The EU's Secure Connectivity regulation explicitly states that the launch of EU satellites can only take place from an EU member state. Only in 'justified exceptional cases' can a spaceport in a third country, such as Andøya Space, be used. Through Secure Connectivity, the EU will launch nearly 300 European satellites for the so-called IRIS2 network, but none of them from Norway. The Norwegian government was fully aware of this when Norway and the EU signed a separate agreement on cooperation around the Space Connectivity program at the end of March. Andøya Space is not explicitly mentioned in the agreement. The EEA agreement is not enough to bring Norway within the scope of the regulation.
The Norwegian government hopes the EU will change its position. A revised Secure Connectivity regulation is in the works and is planned to be presented next year. The government will use the time ahead to advocate for Andøya's case.
Meanwhile, the EFTA Surveillance Authority has sent the Icelandic government a seven-point questionnaire regarding the arrangement for alcohol sales in retail after receiving a complaint about alleged illegal business practices. ESA is examining whether the arrangement for alcohol sales complies with the European Economic Area agreement after receiving the complaint. In November, ESA received a complaint against the Icelandic state regarding the monopoly position of ÁTVR in the retail market. The complaint argues that the preconditions for ÁTVR's monopoly have collapsed and therefore violate the EEA agreement.
Iceland's alcohol sales landscape has evolved in recent years. The Icelandic state has already allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages at the production site, with certain limitations. The sale of alcohol in duty-free shops has been outsourced to private parties after a tender process. Access to alcoholic beverages has increased over the past two decades, which runs counter to the goals of the state monopoly, which are to reduce alcohol consumption and improve public health. ESA is aware of developments in Iceland where privately run online stores, registered in other EEA states, sell alcohol directly to consumers. The letter from ESA refers to two legal precedents where Norway and Sweden were found to have violated European rules regarding alcohol sales arrangements, and these precedents could be relevant to the arrangement in Iceland. The state needs to justify the gray area in online sales.
ESA has requested that the Icelandic state answer seven questions regarding the arrangement for alcohol sales in Iceland. The state has a deadline of April 20 to respond to ESA's inquiry.
In a separate development, Norway has secured an exemption from the EU's requirement for the use of reusable beverage bottles. EU rules set requirements for a certain proportion of reusable packaging for beverages. In Norway, bottles are not reused; instead, bottles and cans are recycled. The government has worked well and found a solution. We want to use the opportunity to grant an exemption from the reuse requirement for beverage packaging, so that the actors can retain the good deposit system we have today.
Broad public support for Norway's continued EEA membership persists. A poll from November 2021 shows that if there were a new referendum on the EEA, 65.1 percent would vote yes and 19.4 percent would vote no.
The limitations of the EEA agreement for Norway are evident in the space sector, where Andøya's unspecified status in the EU agreement highlights broader challenges.