STORTINGET

28th EU - Norway Interparliamentary Meeting

21 February 2012 The , Oslo

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

The 28th EU-Norway Interparliamentary Meeting was held in the Storting in Oslo today.

The Norwegian delegation, led by its chairperson Ms Ine Marie ERIKSEN SØREIDE (Conservative Party), hosted the meeting with the European Parliament delegation led by Mr Pat the Cope GALLAGHER (chairperson, ALDE, Ireland).

Delegations have exchanged views on several topics, including continuing deep economic and political cooperation in several policy fields, such as freedom of movement of persons, agriculture, energy, the review of EU-Norway relations as well as the strategies for the High North of Norway and the EU.

Moreover, the Interparliamentary Meeting was focused on the following topics:

 Relations between the European Union and Norway, incl. development of the EEA-relevant EU legislation, with presentations by

– Mr Per Strand SJAASTAD, Deputy Director-General, heading the EEA/EFTA Section of the Department of European Affairs and Trade Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway; – Mr János HERMAN, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Norway on behalf of the EU

 Economic and financial crisis in the EU and its implications: the new economic governance and the state of play of the multiannual financial framework in the EU;

 Fisheries with a presentation by Mr Vidar LANDMARK, Director General in the Department on Marine Resources and Costal Management, Ministry of Fisheries and Costal Affairs of Norway;

 Conclusions of the review of the Norwegian relationship with the EU, with a presentation by Mr Ulf SVERDRUP, former Head of the Secretariat of the

2012/02/21 1 government-appointed committee for the study of Norway's agreements with the EU.

The next Interparliamentary Meeting is scheduled to take place in 2013 in the European Parliament.

Members of the European Parliament Delegation present: Mr Pat the Cope GALLAGHER ALDE, Ireland (Chairperson) Ms Anna HEDH S&D, (1st Vice-Chairperson) Mr Paul RÜBIG EPP, Austria Mr Alyn SMITH Greens/EFA, UK Ms Silvana KOCH-MEHRIN ALDE, Germany

Members of Stortinget Delegation present: Ms Ine Eriksen SØREIDE Conservative Party (Chairperson) Mr (Vice-Chairperson) Ms Laila GUSTAVSEN Labour Party Mr Morten HØGLUND Progress Party Mr Peter N. MYHRE Progress Party Mr Labour Party

For further information please contact:

Øystein BØ Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament) Tel. 00 47 23 31 35 13 Mob. 00 47 90 10 47 20 E-mail: [email protected]

Michal MALOVEC European Parliament Tel. 00 32 2 283 2241 E-mail: [email protected]

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Abbreviations: EPP European People’s Party Christian-Democratic Group S&D Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats ALDE/ADLE Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Greens/EFA Greens/European Free Alliance

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