"Bærebjelkene"
( "Bærebjelke" is the Norwegian word for a main beam supporting the structure and weight of a building)

Political Platform for "No to EU" in Norway

This statement was unanimously accepted in this final version at the annual convention of "No to EU" in Norway, 29. November 1992. It had in earlier versions been used since 1989.

" "No to EC" is fighting against Norwegian membership in the EC and against adaptation of the Norwegian society to the political and economic system of the EC.

The basis of our society is our democracy. We know by experience that we do best when we govern ourselves and cooperate closely with other countries as an independent nation.

We want a democracy giving all its members a real influence upon their own lives. We want power to be left where people live. We do not want important decicions to be made in far away power centers without efficient democratic control.

We want to protect the carrying beams of the Norwegian society:

• Everyone’s right to work has been a major objective in Norwegian politics. We must not let ourselves be deprived from using the measures we find necessary to achieve this goal.

• We shall ourselves decide the extent of foreign aquisition of Norwegian enterprises, natural resources and property. We must have the right to introduce laws and measures of control for this purpose.

• We shall ourselves decide how we settle levels of taxation and franchises and other measures to secure our welfare society, in order to obtain social justice, solidarity and public responsibility.

• We shall ourselves control what we regard as important rules for safe environmental standards, protection of the consumers and the health of the population. These concerns are more important than free movement of goods.

• We must safeguard our capability to protect the rights of our Lappish minority.

• The western world cannot continue its current economic growth policy, with an ever-increasing pollution and consumption of resources. Only by trying out alternatives to current economic policies will it be possible to move towards a sustainable development on a global scale. Norway must keep its freedom to conduct such a policy.

We want an independent Norway in a Europe which is open towards all countries of the world, in which free nations with many different economic systems are developing a close and committing cooperation. The EC Union does not provide the answers needed when we confront our international challenges. We want to choose for ourselves how we best shall engage in international cooperation."