According to Latvian portal bb.lv with reference to the Financial Times, the current terms of interaction with the EU look more attractive for Oslo than before.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told the publication. He recalled that in the referendums of 1972 and 1994 Norwegians rejected the idea of joining the EU largely because of fears for the future of the fishing and agricultural industries.
The Minister noted that the stability in which those referendums were held is a thing of the past. Many of the advantages of the former model of cooperation are no longer relevant, while the areas of EU activity that the country once rejected are becoming increasingly important.
Eide also emphasized that the policies of the US and China are forcing the EU to use trade regulation tools more actively. It is precisely such mechanisms that Norway had previously preferred to distance itself from.
Although the country’s prime minister and foreign minister support the idea of joining the EU, the ruling party is not yet ready to initiate a new referendum. According to polls, the majority of Norwegians still oppose EU membership.
