreign aid scandal. The
Norwegian authorities investigated their affairs last year and
came to the conclusion that they had done nothing illegal.
NORWAY OFFERS MORE TROOPS TO UN IN BOSNIA (Aftenposten)
Defence Minister Joergen Kosmo says that Norway has presented an
offer to the UN. He emphasized that it is still only an offer, so
it would not be correct to disclose any of the details until he
has received a reply from the UN. "It may turn out that the UN
has no need for what we have offered," he says. According to
information obtained by Aftenposten, roughly 400 - 500 soldiers
are involved, chiefly Army units.
NO BLUEBERRY CURE FOR HIV VIRUS (Dagbladet)
"I am being flooded with phone calls from persons infected with
the HIV virus who wonder if eating blueberries will cure them.
But it won't, of course. We do have hopes, however, that the
pigments found in blueberries may inhibit development of the HIV
virus. We may begin testing on humans within a year," says
Professor Dag E. Heland, project coordinator at the Biotechnology
Laboratory of the High Technology Centre in Bergen.
TODAY'S COMMENT:
The brief exchange following yesterday's statement by Prime
Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland to the Storting was not the start
we would like to have seen to an objective debate on our future
relationship to the European Union. The perception of reality on
which advocates of EU membership base their arguments is miles
away from that of the opposition, and vice versa. This casts
fundamental doubts on the credibility of our politicians. The
heart of the Prime Minister's message was, as it has always been,
that "the fundamental idea underlying the European Union is a
binding cooperation between independent states." The pivotal
issue for her is that we need democratic controls as well as
binding cooperation across national borders, and that it is
essential for us to take our place in this community. Anne Enger
Lahnstein, standard-bearer for the opposition, takes a different
view of reality. In her own view, she is in the midst of a
struggle "to preserve Norway as an independent nation, not a
vassal state within the Union." In other words, the Centre party
chairman rejects the Prime Minister's views on the issue as a
complete distortion of reality. (Aftenposten)
DATE: 21 March 1994
REFERENDUM CONTROVERSY (Aftenposten/Saturday edition)
Yesterday's decision to hold the Swedish referendum on 13 November
has stirred up the Norwegian debate over the timing of the
referendum on membership of the EU. As expected, opponents of
accession repeated their demand for simultaneous referendums while
supporters of EU membership pointed out that the many Norwegians
who are uncertain need to know the outcome of the Swedish
referendum. Both sides are accusing each other of manipulation
and tactical manoeuvring. Politics aside, it is impossible for
Norway to hold its referendum any more than a very few weeks after
the Swedish referendum, as the Storting must have time to conclude
its deliberations on the accession issue by Christmas in order to
keep up with the timetable for joining the European Union on 1
January 1995.
NATURAL TO HOLD REFERENDUM AFTER SWEDEN (Aftenposten)
The Government is laying its plans for a Norwegian referendum to
be held after the Swedish referendum. If circumstances permit,
Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland will call together all party
chairmen and representatives of the lobbying groups this week to
discuss the issue. "Of course, I will listen to what they have to
say on the timing of the Norwegian referendum. But I think it is
natural to hold ours after Sweden holds its referendum on 13
November". She points out that the Government has long held the
view that the referendum should be held approximately six months
after an agreement has been negotiated and deliberated by the
European Parliament. These proceedings are scheduled to be
completed by 4 May.
YES MAJORITY WILL FUEL NEW CONTROVERSY (Aftenposten/Saturday
edition)
The EU controversy in Norway will not be settled in the
referendum. A majority vote for membership of the EU would set
off a pitched battle in the Storting, where the final decision is
to be made. As the Norwegian referendum has only advisory status,
it will still be up to the Storting to adopt the Government's
accession proposition.
ANOTHER DELAY IF THE BRITISH DON'T YIELD (Verdens Gang)
Minister of Trade and Shipping Grete Knudsen will fly to Brussels
today to finalize the EU negotiations. If the British do not back
down on the voting controversy, however, Ms. Knudsen's trip will
be in vain. Officially, 1 January 1995 is still the most
opportune date for the four applicants to join the Union, but if
the European Parliament does not ratify the agreement until this
autumn, they will have no chance to join before late spring of
1995.
PERILOUS EEA LIABILITY (Arbeiderbladet)
Norway could find itself holding the EEA baby if Sweden, Finland
and Austria join the EU - that is, if the EEA survives at all.
Even though the EEA regime overall should provide major economic
advantages for Norway, nonetheless it entails substantial
expenditures to be paid over the Norwegian Fiscal Budget. If
Norway remains in the EEA as the only EFTA country together with
Liechtenstein and Iceland, the distribution of expenses, based as
it is on relative sizes of the national revenues, would leave
Norway footing virtually the entire bill.
NORAD SERBIA SCANDAL SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED (Aftenposten)
"The prosecuting authorities should investigate whether anything
illegal was done when Norwegian development cooperation funds were
paid to Serbians," says Socialist Left foreign policy spokesman
Paul Chaffey. He calls for an independent inquiry into how NOK 24
million could be paid by NORAD (the Norwegian Agency for
Development Cooperation) directly to the Serbian enterprise
Partizanski Put. According to an article in Aftenposten's Sunday
edition, Minister of Development Cooperation Kari Nordheim Larsen
visited and was shown around the NORAD project for which the
Serbian enterprise was the head contractor. This visit took place
nine months after UN sanctions against Serbia were adopted.
WORTH NOTING:
- Norway will send 10 police officers to Mozambique to help see to
it that democratic elections can be held in the autumn.
- Martin Huslid, Norwegian Ambassador to the UN, was appointed to
represent the UN Secretary General on a mission to Burundi.
- The number of weapons stolen from flats, homes and cabins in
Norway has swelled from a couple of hundred every year at the
beginning of the 1980s to three times this amount annually since
1990.
- LOOC President Gerhard Heiberg confirmed this weekend that he
would be willing to accept an appointment to the International
Olympic Committee if asked.
TODAY'S COMMENT:
Opponents to membership of the EU have locked horns in one of the
most astonishing debates we have ever been witness to. Since the
announcement that the Swedish referendum will be held on Sunday 13
November, they are demanding that the Norwegian referendum be held
on the same day. Disappointing, too, is the fact that not a
single opponent to EU membership has publicly admitted fears that
Swedish and Finnish votes for membership would influence the
Norwegian vote in their disfavour. Quite simply, this would lead
to a Norwegian majority for joining the Union. On the other hand,
majority votes in these two countries against membership would be
a boost for the No votes in Norway. The fact that Norwegian
opponents of EU membership are pushing for our referendum to be
held on the same date as the Swedish vote tells us clearly that
they do not expect a Swedish No vote. Neither the Swedish nor the
Finnish governments have expressed any desire to coordinate
referendum dates. They are making their plans according what is
expedient in their respective countries. And so should we. What
our neighbours do is of decisive importance for many Norwegian
voters. It does make a difference whether the Swedes and the
Finns say Yes or No. (Dagens Naeringsliv)
DATE: 22 March 1994
OPPONENTS OF EU MEMBERSHIP GET TOGETHER (Aftenposten)
Social Democrats against EU Membership (SME) and "No to the EU"
are now coordinating their efforts. "All groups that oppose
membership of the EU feel that we now need to work more closely
together. "No to the EU" will be the coordinator without being
any sort of central command," says head of "No to the EU" Kristen
Nygaard. He says it is still too early for weekly meetings,
though opponents to EU membership will meet as needed.
"NO" VOTERS RALLY TO THE CENTRE (Nationen/Aftenposten)
Opposition to EU membership has increased since an accord with the
EU was reached. The Centre Party is reaping the benefits of the
effect of this on the voters, with a tremendous upward surge on
the Norwegian Gallup party barometer. This is the first time the
Centre Party has made a showing of over 20 per cent, with a
historic figure of 20.9 per cent. Labour, down 3.7 percentage
points, is this month's loser. The Conservatives, the other major
party that supports EU membership, have also felt the new wave of
anti-accession opinion. The Conservative Party has lost 1.3
percentage points since February. However, a poll conducted by
Opinion AS for Aftenposten shows only minor changes in voter
support. Labour went down from 40.1 to 39.3 per cent, Centre up
from 15.9 to 16.8 per cent and the Conservatives up from 17 to
17.4 per cent. The biggest setback in Opinion's poll occurred in
the Socialist Left, from 9.1 to 8 per cent.
UN REJECTS NORWEGIAN RATIONALE (Aftenposten)
The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee has now pronounced
that payments to enterprises owned or controlled by Serbian owner
interests are a violation of UN sanctions even when such
transactions are effected through a third country. The Sanctions
Committee, in a letter to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, rejects attempts by the Norwegian authorities to find
legal loopholes in the UN rules on sanctions. The Ministry has
insisted that sanctions were not violated because the funds were
paid to a company registered in Zambia. "Minister of Development
Cooperation Kari Nordheim Larsen will give her answer to the
Storting. Until then, we have no comments," says State Secretary
Asbjoern Mathiesen.
HISTORIC NAVAL MANOEUVRES (NTB)
A new chapter of naval history will be written in the next few
days off the coast of Troms and Finnmark in the Norwegian Arctic.
For the first time, Russian and NATO ships will go out on
manoeuvres together. The operative phase of the "Pomor" exercises
will start on Wednesday morning in Tromsoe and finish in Kirkenes
on Friday. The participating NATO vessels are from the UK, the
Netherlands, the US and Norway. They will carry out operations
relevant to UN blockades and rescue operations. "This is a
historic event. It is also in line with Norway's prominent role
in NATO's 'Partnership for Peace' initiative towards Russia," says
Minister of Defence Joergen Kosmo.
NORWEGIAN FIGHTER PILOT TO BOSNIA (Arbeiderbladet)
For the first time since the Second World War, a Norwegian jet
fighter pilot has been ordered to combat duty in a war zone. In a
letter to the Ministry of Defence, the Air Force administration
recommends that Captain Jens Lillegraven of the Norwegian Air
Force be permitted to take part in air operations with his
colleagues in the British Royal Air Force in Bosnia, where he is
currently stationed as an exchange pilot.
WORTH NOTING:
- The Government will cut back labour market measures in the last
two quarters of this year, according to Minister of Local
Government and Labour Gunnar Berge. The cutback proposal will be
included in the Government's fiscal budget revision proposition
due in May.
- The number of Kosovo Albanians who have taken asylum in
Norwegian churches is probably up to around 125 persons now.
- Red Electoral Alliance deputy representative Athar Ali will meet
in the Storting tomorrow morning. This will be the first time an
immigrant from the Third World takes the floor in the Storting.
- 88 per cent of the Norwegian people believe Norway should have a
military defence force.
TODAY'S COMMENT:
A historic leaf was turned in Tromsoe yesterday, made possible by
the end of the cold war. The first joint naval manoeuvres
involving ships from NATO and Russia commenced. In the ensuing
"Pomor" exercises, a frigate from the Russian Northern Fleet will
join ships, planes and helicopters from five NATO countries. In
the waters off our northernmost coastline, former enemies will
play "war games" on an equal footing. A better proof of the new
era could hardly be imagined. Part of the purpose of this
operation, as the Russians have pointed out, is "to promote an
exchange of naval culture" between East and West. Another aspect
that could turn out to be of major practical importance is a joint
search and rescue exercise that will be conducted under the
leadership of the Main Rescue Station in Bodoe. Cooperation in
rescue operations under the severe conditions of the arctic seas
may turn out to be of paramount importance in efforts to save
lives and vessels in the event of accident or storm. Exercises of
this nature are of particular significance to Norway, being the
only NATO country which shares a border with Russia. Involving
Russia in joint activities with NATO and the West puts these
countries on a neighbourly footing, thus reinforcing peaceful
relations. (Aftenposten)
DATE: 23 March 1994
NORWEGIAN SILENCE ON VOTING CRISIS (Aftenposten)
The Norwegian authorities decline to take a stand on the internal
EU dissension over voting rules. The Conservatives and Labour
also remain silent. The formal reason is that Norway should not
interfere in the EU's internal affairs until such time as we
become a member. Equally important, though, is that this is
considered a very delicate issue in domestic policy circles. The
present conflict will be settled before Norway can become a
member, but it will reappear in full force at the EU treaty
conference in 1996, at which time Norway will be compelled to take
a stand on how decisively the Council of the EU should be
permitted to act, if we have joined the Union.
MS. BRUNDTLAND'S TIMETABLE BREAKING DOWN (Verdens Gang)
The EU's internal power struggle is spoiling Prime Minister Gro
Harlem Brundtland's and Labour chairman Thorbjoern Jagland's
domestic political schedule. No date can be set for the Norwegian
EU referendum until the EU countries have reached a compromise.
Advocates and opponents of accession agree on one thing at least -
they would like to get started gathering votes. No one is happy
about yesterday's postponement. "If the EU does not manage to
pull itself together by summer, I'm afraid things rB|will go badly,"
says Mr. Jagland. "If this delay is protracted, Sweden and
Finland will be forced to reconsider their plans. This increases
the chance that all three Nordic referendums may be held at the
same time," says Centre Party vice-chairman Magnhild Meltvedt
Kleppa.
BOYCOTTS AGAINST NORWAY INEFFECTIVE (Aftenposten)
"I would characterize the losses as rather insignificant," said
Professor Trond Bjoerndal of the Norwegian School of Economics
yesterday when he presented a new report commissioned by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some representatives of Norwegian
business and industry feared the worst when Norwegian authorities
took the decision to resume commercial whaling last year.
However, the report concludes that real effects of boycotts were
observed only in the UK, Germany and the US. Fourteen Norwegian
export firms lost between NOK 6.1 an 9.9 million as a result of
the boycott. Prof. Bjoerndal points out that in general,
Norwegian commercial interests made substantial gains during the
same period in the markets where Greenpeace and other conservation
groups called for boycotts against Norway.
GJERDE ANTICIPATES LOWER UNEMPLOYMENT (Arbeiderbladet)
Director General Bjartmar Gjerde of the Directorate of Labour
expects unemployment to go down. "In our view, the slight
decrease in unemployment we are seeing now is a trend that will
continue," says Mr. Gjerde. He therefore agrees with Minister of
Local Government and Labour Gunnar Berge that the scope of labour
market measures could be reduced in the last six months of this
year. "When we note improvements in the job market, we should
focus our efforts on job placement," says Mr. Gjerde.
FIRST PLANE TO TUZLA (NTB/Nationen)
Norwegian Lt. Col. Tom Johansen was able to welcome the first
plane to land at the airport in the Bosnian city of Tuzla in
nearly two years. This flight, with the UN Special Emissary
Yasushu Akashi aboard, marks the opening of a very important
transport route for humanitarian aid. Johansen has been put in
charge of the Tuzla Airport.
GAS POWER (NTB)
Norwegian natural gas should be put to better use. There is
tremendous potential to be realized in using gas to fuel the
world's largest shipping fleet, but so far, Norway has made no use
of its natural advantages, in the view of scientists at Rogaland
Research. The interdisciplinary research group points out that
many jobs could be created in Norway by developing gas-based
maritime technology, but the authorities have done nothing to
encourage such development.
WORTH NOTING:
- Statoil is discussing a collaboration with Statkraft on
construction of a gas-fired power plant at Kollsnes or Kaarstoe.
Norsk Hydro, the industrial and energy group, is also interested
in building gas-fired power plants in Norway.
- Three Norwegian officers left for Slovakia yesterday to verify
that Slovakia is adhering to the arms reduction schedule laid down
in the CFE Treaty.
- There were no extraordinary price increases in Lillehammer
during the Winter Olympics, in the view of the Norwegian
Competition Authority. On the contrary, price increases in
Lillehammer have been lower than the nationwide averages.
- The Nordlys, the latest addition to the coastal express fleet,
was christened yesterday by Storting President Kirsti Kolle
Groendahl.
TODAY'S COMMENT:
Minister of Finance Sigbjoern Johnsen has indicated that the
Government will not take EU membership for granted as it puts
together next year's Fiscal Budget Proposition. Possible
membership contributions to the Union will thus be left out. We
feel the Finance Minister should reconsider. The figures involved
in the EU debate are controversial enough as it is. The
Government's handling of the situation may be considered
satisfactory only if it serves to clarify the various issues.
This may be done by preparing two alternative budgets - one
reflecting our revenues and expenditures with and one without EU
membership or the EEA Agreement. Six months should be sufficient
time for the Government to work this out. (Arbeiderbladet)