– In recent months, ESA has noted that a significant number of people have been negatively affected by the Norwegian entry restrictions. This includes people who have been denied access to their own homes, blocked from taking new jobs or returning to existing jobs, or prevented from meeting partners and family members, ESA writes in a press release.
ESA has now decided to open a formal case against Norway, after a long and ongoing dialogue with the authorities. They ask Norway to adapt the entry restrictions according to the EEA rules.
After a number of requests from ESA, the Norwegian authorities have responded with detailed information about the rules that restrict entry to Norway for non-Norwegian EEA citizens, and how these rules are applied, ESA writes.
Releases quarantine hotel
– No obvious basis
The EEA Authority finds it strange that Norway denies many EEA citizens entry when almost everyone who arrives, in any case must be quarantined, writes NTB.
– It is not clear why EEA citizens arriving in Norway for the first time, or those who are not residents, can not do the same. There is no obvious basis for establishing that the latter group poses a greater risk to public health than before, writes Esa.
Today entry rules This means, among other things, that tourists, business travelers, girlfriends and distant family members are not allowed to enter Norway, regardless of whether they are EU / EEA citizens or not.
They add that the rules have undergone a number of changes since they were first introduced in 2020, and that Norway has indicated that further changes are on the way.
– We view positively the measures the Norwegian authorities have recently implemented to adapt the entry restrictions to the legal requirements for proportionality and fairness that the EEA agreement entails. We hope to see further progress in relation to adopted measures, says ESA President Bente Angell-Hansen.
