WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/REG137/R/B/2 
G/L/691 17 September 2004 
 
(04-3914) 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements Original:   English 
  
 
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND NORWAY 
 
Biennial Report on the Operation of the Agreement
 
 
Communication from the Parties 
 
 
 The report below presents the information r eceived from the Permanent Mission of Norway 
and the Delegation for the European Communities, dated 13 September 2004.  It is organized in 
accordance with the standard format (WT/REG/W/6). 
 
_______________ 
 
  This report covers the period 2001-2003. The previous biennial re port submitted by the 
Parties was circulated as WTO document WT/REG 137/R/B/1, G/L/550 of 14 May 2002. The general 
situation remains as described in the last report.  
  
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AGREEMENT 
1. Membership And Dates Of Signature, Ratification And Entry Into Force 
 No alteration of the membership was made during the period 2001-2003. The Agreement on 
the European Economic Area (EEA), which entered into force in 1994
1, continues to link the 
European Union and Norway, together with Iceland and Liechtenstein, in a broad integrated economic 
agreement.    With European Union enlargement on 1 May 2004, the EEA Agreement was revised and 
extended, after negotiation and a ratification pro cess, to the ten new member States of the EU. 
Conversely, the existing free trade agreements between the EFTA (including Norway) and the 
acceding countries were cancelled (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, 
Slovak Republic and Slovenia).  2. Type Of Agreement 
 As stipulated in the last biennial report,  the EEA Agreement provides for the freedom of 
movement of goods
2, persons, services and capital, throughout the territories of the Parties. It provides 
for a high degree of economic integration, set out in a large number of Protocols and Annexes. The 
Agreement also contains provisions for the stre ngthening and broadening of  co-operation among the 
                                                      
1 Official Journal of the European Communities, N° L1, 3 January 1994, p.1. 
2 For products falling within chapters 25 to 97 of the harmonized system (cf. article 8 of the EEA 
Agreement). WT/REG137/R/B/2 
G/L/691 Page 2 
 
 
 Parties in a wide range of activities. No alterations  have been made in this regard from the last 
biennial report. 
 
4. Trade Data 
 
 Total bilateral trade between the EU-15 and Norway amounted to approximately € 70 billion 
in the year 2002. Detailed statistical data concerning bilateral trade between the parties is presented in 
the attached annex.  
 
II. TRADE PROVISIONS 
1. Import Restrictions & 
2. Export Restrictions 
  The extent of liberalisation under the EEA Ag reement remains to be only possible because 
the non-EU members have agreed to take  over, in its entirety, the Community acquis  in the relevant 
economic sectors.  This is done on an ongoing basis, and requires a continuing effort on the part of the 
Parties to integrate new acquis  into the Agreement.   
 
3. Rules Of Origin 
4. Standards 
5. Safeguards 6. Anti-Dumping And Countervailing Measures 7. Subsidies And State-Aid 
  There have been no amendments to the EEA Agreement concerning these areas. The EEA 
Agreement continues to prohibit the use of trade de fence instruments in relation to areas covered by 
its provisions and in which the Community acquis  is fully integrated into the Agreement.  The 
Agreement provides that the non-EU Contracting Parties will take over the EU’s acquis  into their 
national legislation on a wide range of areas.   8. Sector-Specific Provisions 
 
 In June 2003, Norway and the EC agreed to a further bilateral liberalisation of trade in 
agriculture under the EEA Agreement, with a vi ew to achieving progressive liberalization of 
agricultural trade on a reciprocal and mutually bene ficial basis. This included the introduction on both 
sides of additional import quotas and tariff concessi ons for imports of a few agricultural products 
(mainly cheese, fruit and vegetables and ornamental plants).   Also, since 2002, the top priority in EU-Norwa y relations was to reach an agreement on the 
enlargement of the EEA simultaneously with the enlargement of the EU as from 1 May 2004. An 
“EEA Enlargement Agreement” was negotiated to this effect . The amendments to the EEA 
Agreement are mainly technical, taking over the rele vant provisions of the EU Act of Accession, but 
considerable new financial contributions from the EEA EFTA States, and in particular Norway, were 
also agreed to contribute to social and economic  cohesion in the enlarged internal market.  
  In the context of the “EEA Enlargement Ag reement”, the relevant protocols of the EEA 
Agreement defining the trade regime for the agricultu ral and fisheries sectors have also been amended 
and adapted to the dimensions of the enlarged  EU. Norway opened tariff quotas or increased the 
existing ones for certain agricultural products (m ainly fruits and fruit juices). The enlarged EU 
increased tariff quotas and/or reduction of duties for certain fishery products (hareng, mackerel).  
 WT/REG137/R/B/2
G/L/691
Page 3EU15-Norwa y Imports/Exports, 1999-2002
 
EU15 trade 1999 - 2002 with Norway (m illion Euro)  
imports exports balance total trade
1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002
1011 Extra-EU1527-Jul-04
Total 28,961 45,081 44,167 45,080 21,667 23,904 24,813 25,318 -7,294 -21,177 -19,353 -19,763 50,628 68,985 68,980 70,398
of which:
01 Animals & animal products 1,878 2,014 1,840 1,818 72 86 100 115 -1,806 -1,928 -1,739 -1,703 1,950 2,100 1,940 1,933
02 Vegetable products 8 13 25 25 308 347 395 433 300 334 370 408 316 360 420 458
03 Animal or vegetable fats 31 30 36 39 34 34 45 61 3 5 8 22 65 64 81 100
04 Prepared foodstuffs 353 338 328 372 734 772 804 903 381 434 476 531 1,088 1,110 1,132 1,275
05 Mineral products 13,217 26,406 24,591 24,493 936 1,196 1,265 1,004 -12,281 -25,210 -23,326 -23,490 14,153 27,602 25,856 25,497
06 Chemical products 1,431 1,667 1,798 1,778 1,907 2,172 2,278 2,394 476 505 480 616 3,338 3,839 4,076 4,172
07 Plastics & rubber 639 743 714 679 1,075 1,178 1,212 1,256 436 435 498 577 1,714 1,921 1,926 1,935
08 Hides & skins 70 86 91 88 64 85 101 102 -7 -1 10 15 134 172 193 190
09 Wood & wood products 340 346 299 313 517 593 589 619 177 247 290 306 858 939 887 932
10 Wood pulp products 1,271 1,430 1,439 1,247 1,056 1,166 1,057 1,065 -215 -263 -381 -182 2,327 2,596 2,496 2,313
11 Textiles & textile articles 125 120 121 122 1,001 1,016 998 1,038 875 895 877 916 1,126 1,136 1,119 1,160
12 Footwear, headgear 7 9 9 8 187 189 175 204 180 180 166 197 195 198 183 212
13 Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos 124 137 150 153 358 386 400 427 234 250 249 274 482 523 550 580
14 Pearls, (semi-)precious stones, metals 61 105 110 78 92 108 107 99 31 3 -3 21 154 213 216 177
15 Base metals & articles thereof 3,733 4,339 4,172 3,878 2,091 2,050 2,113 2,279 -1,642 -2,288 -2,059 -1,598 5,824 6,389 6,285 6,157
16 Machinery & mechanical applicances 2,093 2,124 2,122 1,979 6,256 6,821 7,166 7,304 4,163 4,697 5,045 5,324 8,349 8,945 9,288 9,283
17 Transportation equipment 709 927 763 824 2,710 3,341 3,510 3,285 2,002 2,415 2,747 2,462 3,419 4,268 4,273 4,109
18 Instruments - measuring, musical 374 404 438 470 736 772 844 939 362 368 406 469 1,110 1,176 1,283 1,408
19 Arms & ammunition 5 9 42 1 1 01 92 02 1 51 01 5 0 1 62 72 44 3
20 Miscellaneous 402 419 405 393 950 1,028 1,057 1,153 548 609 652 760 1,352 1,447 1,462 1,546
21 Works of art 14 13 11 33 27 19 19 18 13 7 9 -15 41 32 30 52
Other 2,074 3,404 4,701 6,268 543 524 558 597 -1,531 -2,880 -4,143 -5,672 2,617 3,928 5,259 6,865
Source : Eurostat COMEXT 10 September 2003 (Statistical regime 1) TRADE/F/1  José ÁlvarezNorway
  
 WT/REG137/R/B/2 
G/L/691 
Page 4 
EU15-Norwa y Imports/Exports, 2002 and comparison with extra-EU15
balance balance
M Euro % Total M Euro % Total M Euro M Euro % Total M Euro % Total M Euro imports exports
27-Jul-04
Total 45,080 100.0% 25,318 100.0% -19,763 918,798 100.0% 868,524 100.0% -50,274 4.9% 2.9% 0.56
of which:
01 Animals & animal products 1,818 4.0% 115 0.5% -1,703 15,949 1.7% 11,195 1.3% -4,754 11.4% 1.0% 0.06
02 Vegetable products 25 0.1% 433 1.7% 408 26,010 2.8% 11,625 1.3% -14,385 0.1% 3.7% 17.46
03 Animal or vegetable fats 39 0.1% 61 0.2% 22 2,317 0.3% 2,339 0.3% 22 1.7% 2.6% 1.56
04 Prepared foodstuffs 372 0.8% 903 3.6% 531 23,791 2.6% 27,732 3.2% 3,941 1.6% 3.3% 2.43
05 Mineral products 24,493 54.3% 1,004 4.0% -23,490 147,537 16.1% 29,272 3.4% -118,266 16.6% 3.4% 0.04
06 Chemical products 1,778 3.9% 2,394 9.5% 616 67,920 7.4% 126,606 14.6% 58,685 2.6% 1.9% 1.35
07 Plastics & rubber 679 1.5% 1,256 5.0% 577 25,724 2.8% 36,740 4.2% 11,016 2.6% 3.4% 1.85
08 Hides & skins 88 0.2% 102 0.4% 15 10,253 1.1% 9,177 1.1% -1,076 0.9% 1.1% 1.17
09 Wood & wood products 313 0.7% 619 2.4% 306 13,546 1.5% 7,637 0.9% -5,908 2.3% 8.1% 1.98
10 Wood pulp products 1,247 2.8% 1,065 4.2% -182 15,485 1.7% 25,167 2.9% 9,682 8.1% 4.2% 0.85
11 Textiles & textile articles 122 0.3% 1,038 4.1% 916 66,360 7.2% 38,688 4.5% -27,671 0.2% 2.7% 8.48
12 Footwear, headgear 8 0.0% 204 0.8% 197 11,422 1.2% 6,862 0.8% -4,560 0.1% 3.0% 25.77
13 Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos 153 0.3% 427 1.7% 274 7,809 0.8% 15,368 1.8% 7,559 2.0% 2.8% 2.79
14 Pearls, (semi-)precious stones, metals 78 0.2% 99 0.4% 21 33,805 3.7% 26,743 3.1% -7,062 0.2% 0.4% 1.26
15 Base metals & articles thereof 3,878 8.6% 2,279 9.0% -1,598 49,836 5.4% 52,420 6.0% 2,584 7.8% 4.3% 0.59
16 Machinery & mechanical applicances 1,979 4.4% 7,304 28.8% 5,324 235,463 25.6% 270,216 31.1% 34,754 0.8% 2.7% 3.69
17 Transportation equipment 824 1.8% 3,285 13.0% 2,462 76,013 8.3% 92,269 10.6% 16,257 1.1% 3.6% 3.99
18 Instruments - measuring, musical 470 1.0% 939 3.7% 469 38,860 4.2% 41,363 4.8% 2,504 1.2% 2.3% 2.00
19 Arms & ammunition 21 0.0% 21 0.1% 0 955 0.1% 1,197 0.1% 242 2.2% 1.8% 1.02
20 Miscellaneous 393 0.9% 1,153 4.6% 760 28,770 3.1% 18,637 2.1% -10,132 1.4% 6.2% 2.93
21 Works of art 33 0.1% 18 0.1% -15 2,949 0.3% 4,098 0.5% 1,150 1.1% 0.4% 0.55
Other 6,268 13.9% 597 2.4% -5,672 18,025 2.0% 13,172 1.5% -4,853 34.8% 4.5% 0.10
Source : Eurostat COMEXT 10 September 2003 (Statistical regime 1) TRADE/F/1  José ÁlvarezNorway
imports exports imports ex ports market shares Exp-Imp 
ratio
1011 Extra-EURNorway / TotalEU15 trade 2002 with Norway EU15 trade 2002 with Extra-EUR
 
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