Abstract
Norwegian historical, cultural and geopolitical ties with Europe have never
been questioned. The fate of this Nordic country, despite the geographical
conditions, made it have a unique status of an outsider among friends, i.e.
the European Union countries. The close economic and political ties are put
into practice mainly in the framework of bilateral agreements and through
the structure of the European Free Trade Association. The most important
agreement regulating economic relations between Norway and the EU is
the Agreement on the European Economic Area, which requires that the
country implement the EU legislation concerning the internal market. One
should be aware that the status of Norway is mainly determined by the
characteristic model of its economy. The country ranks among the richest
countries in the world and, what is more important, its prosperity is largely
based on export sales of energy resources – which Norway wants to control
independently. This is the main reason why the country has not become an
official member of the European Union structures. The idea has been rejected
in a referendum twice. Norwegians are still very Eurosceptic. Norwegian
political approach towards the European Union is often compared to the
so-called ‘cherry picking’, which means implementing only the provisions
that remain comfortable. However, cooperation is defined as a privileged
partnership, and official documents describe Norway as a country integrated
with the EU at a rate of 75%.