Europe

Norway’s culture and politics, and its social and business activities, have always had close links with the rest of Europe. Norwegian foreign policy has long aimed to promote international cooperation and stability, both in Europe and in the rest of the world. In the second half of the 1940s, Norway was among the founders of the UN, the OSCE, NATO and the Council of Europe. Read more

The Agreement on the European Economic Area – the EEA Agreement – entered into force on 1 January 1994. After enlargement on 1 May 2004, it applies to the 25 countries of the EU plus the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland, which is also an EFTA country, is not part of the EEA. Read more

Norway was one of the founding members of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The organisation was founded in 1975 in Helsinki, as the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe, but has expanded greatly since then and now comprises 55 member states in Europe, North America, and the whole CIS area. Read more

The Schengen cooperation was first established in 1985 by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Germany. The intention was to establish an area without travel restrictions, in which border controls between the participating countries were eliminated and there was closer cooperation on combating transnational crime. Later the Schengen cooperation was incorporated into the EU cooperati... Read more

Norway was one of the ten founding members of the Council of Europe, which was created on 5 May 1949. The Council of Europe is the oldest of all the European cooperation organisations. The aim was to achieve greater unity between its members, facilitate social and economic progress and promote adherence to the fundamental principals of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. Read more