WHYNORWAYISNOTAEUMEMBERLIGANG

PARTONENORWAY,ANONEUMEMBERCOUNTRYINEUROPEAMAPOFNORWAYNorwayliesinthenorthernEuropeinthewesternpartoftheScandinavianPeninsula.Ithasatotalareaof385,252

squarekilometres(148,747sq

mi)andapopulationofabout4.9million.ItisthesecondleastdenselypopulatedcountryinEurope.Norway'sextensivecoastline,facingtheNorthAtlanticOceanandtheBarentsFacts&FiguresofNorwayHeadofState:HisMajestyKingHaraldVofNorwayHeadofGovernment:PrimeMinisterJensStoltenbergArea:385199km2Population(2009):4,799,252Populationperkm2landarea:16Capitalcity:OsloLanguage:NorwegianGDP(2008):NOK2，548billion(€295,2billion)GDP(percapita,2008):NOK534440(€61，915)Currency:Norwegiankroner(NOK)ConstitutionDay:17-MayPopulationgrowth(2008):1.3Averagelifeexpectancy(2008)female:83years;male:78years

LivingstandardsofNorway

Grossdomesticproductpercapita,selectedcountries

2009TheGDPpercapitaishigh,andwealthisrelativelyequallydistributedamongthepopulation.ThereisnoextremepovertyinNorway,andtherelativepovertylevelislowcomparedtootherOECDcountries.NorwayhasbeenrankedthebestcountrytoliveinbytheUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP)severaltimesduringthepastdecade.TheWorldEconomicForum’sGlobalGenderGapReporthasrankedNorwayoneoftheworld’sleadingcountriesinclosingthegendergapbetweenmenandwomen.Inkeepingwithitswelfareorientation,Norwayhasimplementedauniversal,publichealthservicefinancedbytaxrevenuesandanationalinsurancescheme,applicabletoallcitizensandresidents,thatprovidesahostofsocialbenefits.REASONSWHYNORWAYDIDNOTJOINEU

PARTTWOTheEuropeanUnion(EU)isaneconomicandpoliticalunionof27memberstateswhicharelocatedprimarilyinEurope.Thepopulationof500

millioninhabitants,generatedanestimated28%share(US$16.5

trillion)ofthenominalgrossproductin2009.AsatradingbloctheEUaccountsfor20%ofglobalimportsandexports.TheEUoperatesthroughahybridsystemofsupranationalindependentinstitutionsandintergovernmentallymadedecisionsnegotiatedbythememberstates.thebriefintroductionofEU

THEMAPOFEUFacts&FiguresofEUAreaTotal4324782km21669807sqmiWater3.08Population2010

estimate501064211Density115.9/km2

300.1/sq

miGDP(PPP)2009(IMF)

estimateTotal$14.793trillion

Percapita$29,729

GDP(nominal)2009(IMF)

estimateTotal$16.447trillion

Percapita$33,052

Thefirstreason:richnaturalresourcesCrudeoilandNaturalgasproductionofNorway(2000-2009)yearCrudeoilNaturalgasQuantityValueQuantityValue1000tonnesNOKmillionMillionSm3NOKmillion2000

137

637

258

83648

52147

7892001

141

980

234

69850

53461

0182002

135

543

197

92164

40059

4092003

127

088

195

69971

09962

2382004

124

383

237

46876

27274

0172005

111

821

289

45382

506

103

1392006

100

035

309

25384

582

146

878200797

281

309

67585

684

134

506200889

085

359

36994

563

215

789200985

909

243

52196

563

186

859SeafoodNorway’scoastlinestretchessome57000kilometres.Thelongcoastlineandseasprovideitwithcatchesofbetween2.5and3milliontonnesoffishperyear.Thereareabout10000registeredfishingvesselsinNorway,ofwhich1000areinyear-roundoperation.NorwayisEurope’slargestsupplieroffishandfishproducts.Ninety-fivepercentofwhatisproducedisexported,intheformofover2000differentproducts,toaround150countries.HydropowerNorwayisthesixthlargestproducerofhydropowerintheworld.TheNorwegianhydropowersectorhasbeendesignedtoaccommodatevariationinthenaturalsupplyofwatertothepowerstationsandtomatchproductiontoseasonalchangesindemand.AnumberofreservoirscanstorewaterfromsurpluswetyearsforuseinyearswithlowprecipitationThesecondreasonTheNorwegianscherishtheindependenceoftheircountry

Norwaywasruledbynumerouskingdomsbeginninginthe9thcenturyandwasfinallyunifiedinthe12thcentury.After1397itwascontrolledatvarioustimesbyDenmarkandSweden.Independencewasachievedin1905.

referendumontheissueofEUmembershipThefirsttime:in1972Thesecondtime:in1994(52%wereagainstand48%wereinfavour)DIDNORWAYMAKEAGOODDECISIONNOTTOJOINTHEEU?PARTTHREE

GOODDECISIONREASON1:formulateandimplementthenationalpolicyindependently

REASON2:neednottopayalargeamountoffundtoEU.

REASON3:stillkeepclosecooperationwiththeEuropeanUnion(EU)TheEEAAgreement

(theAgreementontheEuropeanEconomicArea)

UndertheAgreement,NorwayandtheotherEEAcountriesarepartoftheEUinternalmarket.ThismeansthatthroughouttheEEAcountries,NorwegiancitizensandcompaniesaretobetreatedinthesamewayascitizensandcompaniesintheEUintheareascoveredbytheAgreement.

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