ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on whether the state did sufficiently alert and inform the Norwegian population of the process and contents of Norway entering into the Schengen Cooperation. There were several debates, concerning among others sovereignty issues, in connection with the early Norwegian European Union (EU) agreements in the mid–1990s. These debates primarily took place in the general context of the question of EU membership, but it also had ties to the Schengen and later Europol agreements. The justification for staying outside of the Union was based on a set of assumptions, both of a positive and negative nature. Norway is to a large extent in fact taking part in the police cooperation mechanisms that are based in the EU regulations. Free travel and maintaining Nordic relations were the main issues at stake in the Government's view. Fighting cross-border crime soon after completely took over as the reason for joining the Schengen cooperation.
