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The influence of EU on alcohol policy in a non‐EU country

Norway is not a member of the EU, but entered into agreement with the EEA as of 1 January 1994. Norway shares borders with the EU member states of Sweden and Finland, and is also close to the rest of EU in many respects. These factors have had a rather strong influence over Norwegian alcohol policy, both directly and indirectly. Direct influences derive from Norway's ratification of the EEA Agreement and therewith an obligation to obey many EU regulations. The result of this was that Norway, like Sweden and Finland, was forced to dissolve its monopoly on import, export, wholesale and production of alcoholic beverages, and to allow alcopops to be sold in ordinary grocery stores. Indirect influences arise from the travellers import quotas within the EU. These place constant pressure on the relatively high prices in the Nordic EU countries, leading to price reductions in these countries that stimulate Norwegian border trade, even if the legal quotas in Norway are very small compared with the EU quotas. Alcohol policies in the EU countries, especially the neighbouring countries, also seem to have some impact on popular attitudes to Norwegian alcohol policy. This article describes these different EU related factors and their influence.