Kuinkakohan kaukana EU:n etupiiristä Norja nyt sitten oikeasti lienee...
Brittiläisessä pro-EU kolumnissa vuodelta 2012 puolletaan EU:ssa pysymistä Norjan esimerkillä. Mainittu myös se, että ilman jäsenyyttäkin Norja maksaa kokoon suhteutettuna EU:lle puolet siitä mitä UK.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/16/britain-would-be-diminished-by-leaving-eu
Norway enjoys full access to the EU's internal market because it is part of the European Economic Area, which was created in 1992.
In return, Norway is obliged to implement all the EU's laws relating to the internal market.
Because Norway is not a member of the EU, it has no representation in any of its institutions and no right to participate in its decisions (except regarding the Schengen border-free area, of which Norway is a signatory).
Norway has had to implement about three-quarters of all EU legislation, including the working time directive. Not only does Norway suffer the indignity of implementing whatever regulation or directive comes off the fax machine, but
it also pays around €340m a year into the EU budget. Under similar circumstances, the UK, given its size, would probably pay £2.5bn-£4bn a year, which is close to half of our current net contribution. But imagine being told what to do by a body over which we had no influence.
Samaa aihetta käsiteltiin muuten laajasti noin parin viikon takaisessa the economist -lehdessä.