Norway defers EU decision

Oslo - Norway's ruling Labour Party yesterday put off any new application to join the EU until 2005 at the earliest, hoping to…

Oslo - Norway's ruling Labour Party yesterday put off any new application to join the EU until 2005 at the earliest, hoping to avoid another bitter debate after a No to membership in a 1994 referendum.

Party leaders, who had wanted to leave the door open to an application during the next parliament from 20012005, bowed to sceptics at a party congress who fear a pro-EU stance could lose the party votes in elections next year.

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