Background information

In October 2023, Norway and France decided to enhance the French-Norwegian dialogue and cooperation for green industrial change, including carbon capture and storage (CCS). The aim was to pursue a strategic industrial partnership and to strengthen the two countries' already close relations in industry and energy, in particular, opportunities within CCS, critical materials, battery production and recycling, and renewable energy.

During a second meeting of the French-Norwegian Green Industry forum in January 2024, the director general for enterprises Thomas Courbe, representing the French Ministry of Economics Bruno Le Maire, and the Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, Jan Christian Vestre, agreed on a strategic partnership between France and the Norway to enhance already existing dialogue and cooperation related to green industrial transition between the two countries.

Content of measure

The strategic partnership between the Norway and France to enhance already existing dialogue and cooperation related to green industrial transition between the two countries aims at a greener industry, addressing challenges and solutions through bilateral cooperation. The partnership will seek to reduce the carbon footprint of existing industries across the whole value chain and develop new green industries such as Capture Carbon and Storage (CCS) technologies.

Both countries have stated their intention to regularly share their perspectives on national and European industrial policies, share best practices and challenges in their respective industrial policy frameworks, and support French and Norwegian businesses and financial mechanisms to connect. They agreed to create Working Groups in selected sectors and areas of common interest to develop and monitor Partnership Roadmaps. The partnership will have three main pillars:

• A structured dialogue on CCS to facilitate matchmaking between French and Norwegian businesses in this emerging market.
• A structured dialogue on renewable energy industries to facilitate bilateral investments and industrial projects.
• A strategic dialogue on critical raw materials aiming to promote cooperation on profitable and sustainable development of projects, in particular with identification and support for projects of common interests, and common work on sustainable mining. The dialogue will also include a scientific and technical dialogue between the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) and the French Geological Survey (BRGM) within the agencies scope of work, in particular the national exploration programs for critical raw materials, including geophysical surveys. (Nærings- og fiskeridepartementet, 18.1.2024)

Use of measure

No information.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners involvment is unknown.

Views and reactions

Social partners views are unknown.

Sources

• 30 October 2023: Norwegian-French cooperation for green industrial transformation (www.regjeringen.no)
• 18 January 2024: France and Norway sign a strategic partnership on green industrial transformation (www.regjeringen.no)