The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise is seeking special dispensation for British citizens working in the Nordic country, saying the oil and gas industry risks being hit hard if the UK exits the European Union without an agreement, Dagens Naeringsliv reported. Arrangements made to date by Norway’s government don’t cover the “several hundred” British citizens who live temporarily in the country and who make up a critical part of the workforce in the oil industry, Nina Melsom, the confederation’s director of labor relations, told the newspaper. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on Oct. 31, these employees would lose rights they have under the European Economic Area agreement, to which Norway, a non-EU member, is a party, Melsom said. The government said it’s working intensively to resolve the threat.
The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise is urging the country's government to grant special dispensation to British citizens working in the country to ward off potential disruption within the oil and gas industry following Brexit. A no-deal Brexit scenario would see UK employees lose the right to reside in Norway under the European Economic Area agreement.