COVID-19 pandemic: ESA approves state aid to cancelled Offshore Northern Seas conference and fair*
The EFTA Surveillance Authority has today approved state aid for the Offshore Northern Seas Foundation’s (ONS) 2020 conference, which was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The biennial conference, which is held in Stavanger in south-western Norway, is a five-day event that brings together stakeholders in the oil and energy sector from across the world. It is managed by the ONS Foundation, a non-profit organisation, whose objective is to arrange the conference and exhibition.
The ONS conference is Norway’s leading meeting place for facilitating business networking and political discussions on energy policies. It attracts companies, experts and government representatives, and is increasingly focusing on low-carbon solutions and renewables. The event is of importance to the region’s economy and the country’s energy-supply and technology sectors.
As a result of COVID-19 containment measures put in place by the Norwegian authorities, the ONS Foundation had to cancel this year’s conference, scheduled for August and September. Given the exceptional situation created by the pandemic, ESA finds the proposed aid totalling NOK 21 million (EUR 1.9m) to the ONS Foundation compatible with the EEA Agreement.
