Norway enters into climate agreement with EU

Norway and the European Union (EU) have entered into an agreement on emissions reduction, which makes the Nordic country a "climate member" of the union, newspaper Aftenposten reported Friday.

"This agreement ensures that we will fulfil the promise we have made in the Paris Agreement," said Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Ola Elvestuen.

"When the agreement with the EU is final, the framework becomes so strong that we cannot escape. We have to do more than we do now to accomplish our goal," he added.

As a part of the Paris agreement, both Norway and the EU promised emissions by 2030 to be 40 percent lower than in 1990.

The agreement with the EU will be as binding as all other cooperation according to the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement, the report said.

Norway is not a member of the EU but is part of the EEA and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). It remains subject to the same single market regulations and the fundamental principles of the free movement of goods, services, people and capital as the 28 full EU member states.

Thorough revision of Norway's emissions must be carried out each year. In case the annual goals are not achieved, there will be more cuts the following year, Aftenposten reported.

Elvestuen expressed belief that Norway will accomplish these goals, as the country "is so far ahead in several areas, such as transport and shipping."

The climate agreement will be effective when a detailed agreement is approved by the EU Council of Ministers and also by the parliaments of Iceland and Norway in spring, as Iceland is also a signatory to the agreement.