PV\DEEA_EN.docx PE619.889v01-00

EN United in diversity EN

European Parliament2014-2019

Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland JointParliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary

Committee

DEEA_PV(2018)03-08

MINUTESof the meeting of 8 March 2018, 14.00-15.00

Brussels

The meeting opened at 14.00 on Thursday, 8 March 2018, with Jørn Dohrmann (Chair)presiding.

1. Opening of the meeting

Mr Jørn DOHRMANN, Chair of the D-EEA, welcomed the Members of the EP delegation tothe preparatory meeting ahead of the upcoming EU-Norway Interparliamentary Meeting (IPM).He also kindly welcomed distinguished guests H.E. Ms Oda Helen SLETNES, Ambassador ofNorway to the EU and Mr Claude MAERTEN, Head of Western Europe Division at theEuropean External Action Service.

2. Adoption of the draft agenda

The draft agenda was adopted without amendments.

3. EU-Norway relations and the political and economic situation in Norway

Before passing the floor to the guest speakers, Mr DOHRMANN recalled the close relationsbetween the EU and Norway, which have developed over the years beyond the economic areato include Norway’s participation in a number of EU policies.

The Norwegian Ambassador to the EU introduced the structure and the EU-related vision ofthe reshuffled government (the Liberal Party entered the government on 17.01). She assuredthe EP delegation that although the position of a European Affairs and EEA Minister hasdisappeared with the reshuffle, the new government remained strongly committed to the EEAand to the close and deep relations with the EU. Ms SLETNES explained that the Norwegiangovernment was currently updating its strategy for their cooperation with the EU, which would

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be ready by the end of April and would be based on a fourfold vision for the future of thecontinent: contributing to an economically strong Europe; contributing to building a secureEurope, able to prevent and handle threats to our territories, political systems and citizens;contributing to building a free Europe, in which human rights, democratic institutions andrespect for the rule of law are guaranteed; contributing to building a sustainable and responsibleEurope, able to tackle common challenges, such as climate change, economic and socialdisparities and migration.

She continued with a comprehensive overview of the EU-Norway relations. Ms SLETNESreminded the audience that Norway is the only non-EU member state to have concluded anAdministrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency, further bolstering its linkagewith EU defence programs, and that it cooperates closely with the Military Planning andConduct Capability (MPCC) of the EEAS. Ms SLETNES however noted that there is still roomof improvement in this field, for example when it comes to the sharing of information and earlyinclusion in decision-shaping within the framework of the Common Security and DefencePolicy (CSDP). In addition, Ms SLETNES discussed Norway’s very high level of alignmentwith the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, noting that despite the good cooperationwith the Russian Federation in some areas, Norway supports the EU’s sanction policy towardsRussia. Coordination with the EU is also prevalent in Norway’s migration policy, which wasrecently highlighted by the participation of the Foreign Minister in the International High LevelConference on the Sahel in February. On agriculture, Ms SLETNES hailed the Article 19agreement reached in December 2017 and noted that negotiations in this field will be ongoing.

Ms SLETNES explained that Norway supports initiatives to strengthen the social dimension,both new initiatives and proposals to better enforce existing regulations. Therefore, Norway islooking forward to learn more about the Commission proposal for a European LabourAuthority. Norway’s interest is to develop a coherent European strategy for combating work-related crime.

As regards the UK’s potential withdrawal from the EU, the Ambassador underlined theimportance of preserving the integrity of the internal market and Norway’s participation in it asan equal partner through the EEA Agreement. She explained that she had taken note that theEuropean Parliament resolution of 13 December on the state of play of negotiations with theUK stressed the importance of safeguarding EU agreements with third countries andorganisations, including the EEA Agreement.

Mr MAERTEN, speaking on behalf of the European External Action Service, highlighted thestrong cooperation in terms of foreign affairs, defence, climate change, and justice and homeaffairs. Mr MAERTEN welcomed particularly the high level of foreign policy alignment —especially regarding Russia — and noted that Norway continues to play an important andconstructive role in international mediation. He emphasised that Norway, despite the relativelysmall size of its population, is the seventh-largest export partner of the EU, and reaffirmed theimportance of the existing EEA framework in facilitating trade. Nevertheless, Mr MAERTENnoted the substantial backlog of legal acts that had built up over the last few years with regard

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to the incorporation of EU legislation into the EEA Agreement. He noted, however, that heremained confident that 2018 will be a year of the breakthrough since a constructive dialoguehad been established on financial services, which form approximately half of the backlog. Asto the UK’s potential withdrawal from the EU, he referred to the draft withdrawal agreementand the EU Council President Tusk’s proposal, underlining that it was clear that the dealbetween the EU and the UK would need to take care of Norway’s specific interests.

In the debate, participating MEPs asked mostly questions about Norway’s strategy to deal withconcrete aspects of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU: impacts of a possible ‘hard Brexit’ onenergy and fisheries sectors; media discourse on the matter. Snow crab harvesting andNorway’s views on the new Multiannual Financial Framework were raised as well.

4. Consideration of the draft agenda of the 34th EU-Norway Inter-parliamentary meeting(IPM)

The draft agenda was deemed to be approved in the absence of objections.

The Chair informed the participation members that a call to appoint for speakers on agendaitems had been seen by the Secretariat with the deadline for replies by Monday, 12 March noon.

Members were also informed that the invitations for the official lunch, which will take placeafter the IPM, would be sent by the Protocol shortly.

5. Any other business

There was no other business.

6. Date and place of the next meeting

The next meeting of the SINEEA Delegation is the EU-Norway IPM in Brussels on 22 March2018, from 9:15-12:30 (meeting room A3G-2).

The meeting closed at 15.00.

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ПРИСЪСТВЕН ЛИСТ/LISTA DE ASISTENCIA/PREZENČNÍ LISTINA/DELTAGERLISTE/ANWESENHEITSLISTE/KOHALOLIJATE NIMEKIRI/ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΠΑΡΟΝΤΩΝ/RECORD OF ATTENDANCE/

LISTE DE PRÉSENCE/POPIS NAZOČNIH/ELENCO DI PRESENZA/APMEKLĒJUMU REĢISTRS/DALYVIŲ SĄRAŠAS/JELENLÉTI ÍV/REĠISTRU TA' ATTENDENZA/PRESENTIELIJST/LISTA OBECNOŚCI/LISTA DE PRESENÇAS/

LISTĂ DE PREZENŢĂ/PREZENČNÁ LISTINA/SEZNAM NAVZOČIH/LÄSNÄOLOLISTA/DELTAGARLISTA

Бюро/Mesa/Předsednictvo/Formandskabet/Vorstand/Juhatus/Προεδρείο/Bureau/Predsjedništvo/Ufficio di presidenza/Prezidijs/Biuras/Elnökség/Prezydium/Birou/Predsedníctvo/Predsedstvo/Puheenjohtajisto/Presidiet (*)

Jørn Dohrmann, Jasenko Selimovic

Членове/Diputados/Poslanci/Medlemmer/Mitglieder/Parlamendiliikmed/Μέλη/Members/Députés/Zastupnici/Deputati/Deputāti/Nariai/Képviselõk/Membri/Leden/Posłowie/Deputados/Deputaţi/Jäsenet/Ledamöter

Julia Pitera

Заместници/Suplentes/Náhradníci/Stedfortrædere/Stellvertreter/Asendusliikmed/Αναπληρωτές/Substitutes/Suppléants/Zamjenici/Supplenti/Aizstājēji/Pavaduojantysnariai/Póttagok/Sostituti/Plaatsvervangers/Zastępcy/Membros suplentes/Supleanţi/Náhradníci/Namestniki/Varajäsenet/Suppleanter

Paul Rübig

200 (2)

206 (3)

Karol Karski

53 (8) (Точка от дневния ред/Punto del orden del día/Bod pořadu jednání (OJ)/Punkt på dagsordenen/Tagesordnungspunkt/Päevakorra punkt/Ημερήσια Διάταξη Σημείο/Agenda item/Point OJ/Točka dnevnog reda/Punto all'ordine del giorno/Darba kārtībaspunkts/Darbotvarkės punktas/Napirendi pont/Punt Aġenda/Agendapunt/Punkt porządku dziennego/Ponto OD/Punct de pe ordineade zi/Bod programu schôdze/Točka UL/Esityslistan kohta/Föredragningslista punkt)

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Наблюдатели/Observadores/Pozorovatelé/Observatører/Beobachter/Vaatlejad/Παρατηρητές/Observers/Observateurs/Promatrači/Osservatori/Novērotāji/Stebėtojai/Megfigyelők/Osservaturi/Waarnemers/Obserwatorzy/Observadores/Observatori/Pozorovatelia/Opazovalci/Tarkkailijat/Observatörer

По покана на председателя/Por invitación del presidente/Na pozvání předsedy/Efter indbydelse fra formanden/Auf Einladung desVorsitzenden/Esimehe kutsel/Με πρόσκληση του Προέδρου/At the invitation of the Chair(wo)man/Sur l'invitation du président/Na poziv predsjednika/Su invito del presidente/Pēc priekšsēdētāja uzaicinājuma/Pirmininkui pakvietus/Az elnök meghívására/Fuq stedina taċ-'Chairman'/Op uitnodiging van de voorzitter/Na zaproszenie Przewodniczącego/A convite do Presidente/La invitaţiapreşedintelui/Na pozvanie predsedu/Na povabilo predsednika/Puheenjohtajan kutsusta/På ordförandens inbjudan

Ambassador O. H.. Sletnes

Съвет/Consejo/Rada/Rådet/Rat/Nõukogu/Συμβούλιο/Council/Conseil/Vijeće/Consiglio/Padome/Taryba/Tanács/Kunsill/Raad/Conselho/Consiliu/Svet/Neuvosto/Rådet (*)

Комисия/Comisión/Komise/Kommissionen/Kommission/Euroopa Komisjon/Επιτροπή/Commission/Komisija/Commissione/Bizottság/Kummissjoni/Commissie/Komisja/Comissão/Comisie/Komisia/Komissio/Kommissionen (*)

Европейска служба за външна дейност/Servicio Europeo de Acción Exterior/Evropská služba pro vnější činnost/EU-Udenrigstjenesten/Europäischer Auswärtiger Dienst/Euroopa välisteenistus/Ευρωπαϊκή Υπηρεσία Εξωτερικής Δράσης/EuropeanExternal Action service/Service européen pour l'action extérieure/Europska služba za vanjsko djelovanje/Servizio europeo per l’azioneesterna/Eiropas Ārējās darbības dienests/Europos išorės veiksmų tarnyba/Európai Külügyi Szolgálat/Servizz Ewropew għall-AzzjoniEsterna/Europese dienst voor extern optreden/Europejska Służba Działań Zewnętrznych/Serviço Europeu para a Acção Externa/Serviciul european pentru acţiune externă/Európska služba pre vonkajšiu činnosť/Evropska služba za zunanje delovanje/Euroopanulkosuhdehallinto/Europeiska avdelningen för yttre åtgärd (*)

Claude Maerten

Други институции/Otras instituciones/Ostatní orgány a instituce/Andre institutioner/Andere Organe/Muud institutsioonid/Άλλα θεσμικά όργανα/Other institutions/Autres institutions/Druge institucije/Altre istituzioni/Citas iestādes/Kitos institucijos/Más intézmények/Istituzzjonijiet oħra/Andere instellingen/Inne instytucje/Outras Instituições/Alte instituţii/Iné inštitúcie/Muuttoimielimet/Andra institutioner/organ

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Други участници/Otros participantes/Ostatní účastníci/Endvidere deltog/Andere Teilnehmer/Muud osalejad/Επίσης Παρόντες/Otherparticipants/Autres participants/Drugi sudionici/Altri partecipanti/Citi klātesošie/Kiti dalyviai/Más résztvevők/Parteċipanti ohra/Andereaanwezigen/Inni uczestnicy/Outros participantes/Alţi participanţi/Iní účastníci/Drugi udeleženci/Muut osallistujat/Övriga deltagare

P. Nestande, T. Bakke, E. Jonsvik

Секретариат на политическите групи/Secretaría de los Grupos políticos/Sekretariát politických skupin/Gruppernes sekretariat/Sekretariat der Fraktionen/Fraktsioonide sekretariaat/Γραμματεία των Πολιτικών Ομάδων/Secretariats of political groups/Secrétariat desgroupes politiques/Tajništva klubova zastupnika/Segreteria gruppi politici/Politisko grupu sekretariāts/Frakcijų sekretoriai/Képviselőcsoportok titkársága/Segretarjat gruppi politiċi/Fractiesecretariaten/Sekretariat Grup Politycznych/Secr. dos grupospolíticos/Secretariate grupuri politice/Sekretariát politických skupín/Sekretariat političnih skupin/Poliittisten ryhmien sihteeristöt/Gruppernas sekretariat

PPE

S&D

ECR

ALDE

Verts/ALE

GUE/NGL

EFDD

ENF

NI

C. Ermans

J. Siil

M. Rizzo

M. Schoeps

Кабинет на председателя/Gabinete del Presidente/Kancelář předsedy/Formandens Kabinet/Kabinett des Präsidenten/Presidendikantselei/Γραφείο Προέδρου/President's Office/Cabinet du Président/Ured predsjednika/Gabinetto del Presidente/Priekšsēdētājakabinets/Pirmininko kabinetas/Elnöki hivatal/Kabinett tal-President/Kabinet van de Voorzitter/Gabinet Przewodniczącego/Gabinete doPresidente/Cabinet Preşedinte/Kancelária predsedu/Urad predsednika/Puhemiehen kabinetti/Talmannens kansli

Кабинет на генералния секретар/Gabinete del Secretario General/Kancelář generálního tajemníka/Generalsekretærens Kabinet/Kabinett des Generalsekretärs/Peasekretäri büroo/Γραφείο Γενικού Γραμματέα/Secretary-General's Office/Cabinet du Secrétairegénéral/Ured glavnog tajnika/Gabinetto del Segretario generale/Ģenerālsekretāra kabinets/Generalinio sekretoriaus kabinetas/Főtitkári hivatal/Kabinett tas-Segretarju Ġenerali/Kabinet van de secretaris-generaal/Gabinet Sekretarza Generalnego/Gabinete doSecretário-Geral/Cabinet Secretar General/Kancelária generálneho tajomníka/Urad generalnega sekretarja/Pääsihteerin kabinetti/Generalsekreterarens kansli

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Генерална дирекция/Dirección General/Generální ředitelství/Generaldirektorat/Generaldirektion/Peadirektoraat/Γενική Διεύθυνση/Directorate-General/Direction générale/Glavna uprava/Direzione generale/Ģenerāldirektorāts/Generalinis direktoratas/Főigazgatóság/Direttorat Ġenerali/Directoraten-generaal/Dyrekcja Generalna/Direcção-Geral/Direcţii Generale/Generálne riaditeľstvo/Generalnidirektorat/Pääosasto/Generaldirektorat

DG PRES

DG IPOL

DG EXPO

DG EPRS

DG COMM

DG PERS

DG INLO

DG TRAD

DG INTE

DG FINS

DG ITEC

DG SAFE

S. Cantell, R. Jaarsma

Правна служба/Servicio Jurídico/Právní služba/Juridisk Tjeneste/Juristischer Dienst/Õigusteenistus/Νομική Υπηρεσία/Legal Service/Service juridique/Pravna služba/Servizio giuridico/Juridiskais dienests/Teisės tarnyba/Jogi szolgálat/Servizz legali/Juridische Dienst/Wydział prawny/Serviço Jurídico/Serviciu Juridic/Právny servis/Oikeudellinen yksikkö/Rättstjänsten

Секретариат на комисията/Secretaría de la comisión/Sekretariát výboru/Udvalgssekretariatet/Ausschusssekretariat/Komisjonisekretariaat/Γραμματεία επιτροπής/Committee secretariat/Secrétariat de la commission/Tajništvo odbora/Segreteria della commissione/Komitejas sekretariāts/Komiteto sekretoriatas/A bizottság titkársága/Segretarjat tal-kumitat/Commissiesecretariaat/Sekretariat komisji/Secretariado da comissão/Secretariat comisie/Sekretariat odbora/Valiokunnan sihteeristö/Utskottssekretariatet

T. Mrazikova, A. Rakstelyte,

Сътрудник/Asistente/Asistent/Assistent/Assistenz/Βοηθός/Assistant/Assistente/Palīgs/Padėjėjas/Asszisztens/Asystent/Pomočnik/Avustaja/Assistenter

K. Kniukstaite

* (P) = Председател/Presidente/Předseda/Formand/Vorsitzender/Esimees/Πρόεδρος/Chair(wo)man/Président/Predsjednik/Priekšsēdētājs/Pirmininkas/Elnök/'Chairman'/Voorzitter/Przewodniczący/Preşedinte/Predseda/Predsednik/Puheenjohtaja/Ordförande

(VP) = Заместник-председател/Vicepresidente/Místopředseda/Næstformand/Stellvertretender Vorsitzender/Aseesimees/Αντιπρόεδρος/Vice-Chair(wo)man/Potpredsjednik/Vice-Président/Potpredsjednik/Priekšsēdētāja vietnieks/Pirmininko pavaduotojas/Alelnök/Viċi 'Chairman'/Ondervoorzitter/Wiceprzewodniczący/Vice-Presidente/Vicepreşedinte/Podpredseda/Podpredsednik/Varapuheenjohtaja/Vice ordförande

(M) = Член/Miembro/Člen/Medlem./Mitglied/Parlamendiliige/Μέλος/Member/Membre/Član/Membro/Deputāts/Narys/Képviselő/Membru/Lid/Członek/Membro/Membru/Člen/Poslanec/Jäsen/Ledamot

(F) = Длъжностно лице/Funcionario/Úředník/Tjenestemand/Beamter/Ametnik/Υπάλληλος/Official/Fonctionnaire/Dužnosnik/Funzionario/Ierēdnis/Pareigūnas/Tisztviselő/Uffiċjal/Ambtenaar/Urzędnik/Funcionário/Funcţionar/Úradník/Uradnik/Virkamies/Tjänsteman