Britain is set to leave
the European Union in March 2019.
The British public voted decisively to leave.
Yet the EU is Britain's most important market
and British businesses want access to it.
The government has to find a way to square the circle
before the March 2019 exit deadline.
Norway has faced a similar dilemma
to the one Britain faces now.
Back in 1994, Norwegians voted against joining the EU.
One reason was to protect its fishing industry,
which is the country's second biggest industry after oil.
Hans Algroy is the head of the North Norway Fishing
Association and has been fishing these waters for 30 years.
The Norwegian fishermen thought
that it was a good idea to stay outside of the EU in 1994
when the referendum was held,
because we had a good management of our fishery resources
and they were, of course, afraid that the large amount
of foreign vessels would come into our waters.
However, Norway still has to share
90% of its waters with the EU
or risk losing access to the European market.
Britain will have to do something similar.
Norway did not join the EU in 1994 and instead stayed part
of the European Economic Area, or EEA.
It keeps the economic benefits of single-market membership.
It has free trade into the EU
without the bureaucracy of being part of the EU.
John Fossum has written a book looking
at what Brexit Britain can learn from Norway.
We have seamless relations with the EU
in all fundamental aspects of economic activity.
It gives stability, it gives predictability
and that is what the economic sector in Norway craves.
Like Norway, Britain's biggest trade partner
is Europe, but Theresa May has said being part
of the EEA would keep us too closely tied to the continent.
Instead, new trade deals will be negotiated.
If Britain adopts the EEA, it could help to solve
the Irish border problem, because essentially,
the EU single market is extended to the EEA countries.
Norway has a relatively open border with Sweden
which would not be the case if they were not in the EEA.
It is very important to maintain an open border
and from a political perspective, both in terms
of Brexit, the UK as well as Norway-Sweden,
it ensures peaceful, amicable relations.
Open borders are good for business,
but it also means people can move freely between countries.
This is a red line most Brexiters are not willing to cross.
Most who want to leave the EU reject the Norway model.
They say it would continue to embroil Britain in EU
regulations without having any say in how they're made.
In 2006, Brussels imposed
a minimum import price on Norwegian salmon.
Some years ago, the EU imposed a countervailing duties
on the Norwegian fish farming industry.
That meant that we have to pay higher tariffs on the export
and we also have to find other markets,
so that was very bad situation.
It takes a long time to get new markets.
I think that will be the same for Britain.
Britain has been trying to negotiate
a Brexit deal since Article 50 was triggered in March 2017.
But little progress has been made.
The benefits for Britain following a similar approach
to Norway of course, is that it doesn't need
to undergo a very significant transition.
The Norway model is not perfect,
but a solution similar to the EEA may be the best option.
Some people are saying that those that voted no in 1994,
they won on the next day,
but they've lost every day since then.
This could also be a parallel with Brexit.
Britain can learn
a lot from Norway's experience.
A bespoke EEA deal for Britain
is possible as the EU changes.
It is the cheapest way to negotiate Brexit,
maintain a working relationship with the Eu,
and would be achievable in the timeframe
set out by Theresa May.