Norwegian model may not be the UK’s answer to single-market access, says Norway
![Børge Brende: ‘There has been a consensus in Norway that it is in our interest to be a part of the single market.’ [Image: Mark R. Cristino/EPA.]](https://voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/161205-Borge-Brende.png)
Børge Brende: ‘There has been a consensus in Norway that it is in our interest to be a part of the single market.’ [Image: Mark R. Cristino/EPA.]
Also, with Norway paying into the EU for access to the single market, and implementing the now-infamous ‘four freedoms’, including free movement of people across borders, ‘Leave’ voters would be justified in asking how, exactly, their wishes would have been obeyed if the UK follows suit.
This Writer is slipping into the belief that, if ‘Brexit’ is to take place, then it must indeed mean ‘Brexit’, as Mrs May is constantly telling us; her ministers should stop trying to negotiate some all-encompassing deal with the European Union as a whole and get down to individual deals with individual member states.
That will certainly mean hiring a few more civil servants – but that is the price a Conservative Government must pay if it is to be considered democratic.
We can judge Mrs May and her gang on their choices.
Britain must understand that there is no “silver bullet” over Brexit that would permit single market access without paying into the EU and being bound by some of its rules, Norway’s foreign minister has warned ahead of a meeting in London.
Børge Brende, who was due to meet his UK counterpart, Boris Johnson, on Monday, as well as the Brexit secretary, David Davis, and the international trade secretary, Liam Fox, said his country’s model of access to the single market without being part of the EU was seen there as a success.
This did not mean it would necessarily work as well for the UK, Brende told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“We were very clear that there is no silver bullet in this context,” he said. “Being a part of the single market, as we are, also means to implement all directives, and we are not in the room when these directives are decided on.
“But there has been a consensus around this in Norway that it is in our interest to be a part of the single market, and that is what we have to contribute. On top of this we also do funding for countries in the EU that are the new members, but also those that are facing the biggest challenges when it comes to development.
Asked if the single market choice facing Britain was the same – to have more control or to be richer – Brende said Norway’s access to the single market since 1992 “had served our country well”, with 70% of its exports going to the EU.
Brende added: “We have also implemented all the four freedoms,” referring to the single market principles of the free movement across borders of goods, people, services and capital.
Source: Norway tells Britain: no Brexit ‘silver bullet’ over single market access | Politics | The Guardian
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Disappointed this is not about Tove Lill ;-)
I had no idea who Tove Lill was.
Now I do.
Interesting way to get people interested in politics.
We didn’t vote for any sort of already in action Model this is not really news the norway made has been mooted and rejected already.
Apparently not, if this Norwegian minister was due to meet UK ministers.
As I understand it Norway pays more per capita for access to the single market than we do as full members of the EU and has to accept free movement of EU citizens as we do. So they pay more and benefit less than we do and have free movement as we do.
So how would a deal like the Norwegian model be better for us than what we already have? From my perspective it looks much the same but costs much more for less.
They pay more but get a consequential boost to their businesses, as 70 per cent of their exports go to the EU. It works for them.
Your question about how it could possibly work for us is entirely correct. We don’t export a similar proportion of goods to the EU, therefore it is logical to ask whether the cost would outweigh the benefits.