From: jafitv@termo.unit.no (Jan Arne Fagertun)
Subject: Re: EC (Was: Laughing at americans)
Reply-To: jafitv@termo.unit.no (Jan Arne Fagertun)
Organization: SINTEF, Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 92 08:57:34 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.143630.28575@kth.se>, tomas_e@LINK.Physchem.KTH.SE (Tomas Eriksson) writes:
|> 
|> It wasn't an argument for joining EC. (If you use the term *E*EC, you just 
|> mean one aspect of the European Community.) It was a discussion about to 
|> what extent it's reasonable to say "Europe" instead of EC.
|> 
|> 
|> I could say that it doesn't matter to me if Norway wants to behave in a 
|> stupid way, but it actually does. It would probably save time and effort 
|> for both the EC and for the countries involved if all EFTA countries 
|> joined the EC at the same time. As I see it, if Norway and/or Finland 
|> joined the EC while Sweden was outside, that could be use as an argument
|> in favour of Swedish EC membership. But if Norway chooses status quo, 
|> that isn't really an argument against Swedish EC membership. Our present 
|> and future economic relationship with the present EC countries is, in my
|> opinion, enough to justify a Swedish EC membership.
|> 


What you have written above seems reasonable... But many people in
Norway, and I'm sure in Sweden too, argu in this way :
"We have to join EEC (or EC, if you prefer the new name after
Maastricht), because Sweden, Finland, ......". What I meant to say is
that you people in Sweden (and Finland) don't have to bother much about
norwegian membership - it does not seem very probable ....


|> Fortunately, we don't have a previous negative referendum result in our 
|> "luggage" as Norway has.
|> 


I'd say unfortunately :-)

BTW, this is of less importance in Norway, too, except from the fact
that we know that people in Norway are able to think and mean other
things than the massive establishment want us to. This is important,
and I am sort of proud of it.
Wouldn't you, if the swedes..... :-)


|> 
|> >Besides, it looks like Denmark's membership may be questionable, too.
|> >This may increase your problems. You may have to switch from saying
|> >"Sweden must join EC because Norway and Denmark ...." to "Sweden must
|> >join EC in spite of Norway and Denmark ....".
|> 
|> Are you seriously saying that Denmark will *leave* the present EC? I 
|> don't think that is the case. That's definitely not what they were voting
|> about!
|> 


I don't mean that Denmark will totally leave EEC. But the problem is
that the Maastricht treaty (?) demands that all the EEC countries have
to accept it, and Denmark didn't. What will the rest of EEC do ? Accept
that Denmark stopped Maastricht, or change Denmark's connection in some
way ?


|> 
|> I would like to ask you a few things: those who are anti-Norweigan EC 
|> membership, what do you think about Norway's NATO membership? If you 
|> don't like it, what did you think about it pre-1989, or say, pre-1986? 
|> How would you view an extended Nordic/Scandinavian cooperation, 
|> including e.g. common currency and close defense cooperation? What about 
|> the rumour that some people in Norway don't like EC because that would 
|> mean some kind of Swedish influence in Norway ?
|> 


1) I have been against NATO since I grew up.
2) I am positive to an extended Nordic/Scandinavian cooperation, as
   described by you. I think these countries have a political and
   economic background that would suit me better.
3) I haven't heard this rumour, but it would not surprise me if  some
   people do.

My answers are based on my private opinions. It is obvious that many
people anti EEC in Norway are pro-NATO, and that some of these may have
changed there opinion during the last years. But on the other hand - I
think some of those who are against NATO were pro some years ago.
But I think the overall NATO opinion is very stable. Unfortunately...


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| Jan Arne Fagertun, Research Engineer, SINTEF Division Termodynamics |
| E-mail: Jan.A.Fagertun@termo.unit.no                                |
| Phone : +47 7 596890                            Fax  : +47 7 944513 |
| Mail  : SINTEF/Varmeteknikk, 7034 Trondheim, Norway                 |
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