Idag var det en anledning til å si litt om det norske perspektivet til mine kollegaer her på EUs parlamentspresident-konferanse. Her er talen min om du er interessert; First, let me on behalf of the three EFTA states present; Island, Switzerland and Norway, thank the Austrian Parliament for the warm welcome and hospitality at this meeting here in Vienna. I would also like to thank you all for the discussions and perspectives you have shared. Even though Norway is not a member of the EU the discussions on relations to neighbours, enlargement and of course the relations between National parliaments and the EU institutions are of great interest to us. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight that the EEA Agreement has its 25th anniversary. EU and EEA heads of state and governments at the EU Summit 22 March also properly marked this. At the EU summit, Council President Donald Tusk said that “The EEA Agreement is not a short-term transaction, but a long-term partner- ship”. I think the experiences over the 25 years clearly demonstrates this. The agreement has contributed to securing welfare and jobs – both in the EU and in Norway and the other EEA EFTA States. The Single Market is the cornerstone of the cooperation and key to further growth and prosperity. We believe in close European cooperation, to find solutions to challenges like climate change and migration, but also social inclusion and injustice. Doing so is all the more important as populism feeds off discontent and anxiety. We must maintain our citizens’ trust in European cooperation. Norway is committed to continue the good cooperation, To conclude, development in EUs neighbourhood is crucially important for all of us. It is essential to promote stability, peace and democracy as key factors for ensuring economic and social progress.

2019-04-09 13:05:58

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