A3-0280/94

Resolution on Norway's application for membership of the European Union

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Baron Crespo, Cassanmagnago Cerretti and Crampton on the progress of accession negotiations with Norway (B3-1133/93),

-having regard to Norway's application for membership of the Community of 25 November 1992 and the Commission's opinion thereon of 24 March 1993,

-having regard to the Presidency's report on the outcome of the accession negotiations with Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway of 9 March 1994 and the addendum thereto of 16 March 1994,

-having regard to its previous resolutions on enlargement, in particular those of 15 May 1991 on Community enlargement and relations with other European countries, 15 July 1993 on enlargement,17 November 1993 on the negotiations concerning enlargement of the Union to include Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway and 9 February 1994 on the state of enlargement negotiations with Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway,

-having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security and the opinions of the committees asked for their opinions (A3-0280/94),

A.convinced that the accession of Norway and the other applicant countries to the European Union will represent a triumph for European integration given the positive political, economic, strategic, social and cultural implications of enlargement,

B.noting with satisfaction that as a full member of the EU and the WEU Norway will make an active contribution towards strengthening the common foreign and security policy,

C.whereas Norway and the other applicant countries, which have all acceded to the EEA Agreement, have for decades been amongst the Community's most important trading partners and are well placed economically to cooperate in the further development and consolidation of the internal market,

D.regretting that the Council has still not complied with Parliament's request for an interinstitutional dialogue on institutional reforms to guarantee more democratic and effective cooperation between the Member States of the Union,

1.Expresses its satisfaction at the conclusion of an agreement between the Norwegian authorities and the European Union on Norway's accession to the EU;

2.Points out that the agreement implies that Norway fully accepts the acquis communautaire although certain transitional measures have had to be included with regard to the interests of both Norway and the Union;

3.Points out that Norway, like the other new Member States, will be able to maintain its high level of social and environmental protection, particularly with regard to consumer protection, health and safety at work and the protection of natural resources; is convinced that, thanks to the contribution of the new Member States, environmental and nature protection within the Union will be greatly improved and welcomes the fact that the accession agreements provide for a revision of Community legislation in these fields over a four-year transitional period;

4.Considers that accession will not radically change relations between Norway and the EU, given that the free-trade agreement of 1973 introduced the free movement of industrial products, while implementation of the four freedoms was subsequently achieved under the EEA Agreement, subject to a limited number of exemptions and special arrangements concerning agriculture and fisheries;

5.Points out that Norway is already an associate member of the Western European Union (WEU) and, as a full member of both the EU and the WEU, will play an active part in shaping a common foreign and security policy with a defence policy dimension;

6.Notes with satisfaction that it has been possible to pave the way for a new structural policy instrument (Objective 6) that meets the Nordic countries' requirement that employment in the peripheral and sparsely populated regions be maintained at its present level;

7.Recognizes the major economic and social importance of fisheries for Norway; considers that, in this respect, a satisfactory agreement was reached, enabling a balance to be struck between access to the Union market for Norwegian fishery products and access to Norway's fishery resources for all Member States of the Union;

8.Notes that the accession of Norway will strengthen the external dimension of the European Union's common fisheries policy; recalls in this connection that all fisheries agreements concluded by Norway with third countries must be brought into line with the 'acquis communautaire' and administered by the Union;

9.Calls on the institutions of the European Union to ensure that the principles of non-discriminatory access by all operators to the Norwegian energy sector are respected, in accordance with the 'acquis communautaire';

10.Notes that the European Union is to conclude free trade agreements with the Baltic republics, so that the applicant countries will be able to maintain their trade relations with them after accession;

11.Calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that the necessary adjustments to the free-trade agreements between Norway and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe do not restrict the latter's export possibilities on the Union market;

12.Calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that the interests of the Union are properly protected following renegotiation of the specific trade agreements between Norway and the United States in the cereals sector;

13.Also notes that the applicant countries have laid down guidelines for their monetary policies that are consistent with the convergence requirements implicit in the provisions of the Maastricht Treaty on the establishment of Economic and Monetary Union, and expects their participation in monetary cooperation within the EU to enhance the opportunities for achieving the third stage of EMU in good time;

14.Regrets that, because of internal disagreement on voting rules in the enlarged Union, the Council was unable to submit the full texts of the agreements on the accession of Norway and the other applicant countries to the European Parliament at an earlier date;

15.Reiterates its request to the Council to take steps at the same time to initiate an interinstitutional dialogue involving representatives of the European Parliament with a view to introducing reforms to ensure that the institutions of the Union operate satisfactorily after enlargement;

16.Stresses the urgent need, bearing in mind its assent to enlargement of the Union, for the European Council in Corfu to make a formal public undertaking on Parliament's full participation in the reforms planned for 1996;

17.Considers the forthcoming enlargement to be urgently necessary in view of general political and economic developments in Europe and the political will of both the present and future Member States to strengthen and deepen European integration;

18.Supports Norway's accession to the European Union on 1 January 1995 out of a sense of general political responsibility, despite the evident shortcomings in the institutional development of the European Union and the deficiencies in the procedure for informing the European Parliament about the accession treaties;

19.Notes that the accession of the four EFTA countries is expected to contribute to the stability of the European continent, and believes that enlargement towards the eligible countries of the south will further enhance the geo-political balance of the European Union;

20.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Norway.