The EU usually tries to reach a deal with Oslo on joint fishing before mid-December, when it sets internal quotas for the following year. Negotiations are always tense, especially after the EU slapped limits on Norwegian farmed salmon imports that are due to expire in January.

All 2006 quotas have been slightly cut, apart from mackerel, from the volumes agreed for last year. The other quotas relate to cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice and herring.

The two sides have long-term management plans in place to protect dwindling numbers of cod, haddock, saithe and herring in their shared waters. A similar plan will be set up for cod when scientists say stocks have returned to sustainable levels.

"The continued co-operation with Norway shows our common determination to secure the future of fisheries and to fight illegal fishing practices," EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said in a statement.

Norway, together with Iceland and Liechtenstein, is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), a free-trade deal that guarantees access to 80 percent of the EU's internal markets.

In the past, the EU has accused Norway of overfishing and bargains hard on behalf of member states like Britain and Germany to get as much cod quota from Norway as possible.