Already last summer, Sweden and several other EU countries expressed their concern over Norway's tough line in a letter to the EU Commission. Now that the negotiations are moving forward this autumn, the EU is opening up to impose tariffs on Norwegian fish, if no solution is reached.
Rural Affairs Minister Peter Kullgren (KD) is not directly impressed by Norway's actions.
I think they have become a bit too rigid and want to take back too much compared to how we traditionally have done it, says Kullgren on his way to a meeting with his EU colleagues in Brussels.
In brief, the dispute is about who fishes where and how much in the "border waters" of the North Sea and Skagerrak. The UK and British fishing are also part of the equation.
Kullgren warns that the fish itself may become the loser if no agreement is reached.
We have stocks that are not doing well in parts of these areas. When we then end up not agreeing, there is a great risk of overfishing, says the Rural Affairs Minister.
Norway is a friend to us all, but we must be clear about our interests, emphasizes Spain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Luis Planas Puchades in turn.
