A new Norwegian review of the AAE-agreement - alternatives still taboo

 

Twelve years ago, in 2012, a government appointed committee delivered the first comprehensive review og the EEA and other agreements between Norway and the EU. They concluded that the EEA had been a useful instrument for Norwegian participation in the single market without beeing a member of the union. But the construction suffered from major democratic shortcomings ("fax-democracy"). The evaluation did not discuss alternatives to the EEA.

A new committee was established in 2022. The mandate was to evaluate the development and experiences with the EEA and other Norway-EU agreements since 2012. They delivered their report in april this year. 

The main conclusion prevails: EEA is useful, but in several ways undemocratic for Norway. Ans still no discussion of possible alternatives to the EEA. This is taboo because Norways relationship with the EU is a difficult political question, and the EEA works as a compromise.

Sort of a compensation for the missing discussion of alternatives, the review describes cooperation models between the EU and Switzerkand, the UK and Canada. The committee shows how several assessments indicate that the EEA is a better solution for businesses and economy. But these assessments are uncertain, and the committee does not evaluate to what extent Switzerland, the UK and Canada have preserved democracy and independence compared to Norway.