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Meld. St. 32 (2015–2016) Report to the Storting (white paper)

Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

07 PRINTMEDIA – 2041 03

79

MIL

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MERKET TRYKKERI

2015–2016 Meld. St. 32 (2015–2016) Report to the Storting (white paper) 1Svalbard


Svalbard

Translation from Norwegian. For information only.

Table of Contents

1 Summary ........................................ 51.1 A predictable Svalbard policy ........ 51.2 Contents of each chapter ............... 61.3 Full overview of measures ............. 8

2 Background .................................. 112.1 Introduction .................................... 112.2 Main policy objectives for Svalbard 112.3 Svalbard in general ........................ 12

3 Framework under international law .................................................... 17

3.1 Norwegian sovereignty .................. 173.2 The Svalbard Treaty ....................... 173.2.1 Introduction .................................... 173.2.2 A history of the negotiations ......... 183.2.3 Principles of interpretation ............ 193.2.4 Geographical scope of application 203.2.5 Treaty limitations on the exercise

of authority ...................................... 203.2.6 Research .......................................... 223.3 International agreements .............. 223.3.1 EEA Agreement and Schengen

Agreement ...................................... 223.3.2 WTO Agreement and GATT

Agreement ...................................... 233.3.3 Sanctions adopted by the UN

Security Council ............................. 23

4 Objectives, policy instruments, administration .............................. 24

4.1 Key objectives ................................. 244.2 Policy instruments ......................... 244.2.1 Legislation ....................................... 254.2.2 State ownership in companies

and real property ............................ 254.2.3 The Svalbard budget ...................... 274.2.4 Administration ................................ 28

5 Legislation ...................................... 325.1 Legislative principles ..................... 325.2 Status of instituting legislation ...... 335.3 Specific legislative issues .............. 345.3.1 Welfare legislation ......................... 345.3.2 Tax legislation ................................ 355.3.3 Immigration legislation,

nationality etc. ................................. 365.3.4 Legislation on rejection and

expulsion ......................................... 365.3.5 Education Act and Kindergarten

Act .................................................... 37

6 Longyearbyen .............................. 396.1 Introduction .................................... 396.2 Areas for further development ..... 406.2.1 Tourism: Longyearbyen and

surrounding areas .......................... 416.2.2 Relocation of public-sector jobs .... 436.2.3 Port development ........................... 446.2.4 Svalbard Science Centre ............... 456.2.5 Land development in

Longyearbyen ................................ 466.2.6 Energy supply ................................ 466.2.7 Water supply .................................. 476.3 Provision of services ...................... 476.3.1 In general ........................................ 476.3.2 Cultural activity .............................. 496.3.3 Health and welfare services .......... 496.3.4 Children and youth ........................ 506.3.5 Foreign nationals ........................... 526.4 Summary ........................................ 53

7 Environmental protection ......... 547.1 Introduction .................................... 547.2 More on the environmental

objectives for Svalbard .................. 567.3 Challenges and measures ............. 567.3.1 State of the environment ............... 567.3.2 Current policy instruments ........... 567.3.3 The significance of climate change for

environmental management ......... 577.3.4 Challenges related to traffic and other

activity ............................................. 597.3.5 Infrastructure development into

nature .............................................. 617.3.6 Pollution and waste ........................ 617.3.7 New species .................................... 627.3.8 Environment and land-use

planning in the local communities 627.3.9 Cultural heritage sites ................... 647.3.10 World Heritage .............................. 657.3.11 Environmental management’s

need for knowledge ....................... 667.3.12 Environmental information ........... 687.4 Summary ........................................ 68

8 Knowledge, research and higher education ......................... 69

8.1 Introduction .................................... 698.2 Status and challenges .................... 708.2.1 Investments and increasing

activity ............................................. 708.2.2 Stronger need for coordination .... 738.3 Policy instruments and measures 75

8.3.1 Further development of UNIS ...... 758.3.2 Improved quality and scientific

leadership ........................................ 768.3.3 Clear Norwegian role as host ........ 788.3.4 Issues specific to Ny-Ålesund ....... 798.4 Summary ......................................... 81

9 Economic activity ......................... 839.1 The business community in

Svalbard ........................................... 839.2 Future economic development in

Svalbard ........................................... 849.2.1 Measures to strengthen activity

and the business community in Longyearbyen ................................. 84

9.3 Objectives and framework for future economic development ...... 85

9.4 Economic activity in more detail .. 869.4.1 The tourism industry ..................... 869.4.2 Mineral activity ............................... 899.4.3 Store Norske Spitsbergen

Kulkompani ..................................... 909.4.4 Space activity .................................. 939.4.5 Electronic communications

services ............................................ 959.4.6 Maritime activity ............................ 969.4.7 Fisheries activity ............................ 979.4.8 Air transport activity ...................... 999.4.9 Petroleum activity .......................... 1009.5 Summary ......................................... 100

10 Civil protection, rescue and emergency preparedness .......... 102

10.1 Introduction .................................... 102

10.2 Key actors ....................................... 10210.2.1 Governor of Svalbard .................... 10210.2.2 Longyearbyen Community

Council ............................................ 10310.2.3 Longyearbyen Hospital ................. 10510.2.4 Svalbard Church ............................ 10510.3 Resources ....................................... 10610.3.1 Helicopter ....................................... 10610.3.2 Air ambulance ................................ 10610.3.3 Service vessels ............................... 10610.3.4 Norwegian Coast Guard ................ 10610.3.5 Longyearbyen Red Cross Search

and Rescue Corps .......................... 10710.4 Exercises ........................................ 10710.5 Specific issues ................................ 10910.5.1 Flooding and avalanches ............... 10910.5.2 Preparedness against acute

pollution .......................................... 11010.5.3 Shipping and maritime safety ....... 11110.5.4 Maritime safety measures in

Svalbard .......................................... 11310.5.5 Aviation safety level ....................... 11510.6 Summary ........................................ 115

11 Economic and administrative consequences .............................. 117

11.1 Measures with limited or no budgetary consequences .............. 117

11.2 Measures proposed in the Revised National Budget for 2016 117

11.3 Major measures already begun .... 11811.4 Other measures ............................. 118


SvalbardMeld. St. 32 (2015–2016) Report to the Storting (white paper)

Recommendation of 11 May 2016 from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, approved in the Council of State the same day. (White paper from the Solberg Government)

1 Summary

1.1 A predictable Svalbard policy

In the past, comprehensive white papers on Sval-bard have been presented approximately every 10years. The white papers have each contributed toguiding the archipelago’s development for a num-ber of years, and the comprehensive review pro-cess has contributed to balanced developmentwithin the framework established by the Svalbardpolicy objectives.

The overriding objectives of the Svalbard pol-icy are:– Consistent and firm enforcement of sover-

eignty– Proper observance to the Svalbard Treaty and

control to ensure compliance with the Treaty– Maintenance of peace and stability in the area– Preservation of the area’s distinctive natural

wilderness– Maintenance of Norwegian communities in the

archipelago

With this white paper, the Government confirmsthat the overriding objectives of the Svalbard pol-icy remain unchanged. Continuity and predictabil-ity will remain key aspects of the policy. Predicta-ble administration of Svalbard in line with theseobjectives provides security for the populationwhile enhancing stability and predictability in theregion.

One of the key objectives of the Svalbard pol-icy is the maintenance of Norwegian communitiesin the archipelago. This objective has been met inlarge part through the Longyearbyen community.Coal mining, traditionally of great importance tothe community, has declined in significance inrecent years, partly because many mining employ-ees have been commuting between Svea and themainland. Moreover, the challenging market forthe coal business has led to a scale-back in opera-tions. Provision will be made to suspend opera-tions at Svea and Lunckefjellgruva for up to threeyears, starting in 2017, and there is considerableuncertainty as to whether operations will resume.Other forms of activity have grown, however,within such fields as research and higher educa-tion, tourism, space-related activity and others.

In this white paper the Government seeks toaccommodate a variety of activities, both existingand new. Longyearbyen will in future remain a via-ble local community that is attractive to families.The community’s character, breadth of activityand variation must support the objective of main-taining Norwegian communities in the archipel-ago. At the same time, Longyearbyen is sufferingthe effects of the avalanche that struck the com-munity on 19 December 2015. The disaster mobi-lised the entire community, and a major effort wasundertaken to save lives and care for everyoneaffected. The avalanche heightened the urgencyof working to free up land in the central commu-

6 Meld. St. 32 (2015–2016) Report to the Storting (white paper) 2015–2016Svalbard

nity for residential use. A coordinated, climate-appropriate approach to land-use planning inLongyearbyen will have positive effects for theLongyearbyen community while facilitating desir-able economic development.

The Government therefore wishes to use thiswhite paper to facilitate further development ofthe Longyearbyen community. In the estimatedaccounts for the 2015 central government budget,the Storting approved a proposal by the Govern-ment to allocate NOK 50 million to encouragegreater activity in Longyearbyen in both the shortand the long terms. After the proposal was madeto suspend operations at Svea and Lunckefjell-gruva and introduce double shifts at Mine 7, theGovernment has also continued to provide forLongyearbyen’s maintenance, development andrestructuring in a way supportive of the overrid-ing objectives of Norwegian Svalbard policy. Thismeasure, combined with the other measuresannounced in this report, should contribute to thecontinued viability of the community.

The Government will in any case continuallyassess the need for measures to help ensure thatthe Longyearbyen community develops in accord-ance with the Svalbard policy, including the objec-tive of maintaining Norwegian communities in thearchipelago. The avalanche disaster has alsoshown that the necessity of ensuring that Sval-bard’s infrastructure can accommodate the presentlevel of activity outweighs the introduction of newactivities that might trigger large investment needs.

1.2 Contents of each chapter

Chapters 2–4 provide a general introduction to thechapters whose policy focus is defined by sector;they also describe historical, legal and administra-tive matters pertaining to Svalbard. The main pol-icy thrust of these chapters is an affirmation thatthe overriding objectives of Svalbard policyremain unchanged. The Svalbard policy will con-tinue to be characterised by continuity and pre-dictability.

The background for this white paper isdescribed in detail in Chapter 2, and the interna-tional legal framework is reviewed in Chapter 3.The key objectives of the Svalbard policy, the pol-icy instruments available to the state to achievethese objectives and the administrative system arethe subject of Chapter 4.

Chapter 5 describes principles applicable tolegislation relating to Svalbard. The chapterstates, among other things, that the legal frame-

work applied in Svalbard should be as similar aspossible to that of the mainland, and it describesthe status of the introduction of legislation not pre-viously put into application. The chapter also dealswith areas of law that are especially important tocommunity development. It provides a discussionof additional legislative work within the field ofbusiness and company law and of the need to clar-ify parts of the Longyearbyen Community Coun-cil’s framework of commitments in childhood andwelfare policy.

A major topic in this white paper is the furtherdevelopment of the Longyearbyen community.This is covered in Chapter 6.

One of the objectives of the Svalbard policy ismaintaining Norwegian communities in the archi-pelago. This objective is pursued through thecommunity of families in Longyearbyen. Long-yearbyen is not a ‘cradle to grave’ community, andthere are clear limits to the services that shouldbe made available. Within these limits – which arereflected by the archipelago’s low level of taxationand the fact that the Norwegian Immigration Actdoes not apply here – the Government wantsLongyearbyen to remain a viable local communitythat is attractive to families and helps to achieveand sustain the overriding objectives of the Sval-bard policy.

Tourism is important for employment in Long-yearbyen, and the Government will facilitate morelocal jobs in this industry. Steps will be taken tomake Longyearbyen and the areas surroundinginhabitated locations (Management Area 10)more attractive for tourism. In addition, the alloca-tion to Innovation Norway in 2015 will strengthenthe foundations of a wide-ranging and diversebusiness community in the long term.

The allocation to preparations for a suspensionof operations at Svea and Lunckefjellgruvaimproves the restructuring framework. Theoption is retained to continue operations at thesesites if coal prices suggest profitability. Mean-while, the allocation to the Longyearbyen Com-munity Council in the estimated accounts for the2015 central government budget will bolster infra-structure maintenance in Longyearbyen whilecreating jobs in the construction sector.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA)is currently working on a conceptual study thatwill form the basis for further work to developnew port infrastructure in Longyearbyen. Strongnational interests are tied to ownership in thistype of infrastructure. When the study is com-plete, the Government will address the way aheadin developing Longyearbyen’s port infrastructure.


The Government is not inclined to facilitatethe establishment of activities that require sub-stantial infrastructure investment, but will supportcommunity development in Longyearbyen thatentails developing the economy in line with Sval-bard policy objectives. Relocation of public sectorjobs to Longyearbyen will also be considered.

Environmental protection is discussed inChapter 7. Preservation of Svalbard’s natural envi-ronment is a long-term policy objective, and pre-serving the archipelago’s distinctive natural wil-derness is one of the overriding objectives of Nor-wegian Svalbard policy. Svalbard’s natural and cul-tural heritage is important internationally, andNorway has a special responsibility to preserve it.

At a time when restructuring and new indus-tries and activities are needed in Longyearbyen,tourism, research and higher education stand outas obvious activities for expansion. Environmentalregulations and environmental objectives deter-mine the frameworks of all activity in Svalbard.Within these frameworks, however, there is lati-tude for additional activity related to tourism,research and higher education. It is importantthat such opportunities be pursued in a way thatprovides sound, predictable framework conditionsfor the activity in question. In dialogue with therelevant actors in Svalbard, the environmentalauthorities will now take coordinated action to bet-ter facilitate tourism in the zone known as Man-agement Area 10, which includes the Isfjordenarea and areas surrounding the inhabitated loca-tions. With this in mind, an early phase of thiswork will be initiated as soon as possible, ensuringa comprehensive approach to both the construc-tion of new commercial tourist cabins and the useof temporary facilities for the tourism industry inwinter. The same applies to accommodating ves-sel disembarkation at selected locations in theIsfjorden area and better framework conditionsfor non-motorised tourism products such as skiand dogsled trips.

The Government is committed to comprehen-sive management frameworks in which differenttypes of traffic and activity are seen in context,both within and outside of Svalbard’s protectedareas. This is a necessary approach if the travelindustry and the research community are to enjoypredictable framework conditions without causingundue impact on the natural environment. Toachieve such comprehensive management, theGovernment will continue work on managementplans for the protected areas in Svalbard. Theseplans will facilitate activity in accordance with thepurpose and provisions of the environmental pro-

tections. An important objective is also to adaptmanagement procedures to the rapid changes inclimatic and environmental conditions that Sval-bard is facing. For the sake of users and the envi-ronment alike, it is important to act comprehen-sively in the management of the areas surround-ing inhabitated locations where activity and trafficare expected to increase the most. In Manage-ment Area 10, therefore, management plans willbe drawn up that include both protected andunprotected areas.

Knowledge, research and higher educationare the topic of Chapter 8. Svalbard is an impor-tant platform for Norwegian and internationalresearch, higher education and environmentalmonitoring. Research and instruction are of majorimportance to Norwegian activity and presence inSvalbard. The Government will develop an overallstrategy for research and higher education inSvalbard.

The research community in Ny-Ålesund willbe further developed as a platform for interna-tional scientific collaboration in which Norwayhas a clear role as host and will lead relevant areasof research. To help foster such development,changes will be made to the organisation andoperation of Ny-Ålesund’s research activities.

Chapter 9 of the white paper concerns eco-nomic activity. It is important that the businesscommunity’s value creation occur within the over-all objectives and frameworks of the Svalbard pol-icy. Responsible and sustainable use of Svalbard’sunique natural environment is an important condi-tion for restructuring and investing in economicdevelopment.

To help bring about an economic boost in Sval-bard, the estimated accounts for 2015 facilitated astrengthening of development in the businesscommunity. The funds provided will help rein-force economic development efforts undertakenby the Longyearbyen Community Council, theSvalbard Business Council and the range ofnational instruments supporting business andindustry. Innovation Norway’s long experiencewith regional restructuring and promoting eco-nomic development will be called upon to boosteconomic development efforts in Svalbard. A for-ward-looking strategy for business and innovationwill also be devised. Based on recent experienceand on Svalbard’s position as a unique and excit-ing destination, the opportunities for developingnew jobs in tourism are thought to be particularlypromising. The Government will provide frame-work conditions for sustainable growth in thetourism industry.


Svalbard’s geographical location is also idealfor space activity, including atmospheric researchand satellite data reception. The Government isconcerned that Norwegian actors in the spacesector should take full advantage of Svalbard’slocation and capacities, which provide competitiveadvantages in space-related science, innovationand economic development.

Chapter 10 deals with civil protection, rescueand emergency preparedness. The chapterdescribes how civil protection and emergencyresponse efforts are organised in Svalbard, includ-ing the roles and responsibilities involved. It alsoprovides a discussion of available resources andspecific challenges that require attention.

It is important to the Government that peoplefeel secure where they live and in the communityat large. The Directorate for Civil Protection andEmergency Planning, assisted by the NorwegianPolice University College and the Joint RescueCoordination Centre, will carry out an assess-ment in the aftermath of the avalanche thatstruck Longyearbyen on 19 December 2015. Anyfindings will be followed up by the Governmentin an appropriate manner. In 2016, the Norwe-gian Water Resources and Energy Directorate(NVE) will prioritise surveys of flood and ava-lanche dangers in Svalbard. NVE has also com-pleted a pilot avalanche-warning project, whichwill be evaluated in 2016 and followed up in con-sultation with the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil.

Emergency preparedness should correspondto the activities occurring in the archipelago, andthe question of scale will be assessed continually.Responding to large or simultaneous events will inany case require assistance from the mainland. Toimprove safety at sea, efforts will be undertakento ensure effective implementation of the PolarCode. Work will also continue on the charting ofimportant maritime areas around Svalbard, andland-based AIS stations will be established in Sval-bard to ensure more effective traffic monitoring.Other navigation infrastructure in Svalbard willalso be modernised.

1.3 Full overview of measures

The Government will:– Seek to maintain Longyearbyen as a viable

local community that attracts families andhelps fulfil and support the overriding objec-tives of the Svalbard policy.

– Further develop the Longyearbyen commu-nity, where the need for various types of devel-opment is under continual assessment.

– Facilitate continued development of existingactivities such as tourism, research and highereducation, as well as broad and varied eco-nomic activity.

– Facilitate employment and restructuring inLongyearbyen, using funds provided in theestimated accounts for 2015.

– Strengthen economic development effortsunder the auspices of the Longyearbyen Com-munity Council and relevant national policyinstruments in cooperation with existing busi-ness interests in Longyearbyen, using fundsprovided in the estimated accounts for 2015.

– Facilitate further development of existing andnew industries within the overriding objectivesof the Svalbard policy.

– Facilitate conditions for the development of amore diversified business community. Prefera-bly, the new jobs should be stable, year-roundand commercially profitable.

– Facilitate development of a new, forward-look-ing business and innovation strategy for Sval-bard.

– Continuously assess the need for restructuringand economic development measures that sup-port the Svalbard policy objectives.

– Facilitate the possibility of maintaining someactivity in Svea during a restructuring periodfor Longyearbyen, while the mining operationsin Svea and Lunckefjell are suspended.

– Assess the situation for continued operationsby Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS(SNSK) in light of developments in the priceand market outlook for coal.

– Administer ownership in SNSK so that it con-tributes to Longyearbyen’s community in a waythat supports the overriding objectives of theSvalbard policy.

– Assess future development and activity in Sveain light of the state’s role as landowner andinfrastructure owner.

– Continue efforts to facilitate development ofsound infrastructure in Svalbard, includingenergy and water supply.

– Strengthen the Longyearbyen community byincreasing funding for housing and land devel-opment in Longyearbyen by NOK 10 million.

– Decide on further work to develop port infra-structure in Longyearbyen once the Norwe-gian Coastal Administration’s conceptual studyis completed.


– Ensure sound, predictable framework condi-tions that provide a basis for growth in the tour-ism industry, by facilitating development oftourism products.

– In close consultation with tourism operators,take coordinated action to better facilitate tour-ism in Management Area 10, which includesthe Isfjorden area and areas surrounding theinhabitated locations.

– Ensure a comprehensive and environmentallyresponsible approach to the construction ofcommercial tourist cabins and the use of tem-porary facilities for tourism in winter.

– Improve knowledge about the Isfjorden area’svulnerability to human traffic, and on that basisconsider measures to facilitate vessel disem-barkation at selected locations.

– Improve the framework for non-motorisedtourism products such as ski and dogsled trips.

– Facilitate conditions for the seafood industry inconnection with local food and tourism.

– Facilitate opportunities for the Northern Nor-way Art Museum to consider establishing anartist residence/guest studio for visiting art-ists.

– Further develop Visit Svalbard as a developerof tourism in Svalbard, and Visit Svalbard’scoordinating role in the tourism industry.

– Consider facilitating closer contact betweenthe Governor of Svalbard and the local tourismcommunity by redirecting resources for thispurpose.

– Consider relocating public sector jobs to Sval-bard to help achieve the objective of maintain-ing Norwegian communities in the archipel-ago.

– Facilitate space activity as part of the futureeconomic base in Svalbard.

– Assess the need and possibility of a satellite-based communications system in the HighNorth.

– Revise the regulations governing the establish-ment and operation of satellite ground stationsin Svalbard.

– Continue work on management plans that facil-itate further development of activities such astourism, research and higher education.Ensure that management plans are drawn upfor areas surrounding the inhabitated locations(Management Area 10), including both pro-tected and unprotected areas. Ensure that useof the protected areas is facilitated and man-aged in such a way as to permit the best possi-ble visitor experience while at the same timeincreasing respect and understanding for the

protections and safeguarding the natural andcultural heritage assets.

– Facilitate in finding solutions for areas that arebecoming more vulnerable to human traffic asa result of a warmer climate and retreating seaice. The environmental management authori-ties have circulated for public consultation aproposal to expand the area where visitors canoperate snowmobiles when participating inorganised tours or when accompanied by per-manent residents. Secure natural assets andcultural heritage sites located near inhabitatedlocations and important for tourism, recreationand the local population. To this end, work willbe initiated to assess the need for greater pro-tection of areas in lower Adventdalen, wherebird life is especially abundant.

– Maintain and develop the University Centre inSvalbard (UNIS) as a unique institution for uni-versity-level studies and research on Svalbard,with a range of academic programmes andresearch activities that capitalise on the naturaladvantages of the location. Facilitate furthercooperation between UNIS and mainland uni-versities to make the most of UNIS’s potential,to satisfy the requirement that 50 per cent ofstudents come from Norwegian institutions,and to improve predictability for both UNISand the universities.

– Continue the focus on polar research and thespecial emphasis on Svalbard research, inorder to help strengthen the volume and qual-ity of Norwegian research in Svalbard.

– Consider possible measures to encourage Nor-wegian scientists to take advantage of theresearch opportunities available in Ny-Ålesund.

– Facilitate increased international cooperationthrough bilateral and multilateral arrange-ments. Horizon 2020 also advertises fundingfor Arctic research. The general policy instru-ments available through the Research Councilof Norway, including those that encourageNorwegian participation in Horizon 2020, willcontribute to this.

– Conduct a review of research on Svalbard andconsider how policy instruments can bedirected with even greater effect towards bothincreasing Norwegian Svalbard research andencouraging the international research com-munity to cite such research.

– Develop an overall strategy for research andhigher education in Svalbard. The ResearchCouncil of Norway will have responsibility forpreparing a strategy proposal on the basis of a


wide-ranging process. Central governmentauthorities, the Governor of Svalbard, the busi-ness community and all research and highereducation organisations in Svalbard will beinvolved. The Research Council will also haveprimary responsibility for evaluating the strat-egy’s implementation.

– Facilitate formal establishment of the SvalbardIntegrated Arctic Earth Observing System(SIOS) in 2016. As the host of SIOS, Norwaywill help cover a significant share of theexpenses. The participating institutions arealso expected to contribute through member-ship fees and other resources.

– Further develop the Svalbard Science Forum(SSF) and the Research Council of Norway’soffice in Longyearbyen. Objectives, tasks androles will be updated in a new revision of themandate. The Research Council’s stimulusfunding and support programmes related toSSF will be designed in line with the prioritiesin the strategy.

– Strengthen coordination in Ny-Ålesundthrough the development of a research strat-egy for Ny-Ålesund by spring 2017. Theresearch strategy for Ny-Ålesund should beseen in the context of the overall strategy forresearch and higher education in Svalbard andshould support Norway’s role as host and itsresearch policy in Svalbard. The ResearchCouncil of Norway will have responsibility fordrawing up a strategy in cooperation with therelevant actors, research bodies and minis-tries.

– Give the Norwegian Polar Institute responsibil-ity for operational implementation and monitor-ing of the research strategy in Ny-Ålesund. Inorder to appropriately follow up the strategyactivities in Ny-Ålesund, regular dialogue willbe established between the Research Council,the Norwegian Polar Institute, Kings Bay andthe ministries involved.

– Transfer responsibility for managing thestate’s ownership of Kings Bay AS from theMinistry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries tothe Ministry of Climate and Environment witheffect from 1 January 2017. The purpose is tocoordinate implementation of the researchstrategy with operation and development of Ny-Ålesund. Responsibility for managing thestate’s ownership of Bjørnøen AS, which isadministratively subordinate to Kings Bay AS,will also be transferred simultaneously fromthe Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheriesto the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

– Continuously assess emergency preparednessin Svalbard in light of the activities carried outin the archipelago and changes in risk level.

– Respond appropriately to any findings by theDirectorate for Civil Protection and Emer-gency Planning in its assessment following theavalanche on 19 December 2015.

– Survey flood and avalanche risks in Longyear-byen in 2016, through the Norwegian WaterResources and Energy Directorate.

– Work nationally and internationally to ensureeffective implementation of the regulations onsailing in polar regions (the Polar Code).

– Continually assess measures to reduce the riskof undesirable maritime transport incidents inSvalbard.

– Continue the work of charting important mari-time areas around Svalbard.

– Work towards establishing good communica-tion systems for the northern marine areas.

– Further develop and modernise Svalbard’sexisting navigation infrastructure to optimiserisk reduction and lower operating and mainte-nance costs.

– Develop land-based AIS base stations in thebusiest areas of Svalbard to strengthen mari-time traffic monitoring.


2 Background

2.1 Introduction

In the past, comprehensive white papers on Sval-bard have been presented approximately every 10years. The white papers have each contributed toguiding the archipelago’s development for a num-ber of years, and the comprehensive review pro-cess has contributed to balanced developmentwithin the framework established by the Svalbardpolicy objectives.

The overriding objectives of the Svalbard pol-icy have been unchanged for many years, andremain so. One objective is the maintenance ofNorwegian communities in the archipelago, anobjective satisfied in large part through the com-munity of Longyearbyen. Coal mining, tradition-ally of great importance to this community, hasdeclined in significance in recent years. In themeantime, activities in research and higher educa-tion, tourism, space and other business areas haveemerged.

The work of restructuring Longyearbyen hasproceeded for a long time. In the early 1990s,Longyearbyen was described as a ‘one-industrytown’. Ten years later it was arguably no longervalid to regard Longyearbyen as fully dependenton one industry. During consideration of ReportNo. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard (seealso Recommendation No. 336 S (2008–2009)),one of the intentions signalled was to focus onLongyearbyen’s existing activities as well as a vari-ety of new ones within the Svalbard policy frame-work. Since then, work has also proceeded locallyon plans for continued development.

The recent challenging market situation forcoal heightens the need for further communitydevelopment in line with the objectives of the Sval-bard policy. Over time, a broader and more diver-sified business community has evolved in Sval-bard. This has expanded opportunities to fostersustainable businesses and profitable jobs in sev-eral industries. Among the Government’s priori-ties will be to facilitate new jobs in tourism. Appro-priate and sustainable use of Svalbard’s uniquenatural surroundings in keeping with environ-mental objectives and regulations is an important

overall condition for restructuring and, not least,for developing nature-based tourism. As the Gov-ernment had proposed, the Storting allocatedNOK 50 million in the estimated accounts for the2015 central government budget for restructuringmeasures to develop Longyearbyen and pave theway for new businesses and new jobs. This whitepaper points out additional actions to be taken tofacilitate further development of the Longyear-byen community within the framework of applica-ble objectives and regulations. The Governmenthas objectives and visions for Svalbard’s develop-ment and, with this white paper, intends to pointthe way forward. Research and higher educationconstitute one of the main priorities in Svalbard.This activity is part of the national policy onknowledge and learning. Research and highereducation in Svalbard are also an important partof the Svalbard policy, contributing to the fulfil-ment of overriding Svalbard policy objectivessuch as maintaining Norwegian communities inthe archipelago. During the Storting’s considera-tion of the previous white paper on Svalbard it wasdetermined that Svalbard should be developedfurther as a platform for international research,higher education and environmental monitoring.Many of the objectives set during the Storting’sconsideration of that white paper have now beenattained. A number of challenges have arisen,however, with regard to facilitating research activ-ities in the archipelago. By means of this whitepaper the Government intends to pave the way forcontinued progress on the successes achievedwhile rising to meet the challenges with targetedmeasures.

2.2 Main policy objectives for Svalbard

The previous white paper on Svalbard was consid-ered by the Storting in 2009. The Government’ssubmission of the present white paper after ashorter time interval than usual is related in par-ticular to the need to provide direction for the fur-ther development of the community in Longyear-byen.


The white paper sets out the Government’sobjectives and ambitions, which are anchored inStorting processes. Practical implementation iscarried out through specific measures andthrough the day-to-day administration of Svalbard.

Svalbard policy extends across various policyareas, all framed by common objectives. The over-riding objectives of this policy are:– Consistent and firm enforcement of sover-




archipelago

There is broad political support for these objec-tives, which were formulated in the 1980s andhave remained firmly in place since then. Oppor-tunities and challenges must be assessed withinthe framework of the objectives. Comprehensivereviews in the form of white papers on Svalbardare traditionally seen as the best way of achievingstable, long-term management.

The situation in the High North and Svalbardis characterised by stability and cooperation. Allthe same, one recognises that the region faceschanges associated with climate, demand for natu-ral resources and the use of marine areas. Thepolicy in Svalbard is characterised by a long-termperspective, continuity and predictability, and itsobjectives are intended to help ensure that HighNorth development occurs in a peaceful manner.The overriding policy objectives for Svalbard arefirmly grounded in national interests and atti-tudes. These objectives are also consistent withinternational law, and therefore help satisfy inter-national expectations placed on Norway.

Through history, various activities have laidthe groundwork for our presence in Svalbard andLongyearbyen in particular. Coal-mining opera-tions at Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS(SNSK) have long accounted for many of the jobsin Longyearbyen. In recent years, the miningcompany’s importance to the community hasgradually declined, with operations focusedmainly in the Svea area and many employees nowcommuting between Sveagruva and the mainland.A reduction in the company’s activity has no bear-ing on Norway’s sovereignty over the archipelagoor on the country’s exercise of authority. The Gov-ernment is nevertheless determined to maintain astrong presence in the archipelago, and will there-

fore facilitate additional development in the Long-yearbyen community. New jobs in tourism andother business and industrial activities will beimportant to achieving this.

Like previous white papers on Svalbard, thisone will describe objectives, challenges and possi-ble measures for Svalbard, meaning the areawithin the Svalbard Treaty’s scope of application,which is the territory and the territorial seaextending 12 nautical miles from the baselines.This is also the jurisdictional area of the Governorof Svalbard and the Svalbard budget.

2.3 Svalbard in general

Svalbard is the northernmost part of Norway andis the name of an archipelago comprising Spits-bergen, Prins Karls Forland, Nordaustlandet,Kong Karls Land, Barentsøya, Edgeøya, Hopen,Bjørnøya and all the islets and skerries within thecoordinates 10° and 35° E longitude and 74° and81° N latitude. With a land area of 6 1,022 km2,Svalbard constitutes about 16 per cent of the King-dom of Norway’s total land area. Spitsbergen isthe largest island in Norway, at about the size ofNordland and Troms counties combined.

Approximately 60 per cent of the archipelagois covered by glaciers and less than 10 per centcontains vegetation. The largest fjord is Isfjordenand the highest peak is Newtontoppen (1,713 mabove sea level). Svalbard is surrounded by shal-low seas. A continuous continental shelf extendsnorth from Mainland-Norway and beyond Sval-bard. Svalbard has a High Arctic climate. Becauseof the Gulf Stream, Svalbard has a relatively mildclimate compared to other regions at the same lat-itude. For the same reason, the archipelago’s birdand animal life is extremely abundant comparedto other High Arctic areas.

Svalbard was discovered by the DutchmanWillem Barents in 1596. Norwegian sovereigntyover Svalbard was recognised through the Sval-bard Treaty, which was signed on 9 February1920 in Paris. Since the entry into force of Nor-way’s Svalbard Act, on 4 August 1925, Svalbardhas been part of the Kingdom of Norway. Huntingand fishing, research, and various forms of miningdistinguish much of Svalbard’s history. Manytraces of these activities are now protected as apart of Svalbard’s unique cultural heritage. Tradi-tionally, Svalbard’s local communities have beenbased on coal mining. There is also a long tradi-tion of tourism in Svalbard. Modern-day tourismarose in earnest in the 1990s.


Most of Svalbard consists of vast and pristinewilderness areas. In all, 65 per cent of the landarea and 87 per cent of the territorial sea are pro-tected. Only seven locations are inhabited or aresites of permanent activity or industry. These loca-tions vary greatly in character and size. Svalbardis one of the most sparsely populated areas in theworld.

There are no roads between the inhabitatedlocations in Svalbard. Sveagruva and Ny-Ålesundhave an airstrip with flight connections to andfrom Longyearbyen. A helicopter is stationed inBarentsburg. In winter, snowmobile travelbetween inhabitated locations is common, as isboat travel in summer.

Figure 2.1 Svalbard.

Map: Norwegian Polar Institute


Longyearbyen

As the administrative centre and hub for mostactivity in the archipelago, Longyearbyen is thelargest inhabitated location in Svalbard. As of 1April 2016, 2,130 people were registered as resi-dents of Longyearbyen. In the mining and con-struction sectors, however, many employees com-mute to and from the mainland. Many of thesecommuters actually spend their time in Svalbardin Svea, not in Longyearbyen. The true number ofLongyearbyen residents is therefore lower thanthe population registry suggests.

Longyearbyen was founded in 1906 by theAmerican John M. Longyear. Its origins are tied tocoal extraction from resources nearby. In 1916,Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS(SNSK) bought the property and facilities fromthe Arctic Coal Company, whose main share-holder was Longyear. Until the end of the 1980s,Longyearbyen was known as a ‘company town’,dependent in practice on SNSK for everything itneeded to function as a community.

Not only has the population increased sincethe 1980s, but it has changed in structure, evolv-ing gradually from a male-dominated mining com-munity into a family community.

Pursuant to Report No. 9 (1999–2000) to theStorting Svalbard, the Longyearbyen Community

Council was established on 1 January 2002. Thecouncil’s responsibilities and tasks can be com-pared in broad terms to those of a municipality onthe mainland, and its jurisdiction is limited to theLongyearbyen planning area. Section 31 of theSvalbard Act specifies that the LongyearbyenCommunity Council may only engage in activitiesof general interest related to Longyearbyen andnot addressed by the state. In addition, the state-ment of purpose in Section 29 of the Svalbard Actindicates that the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil must conduct its activities ‘within theframework of Norwegian Svalbard policy’.

From its early reliance on a single industry –coal mining – Longyearbyen’s economic base hasnow diversified to include a variety of activities intourism and education and research. The clearand generally held view of Longyearbyen today isthat of a well-developed, well-functioning and for-ward-looking community.

Ny-Ålesund

With its location on Kongsfjorden, about 100 kmnorth of Longyearbyen, Ny-Ålesund is the north-ernmost inhabitated location in Svalbard. As of 1September 2015 it had 43 year-round residents. Ofthese, 25 are employed at Kings Bay AS and fiveare employed by the Norwegian Polar Institute.

Box 2.1 Statistics Norway’s work to strengthen official statistics regarding Svalbard

Statistics Norway has worked to develop andstrengthen statistics about life and social devel-opment in Svalbard for 25 years, but the efforthas been formalised and incorporated into theagency’s overall work programme with specialfocus since 2007, when the Statistics Act wasmade applicable to Svalbard.

The base of statistical data on Svalbard isgrowing steadily, and a number of recurrent sta-tistical products have been created for Svalbardin isolation, or for Svalbard as a separate regionin regionally compiled statistics. Statistics Nor-way has focused in particular on the use of regis-try sources that include Svalbard, so as to pro-duce statistics comparable to those of the main-land and satisfy international standards andquality requirements. Statistics generated spe-cifically for Svalbard include population statis-tics, business and industry statistics, and statis-tics regarding the public sector in Svalbard.

From 2016, the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil is represented with figures of its own inthe Municipality-State-Reporting system(KOSTRA), which provides statistics onresource use, priorities and goal attainment. Inaddition, a biennial publication called This isSvalbard describes life and society in Svalbardin a broad and accessible way, using statistics asits basis. In Statistics Norway’s classificationsystem, moreover, Svalbard is given separatetreatment. All the relevant Svalbard statisticsthat the agency puts out are accessible at: http://www.ssb.no/svalbard.

The users of the Svalbard statistical data areto a large extent either central governmentadministrators or local authorities in Svalbard.Others include media representatives, research-ers and students. User needs are identified inlarge part through a consultative committee onSvalbard statistics.


The rest consist of researchers from various for-eign institutions. The size of the population growsconsiderably in the summer, when scientistsarrive from the mainland and abroad.

Ny-Ålesund traces its origin to coal mining byKings Bay Kull Co. AS, founded in 1916. The com-pany’s headquarters were in Ålesund, from whichthe name Ny-Ålesund is derived. The companywas at first privately owned, but in 1933 the statetook over all the company’s shares, and thus own-ership of the real property and other assets. Min-ing was discontinued in 1962 after a major acci-dent. Since 1965 the site has been a research com-munity with infrastructure operated in large partby the state-owned company Kings Bay AS.

Ny-Ålesund is a research community. Medicalcare is among the dedicated services it lacks so, ifthe need arises, the hospital in Longyearbyen isused. Considering the community’s size and loca-tion, the infrastructure is good, and includes aquay and an airstrip.

Another aspect of life in Ny-Ålesund is ‘radiosilence’, among whose beneficiaries are research-ers and their use of passive receiving equipment.The place also has the world’s northernmost postoffice and its own store. The surrounding area fea-tures a large number of cultural heritage sitesrelated to mining operations and to the periodwhen the location served as a base for severalexpeditions to the North Pole.

Sveagruva

Sveagruva (hereafter referred to as Svea), whichis situated at the inner reach of Van Mijenfjorden,was established in 1917 by the Swedish companyAB Spetsbergens Svenska Kolfält. In 1934, theproperty and mining works were purchased bySNSK. Since then, at irregular intervals and withvarying results, SNSK has had operations in Svea.During some periods, only a security team hasbeen present at the site.

In 2000, operations at Svea Vest were discontin-ued, and since 2002 there have been regular opera-tions in the Svea Nord mine, the largest in Sval-bard. Production at Svea Nord was to be discontin-ued in the spring of 2016. According to plan, opera-tions at Lunckefjell were to continue, but becauseof low coal prices operations at Lunckefjell and therest of the mining works at Svea were placed insuspension for up to three years from 2017.

Svea is exclusively industrial, with employeescommuting to and from Longyearbyen, mostly byair. Transport of all goods occurs by boat or, inwinter, by tracked vehicle from Longyearbyen.

The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) hasfor many years used Svea for research and educa-tion in the field of Arctic technology, with SINTEFas a partner.

In the summer of 2015, the state purchasedthe real property and buildings in Svea fromSNSK.

Barentsburg

Barentsburg is situated on the fjord known asGrønfjorden. The Trust Arktikugol mining com-pany owns most of the land in the planning areaand operates a coal mine at the site. Coal produc-tion is currently about 100,000 tonnes per year. Asof March 2016, 450 residents were registered inBarentsburg. The community is organised on themodel of a company town.

Barentsburg changed ownership several timesin the early 1900s, but has since 1932 been ownedby Trust Arktikugol. The name Barentsburgstems from the period of Dutch ownership andrefers to the discoverer of Svalbard, Willem Bar-ents.

In recent years, tourism and research haveemerged as new activities in addition to mining.The Russian Academy of Sciences has long had aresearch centre on this site, and new researchinfrastructure has been established. Many of thebuildings, including the community’s cultural cen-tre, hotel, hospital and several residential build-ings, have also been rehabilitated and modernisedrecently.

The Russian consulate in Svalbard is located inBarentsburg.

Pyramiden

The former mining town of Pyramiden is locatedin Billefjorden. The place is named for the pyra-mid-shaped mountain close by. It was originallyestablished by a Swedish company, but was latertaken over by Trust Arktikugol, which is also thesite’s landowner. Pyramiden was abandoned as amining community in 1998. For a number of yearsit stood more or less abandoned.

At one time Pyramiden had the same ameni-ties and services as those found in Barentsburg.In recent years Trust Arktikugol has cleaned upthe place and upgraded it with a view to, amongother things, using it for tourism. The hotel is cur-rently staffed and kept open at certain times of theyear.


Hornsund

Hornsund is a fjord in Sør-Spitsbergen NationalPark, and in the 1950s a Polish research stationwas constructed at Isbjørnhamna on the northside of the fjord. In connection with the Interna-tional Geophysical Year in 1957–1958, the stationwas upgraded and expanded. There has beenyear-round activity at the station since 1978, underthe auspices of the Institute of Geophysics at thePolish Academy of Sciences. The number ofresearchers on site varies, but averages about 17people throughout the year, and there is a perma-nent year-round staff of 11.

Bjørnøya and Hopen

The islands of Bjørnøya and Hopen each havetheir own meteorological station with permanent,year-round personnel. Both Bjørnøya and Hopenand their adjacent territorial sea are protected asnature reserves.

Geographically, Bjørnøya is situated almostexactly midway between the mainland and thesouthern tip of Spitsbergen island. Bjørnøya occu-pies about 178 km2. The island’s history is tied tohunting and trapping, but also attempted mining.Bjørnøya is especially known for its large andimportant bird-nesting cliffs. Since 1932 the Nor-wegian Meteorological Institute has operated aradio station and conducted meteorological obser-vations on the island. The station has a staff ofabout 10, the members of which are replacedtwice a year.

Hopen is a long, narrow island that juts out ofthe sea about 100 km southeast of Edgeøya. Theisland has an area of 47 km2 and its history is

closely linked to hunting and trapping, but also toresearch. The meteorological station was estab-lished in 1947 and its on-site staff is composed offour people. As with the station on Bjørnøya, thepersonnel are replaced twice a year.

Other places with regular activity

In addition to the places and activities mentionedabove, a number of hunting and trapping stationsare still operating in Svalbard. Hunting and trap-ping while wintering in Svalbard was once anextensive industry, but today only a few trappersare left. One can generally figure on four such sta-tions in Svalbard: Akseløya in Van Mijenfjorden,Kapp Wijk in Isfjorden, Farmhamna in Forland-sundet and Austfjordneset in Wijdefjorden. Thefirst three are still in private ownership, whileAustfjordneset is now owned by the state and islent out by the Governor of Svalbard.

The age and history of these trapping stationsvary, but the activity itself has a long tradition inSvalbard. It is in any case an activity that hasalways had to adapt to both natural and marketconditions. Production and mortality for harvesta-ble species vary from area to area and from yearto year. Quotas must therefore be based on soundknowledge of the stocks and on annual counts ofreindeer in relevant areas. Within these limits,hunting and trapping activity can help supply foodservice establishments, among others. The syn-ergy thus created is positive, helping preserve thetrapping tradition while producing useful productsfor other actors in Svalbard. The Government willtherefore accommodate the continuation of suchpractices as part of the activity in Svalbard.


3 Framework under international law

3.1 Norwegian sovereignty

Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard is undis-puted. ‘Sovereignty’ refers to a state’s exclusivedominion over its territory and its exclusive rightto exercise authority there, including the right toadopt and enforce laws and other rules. Norway’ssovereignty is confirmed in the Svalbard Treatyand in accordance with general international lawby tacit acceptance on the part of the other states.For that reason, all states are obliged to respectNorwegian sovereignty over Svalbard in the sameway they respect Norwegian sovereignty over theother parts of Norway.

Sovereignty over Svalbard applies not only tothe land territory, but also to the territorial seaaround the archipelago – that is, the internalwaters and territorial sea extending to 12 nauticalmiles – and the airspace above.

As a consequence of this sovereignty, Norwayhas the exclusive right to exercise authority overall nationals and companies – Norwegian as wellas foreign – throughout the territory. No otherstate may exercise authority in Svalbard. Suchexercise of authority would infringe Norwegiansovereignty.

All private legal persons in Svalbard, both indi-viduals and companies, must adhere to Norwe-gian rules and administration in the same manneras on the mainland.

International agreements that Norway hasjoined also apply to Svalbard unless specificexceptions apply. One such exception has beenmade for the EEA Agreement. The SvalbardTreaty is discussed in section 3.2, and some spe-cific international agreements of particular impor-tance to Svalbard in section 3.3.

3.2 The Svalbard Treaty

3.2.1 Introduction

The Svalbard Treaty was signed on 9 February1920 and entered into force on 14 August 1925. Onthat same date, Svalbard became an indivisibleand inalienable part of the Kingdom of Norway

through a separate act of law: the Act of 17 July1925 No. 11, known as the Svalbard Act. The Sval-bard Treaty is open to accession, and more than40 parties have acceded to the Treaty to date.

The Treaty contains a number of provisionsconcerning the treatment of nationals and compa-nies from the parties to the treaty. Under theTreaty, Norway has assumed a limited obligationunder international law to treat equally nationalsand companies from the parties to the treaty. Thisobligation applies to certain subject areas that areenumerated in the Treaty. The Treaty also setsforth limitations on taxation and military activityin the archipelago. Because the Treaty is anagreement under international law, only the par-ties (the states) may demand equal treatment byNorway on behalf of their nationals and compa-nies.

The following sections present a review of thehistory of the Svalbard Treaty and a discussion ofsome of the Treaty’s provisions. A general assess-ment of the Svalbard Treaty was also provided inprevious white papers regarding Svalbard. Refer-ence in this regard is made to Report No. 39(1974–1975) to the Storting, Report No. 40 (1985–1986) to the Storting, Report No. 9 (1999–2000)to the Storting, and Report No. 22 (2008–2009) tothe Storting.

Figure 3.1 Signing of the Svalbard Treaty in Paris on 9 February 1920.

Photo: From the archive of the Governor of Svalbard


One of the main objectives of the Treaty was toachieve final clarification of all outstanding issuesof international law through recognition of Nor-wegian sovereignty. This also provides predictabil-ity and clarity to the other parties to the Treaty.

3.2.2 A history of the negotiations

The Svalbard Treaty came about as a result ofnegotiations during the Paris Peace Conferenceafter the First World War in 1919. The growingeconomic activity in Svalbard at the beginning ofthe 1900s necessitated clarification of the archipel-ago’s status. Prior to the First World War, Norwayhosted three international conferences (the Kris-tiania conferences) to discuss the possibility ofestablishing international joint governance of thearchipelago, with a view to addressing the grow-ing need for regulation and control of coal miningoperations. The idea was inspired by the British-French administration on the New Hebrides inthe Pacific Ocean, an arrangement which waslater criticised and eventually dissolved prior tothe creation of the independent state of Vanuatu.

At every turn, the proposals put forward at theKristiania conferences were met with opposition,and were deemed not to be feasible. The outbreakof the First World War put a stop to further discus-sion.

Norway then brought its case before the peacenegotiations in 1919, arguing that the only ‘satis-factory and lasting solution would be to return thearchipelago to Norway’. At the same time it wasindicated that there would be no objections togranting certain rights to foreign nationals.

The issue was put on the conference agendaeven though the archipelago had not beenaffected by military operations during the war. Akey reason for doing so was the losses Norwayhad sustained during the war despite its neutrality.A significant part of its merchant fleet had beensunk, resulting in considerable loss of life and ton-nage, while Norway had secured uninterruptedsea lines of communication and supply through-out the war. The great powers felt they owed a

Figure 3.2 The Svalbard Treaty.

Photo: From the archive of the Norwegian Polar Institute

Box 3.1 From Norway’s presentation to the Supreme Council of the Paris Peace

Conference on 10 April 1919

‘Now, the experience of the successive negoti-ations and the labours of the Conference of1914 seem fully to have demonstrated thatthere are insurmountable difficulties in theway of settling an international administrationfor the islands of Spitsbergen and Bear Island,starting with the idea of terra nullius, and thatthe only satisfactory and permanent solutionwill be to return this archipelago to Norway.

‘This solution would in no way exclude anarrangement by which the present occupantswould have the right to submit possible litiga-tion relative to their property rights to the de-cision of an international tribunal. In the sameway, the Norwegian Government would notobject to the insertion of a clause on the futurecontrol of the mines of Spitsbergen in theagreement returning the islands to Norway.

‘The Norwegian Government is convincedthat it is serving the interests of peace in sub-mitting to the Conference this question, whichhas been for so long in litigation, andexpresses the hope that all the Powers willagree to return this archipelago definitively toNorway, the only country which has everexercised sovereign rights there.’


debt of gratitude to Norway, at the same time asthey sympathised with the arguments Norwaypresented to the peace conference. US Secretaryof State Lansing had previously indicated that finalclarification of the issue of sovereignty over Sval-bard in Norway’s favour would be included in theconditions for lasting peace in Europe. In 1919Norwegian Foreign Minister Ihlen gave his assur-ance that Norway would not create any difficultiesin the settlement of Denmark’s claim to Green-land. This was part of a mutual understandingwith the Danes that Denmark would also refrainfrom creating difficulties over Norway’s claim toSvalbard.

Various solutions were proposed and dis-cussed. The commission dealing with the caserejected a proposal whereby Norway would onlyadminister Svalbard on behalf of the internationalcommunity. Instead the committee voted unani-mously to recognise full Norwegian sovereigntyover Svalbard on certain conditions. In doing so,the conference rejected all notions that the terri-tory should be administered by Norway on behalfof other states. Other states, moreover, wereinvited to accede to the treaty through a simplenotification procedure. This provided a means ofquickly winning broad support for final settlement

of the issue of sovereignty. This is essential bothfor an understanding of the Svalbard Treaty andfor its interpretation.

The outcome of the negotiations is reflected inArticle 1 of the Svalbard Treaty, which recognisesNorway’s ‘full and absolute sovereignty’ over Sval-bard. Norway has full control over Svalbard inaccordance with the normal rules of internationallaw. The Svalbard Treaty stipulates certain limita-tions imposed by international law on Norway’sright to exercise authority. These are discussed insection 3.2.5 below.

The states that signed the Svalbard Treaty on9 February 1920 were Norway, the United States,Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands,Great Britain and Sweden. Several other stateshave subsequently acceded to the treaty. TheSoviet Union formally recognised Norwegian sov-ereignty over the archipelago in an exchange ofnotes with Norway in 1924. The recognition wasmade without conditions, 11 years before theSoviet Union ratified the Treaty in 1935. As statedin the communication, the recognition meant theSoviet Union would not raise any future objectionsto the Treaty.

3.2.3 Principles of interpretation

Article 31 of the Vienna Convention on the Law ofTreaties of 1969 specifies the general rules ofinterpretation for treaties. The provision statesthat a treaty must be interpreted in good faith inaccordance with the ordinary meaning to be givento the terms of the treaty in their context and inthe light of its object and purpose. Norway is not aparty to the Vienna Convention, but the rule ofinterpretation expresses customary law by whichall states are bound.

The principles of international law for treatyinterpretation provide a methodical approachbased on the wording of the treaty, whereby provi-sions are read in context and are supported inother objective sources for the parties’ intentions.An expression may be given a special meaning –that is, a meaning that differs from ordinary usagein international state and treaty practice – only if itcan be established that this was the intention ofthe parties.

Therefore, in line with ordinary principles ofinternational law governing treaty interpretation,the Svalbard Treaty must primarily be interpretedon the basis of the terms and expressions in theactual text. The original texts of the Treaty areFrench and English. It is the wording in these ver-sions that determine the legal content of the

Box 3.2 From the Report of the Spitsbergen Commission to the Supreme

Council of the Peace Conference on 5 September 1919:

The archipelago being currently no man’sland, everyone agrees on the need to bring toan end this state of affairs, by providing it witha defined status. To this end, two solutionshave been envisaged: The first solution pro-posed by various Powers and certain mem-bers of the Commission, consisted in grantingto Norway a mandate under the League ofNations. A second solution, requested by Nor-way, consisted in attributing sovereignty overthe archipelago to this Power subject to cer-tain stipulated guarantees for the benefit of theother States. Considering the major intereststhat Norway has with regard to Spitsbergen,its proximity to the archipelago, and theadvantage of a definitive solution, the Commis-sion rallied unanimously behind the secondsystem, which has met on no objections fromany of the most directly interested Powers.


Treaty. These texts form the basis for interpretingthe rights and obligations set forth in the Treaty,and no interpretative weight may be accorded totranslations, not even one into Norwegian.

The point of departure for interpretation is theordinary linguistic understanding of the termsand expressions, placed in their context in theTreaty. The wording in the Treaty explicitly statesthat Norway shall have full sovereignty. The word-ing and expressions contained in the Treaty alsoclearly indicate the geographical scope of applica-tion for the respective provisions.

3.2.4 Geographical scope of application

The Svalbard archipelago is defined geographi-cally as all of the islands; great and small, androcks between the geographical coordinates 10°and 35° E longitude and 74° and 81° N latitude.The wording makes clear that only the actualislands within these coordinates are covered; thatis, the land territory, and not the surroundingwaters.

It is clear from the wording of certain provi-sions in the Treaty that they apply both to land ter-ritory and to territorial waters.

At the time the Treaty entered into force, Nor-way had territorial sea extending to four nauticalmiles. Norway’s territorial sea was extended in2004 to 12 nautical miles from the baseline. Afterthat, the Treaty provisions applicable in territorialwaters also became applicable in the area betweenfour and 12 nautical miles.

The special rules stipulated in the Treaty donot apply on the continental shelf or in zones thatwere created in accordance with provisions in theUnited Nations Convention on Law of the Sea gov-erning exclusive economic zones. This followsfrom the wording of the Treaty and is under-pinned by the Treaty’s prehistory and by its devel-opment and system.

3.2.5 Treaty limitations on the exercise of authority

In Article 1 of the Svalbard Treaty, Norwegiansovereignty is recognised on the terms set forthin the Treaty. Limitations have not been placed onsovereignty as such, but rather on how Norwe-gian authority may be exercised in certain specifi-cally defined areas. Thus, Norway has an exclu-sive right to exercise authority in these areas aswell.

Norway’s obligations under the SvalbardTreaty are linked especially to three issues. These

involve requirements of equal treatment, collec-tion of taxes and duties, and military matters.

Equal treatment/non-discrimination

Under the Svalbard Treaty, Norway has an obliga-tion to ensure equal rights for nationals and com-panies from parties to the Treaty in areas definedin the Treaty. This is a requirement of non-dis-crimination based on nationality for persons andon national affiliation for companies. Among theareas covered are hunting and fishing, access tothe archipelago, engaging in certain types of com-mercial and industrial activity, and property rightsincluding mineral rights.

Nationals or companies from parties to theTreaty may not be placed at a disadvantage com-pared to Norwegian nationals or companies inthese areas, and there may be no distinction madebetween nationals or companies from parties tothe Treaty on the basis of nationality. Althoughthe Treaty prohibits discrimination based onnationality in specified areas, it does not provideunlimited or unconditional liberty for anyone toengage in activity in these areas. The equal treat-ment rule is not an obstacle to regulating or, ifnecessary, prohibiting an activity for other rea-sons. The right to issue such regulations ensuesfrom Norway’s sovereignty. The Norwegianauthorities are generally concerned with ensuringsound regulation of activities in Svalbard. Thismeans that regulations applicable in Mainland-Norway must also be applied in Svalbard shoulddevelopments in a given activity warrant it. Insome cases more stringent regulations may benecessary in Svalbard to protect its vulnerableenvironment. Regulation of different forms ofactivity is discussed elsewhere in this white paper.

The Treaty itself presupposes observance oflocal regulations as a condition for exercisingsome of the rights specified in the Treaty; forexample, in Article 3 concerning certain types ofcommercial activity.

Similarly, the requirement for non-discrimina-tion does not apply to all types of activity in Sval-bard, but only to the areas specifically set forth inArticles 2 and 3 of the Treaty. Hunting and fishingand maritime, industrial, mining and commercialoperations are covered by the requirement forequal treatment. What the requirement for equaltreatment covers from case to case must be deter-mined on the basis of an interpretation of theTreaty, in accordance with the principles concern-ing, inter alia, wording and context as mentionedabove.


To the extent which the Norwegian authoritiesstipulate regulations for or practice equal treat-ment in areas other than those mentioned in theTreaty, it is done so for reasons other than obliga-tions under international law.

Taxes, duties, etc.

Pursuant to the first paragraph of Article 8 in theSvalbard Treaty, Norway is obliged to adopt whatis known as a mining code. The Mining Code waslaid down by the Royal Decree of 7 August 1925. Itensues from the second paragraph of Article 8 inthe Svalbard Treaty that taxes, dues and dutiesmay only be levied in Svalbard if there is a need todo so. According to the wording, Article 8 appliesspecifically to mining activities. Furthermore,such taxes, dues and duties must be used to theexclusive benefit of Svalbard, and may not be usedfor purposes on the mainland. However, as long asthe effect of the use of these revenues occurs inSvalbard, it ensues from the wording and intentthat the actual spending of tax revenues mayoccur elsewhere, as in the case of purchases madeon the mainland of equipment, etc. for use in Sval-bard.

The purpose of this taxation is to meet needsin Svalbard, and such needs are determined bydiscretionary judgement. Administration, publicservices and infrastructure, such as airports andsearch and rescue services, are needs that war-rant such taxation. Previous deficits in the Sval-bard budgets may be covered by such taxation,since these are central government expendituresfor operations, measures, investments, etc. thathave exclusively benefited Svalbard.

The restrictions in the second paragraph ofArticle 8 do not cover payment for public serviceswhere there is legal basis to require payment forthem. Nor is payment for private services sup-plied under contract covered by the restrictions.

Pursuant to Article 8, third paragraph, Norwaymay levy an export duty on exports of minerals,and instructions have been issued on how muchduty is payable on quantities exported.

In practice, Norway has chosen to maintain agenerally low level of taxes and duties in Svalbard,including for activities other than mining. Thispolicy has contributed to the development of busi-nesses and communities in Svalbard.

Use for warlike purposes, and other military matters

By virtue of its sovereignty, Norway also has fullright of control of military and defence matters.

Nevertheless, Article 9 of the Svalbard Treaty setsout limitations on Norway’s exercising its sover-eignty with regard to establishing – or allowing tobe established – naval bases, to constructing forti-fications, and to using Svalbard for warlike pur-poses. These limitations – and particularly theprohibition against use for warlike purposes –must be viewed in light of the preamble of theTreaty. Here the parties state that in recognisingNorwegian sovereignty they wish for Svalbard tobe ‘provided with an equitable regime’ to assureits development and peaceful utilisation.

The prohibition against using Svalbard forwarlike purposes is generally applicable andapplies to all parties to the Treaty. By virtue of itssovereignty, Norway has a particular duty toensure that no one violates this prohibition. Nor-wegian policy has been designed to ensure propercompliance with the Treaty and a restrictive prac-tice with regard to Norwegian military activitiesin Svalbard.

Article 9 does not constitute a prohibitionagainst all military activity. It pertains solely toacts of war or activities for the purpose of wagingwar, and to constructing naval bases or infrastruc-ture that can be classified as fortifications. Defen-sive measures and other military measures arepermitted. The archipelago is covered by provi-sions of the North Atlantic Treaty, including Arti-cle 5 concerning collective self-defence. Norwaymay individually and collectively implementdefensive measures in wartime or under thethreat of war.

The prohibition against fortification pertainsto specific physical structures that are reinforcedto withstand attack and that are usually equippedwith artillery positions. Therefore, it does notaffect all installations or structures of a militarynature or significance.

The prohibition against naval bases meansthat no permanent military installation may beestablished for the purpose of stationing and pro-visioning military vessels with supplies or ser-vices normally offered at a naval base. However,the provision poses no obstacle to the NorwegianCoast Guard or other vessels making port calls inSvalbard to receive services and supplies fromcivilian suppliers as needed.

Visits by Norwegian naval vessels, CoastGuard vessels, Armed Forces’ aircraft or Norwe-gian military personnel do not infringe the Treatyand are in keeping with long-established practice.Norwegian policy has been designed to ensureproper compliance with the Treaty and a restric-tive practice with regard to Norwegian military


activities in Svalbard. Consideration of the issue ofmilitary visits to the archipelago has placed par-ticular emphasis on aspects such as frequencyand duration, type of unit, and the need to carryout operations. For example, frequent calls byNorwegian Coast Guard vessels are deemed natu-ral, given the nature of their duties in the waterssurrounding Svalbard.

All foreign military activity in Svalbard is pro-hibited, and would constitute gross infringementof Norwegian sovereignty. Unless they areinvolved in innocent passage through the territo-rial sea, foreign military and civilian governmentvessels wishing to enter the Norwegian territorialsea around Svalbard must apply well in advancefor diplomatic clearance. The same applies to portcalls in Svalbard and to aircraft overflights andlandings at airports. The requirement for suchclearance ensues from general international law,but for the sake of clarity is also laid down in theRegulations of 2 May 1997 concerning access andentry to Norwegian territory in peacetime for for-eign military and civilian government vessels.

The Norwegian authorities practice a highlyrestrictive policy with regard to granting diplo-matic clearance to foreign military aircraft andvessels. Foreign government craft with militarypurposes are not granted diplomatic clearance.Dispensation may be granted on certain condi-tions to foreign aircraft that are registered as mili-tary aircraft but are being used for civilian pur-poses. That may be the case, for example, whenNorwegian authorities invite high-level represent-atives of foreign government authorities to Sval-bard for civilian purposes and the use of sched-uled or other civilian aircraft is impractical orimpossible. An additional requirement is that gov-ernment craft used in this way must have a civilianappearance.

In a declaration to the parties to the Treaty in1971, Norway stated that the airport in Longyear-byen ‘is to be reserved exclusively for civil avia-tion’. This declaration was issued independently ofthe Svalbard Treaty and is a self-imposed restric-tion. The purpose of a flight will determinewhether or not it is deemed ‘civil aviation’. Conse-quently, military aircraft on civilian missions maybe granted permission to use the airport. Permis-sion is granted, for example, to Norwegian ArmedForces aircraft in connection with search and res-cue operations, coastguard operations and train-ing flights for such operations.

3.2.6 Research

The Svalbard Treaty does not regulate researchactivities. Nationals of the parties to the Treatyhave neither a right nor equal right to conductresearch activities in the archipelago.

Since the 1960s, Norwegian authorities havechosen to actively facilitate international polarresearch in Svalbard by, among other things,developing Ny-Ålesund as a research platform.Norwegian authorities wish to continue facilitat-ing international research activity in Svalbard; seeChapter 8, ‘Knowledge, research and higher edu-cation’.

Research activities in Svalbard must be con-ducted in line with relevant Norwegian regula-tions, including the Svalbard Environmental Pro-tection Act. This matter is discussed in moredetail in Chapter 8.

Article 5 of the Treaty stipulates in the secondparagraph that conventions shall be concluded tolay down the conditions for conducting scientificresearch. The provision says nothing about whichconditions must apply; nor was it ever followed up.There has been an increase in the number ofinternational cooperation agreements, projectsand networks of significance for scientificresearch over the past decade. It is no longer rele-vant to negotiate separate agreements on the con-ditions for scientific research in the archipelago. Itis therefore up to the Norwegian authorities, byvirtue of Norway’s sovereignty, to regulateresearch activity.

3.3 International agreements

3.3.1 EEA Agreement and Schengen Agreement

When Norway ratified the EEA (European Eco-nomic Area) Agreement in 1992, Svalbard wasexcluded from its scope of application because ofthe special circumstances ensuing from Norway’sinternational legal obligations under the SvalbardTreaty. For rules stemming from Norway’s obliga-tions under the EEA Agreement to apply to thearchipelago, the relationship to Svalbard Treatyparties that are not members of the EEA wouldhave to be clarified on account of the principle ofnon-discrimination in the areas where this princi-ple applies. However, the free trade agreementsbetween Norway and the European EconomicCommunity and the Convention establishing theEuropean Free Trade Association continue toapply to Svalbard.


The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985.The purpose of the agreement is to abolish borderposts and border controls between member statesand reinforce external border controls. Norwayacceded to the Schengen Agreement in 1996. As aconsequence of the provision in Article 3 of theSvalbard Treaty governing access, Svalbard is notcovered by the agreement concerning associationwith the Schengen cooperation. For more infor-mation on Schengen, see section 5.3.3.

3.3.2 WTO Agreement and GATT Agreement

No general reservations concerning Svalbardwere made in connection with the establishmentof the World Trade Organization (WTO). TheWTO was created on the basis of the previouslyconcluded General Agreement on Tariffs andTrade (GATT), which entered into force on 1 Jan-uary 1948. Similarly, GATT contains no reserva-tions for Svalbard. Among GATT’s key objectivesare non-discrimination and reduction and elimina-tion of tariff and trade barriers, and in essence theagreement harmonises with the Svalbard Treaty’srequirement for non-discrimination.

In practice, GATT has had no special signifi-cance for Svalbard, because pursuant to the Act of21 December 2007 No. 119 relating to customsduties and movement of goods (the Customs Act),Svalbard lies outside the Norwegian customsarea. Therefore, goods imported to Norway fromSvalbard are subject to customs clearance. Goodsoriginating in Svalbard are exempt from customsduty according to the provisions of the customstariff.

3.3.3 Sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council

The UN Security Council can with legally bindingeffect under international law impose sanctionsthat are on states, persons or entities. Norway hasan obligation to implement such sanctions, anobligation that takes precedence over other obli-gations under international law. Such obligationsapply as much for Svalbard as for the rest of Nor-way. The implementation of sanctions that includetravel restrictions are discussed in more detail insection 5.3.4.


4 Objectives, policy instruments, administration

4.1 Key objectives

The objectives of the Svalbard policy haveremained unchanged for a long time, and havebeen articulated in Report No. 40 (1985–1986) tothe Storting Svalbard (see Recommendation tothe Storting No. 212 (1986–1987); Report No. 9(1999–2000) to the Storting Svalbard (see alsoRecommendation to the Storting No. 196 (1999–2000)); and Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to theStorting Svalbard (see Recommendation to theStorting No. 336 (2008–2009)). These objectiveshave been reiterated in subsequent Storting docu-ments relating to Svalbard and are reaffirmedannually when the Svalbard budget is approved.The Government’s overriding objectives for theSvalbard policy are:– Consistent and firm enforcement of sover-




archipelago

There is broad political consensus across partylines on the objectives of the Svalbard policy. Thiswas confirmed by the Storting’s consideration ofReport No. 22 (2008–2009) to the StortingSvalbard, and is also reflected in its considerationof the annual Svalbard budgets.

The Government attaches importance to conti-nuity and predictability in the administration ofthe archipelago, and will therefore continue topursue the overriding objectives of the Svalbardpolicy. Continued predictability in the administra-tion of Svalbard in line with these objectives pro-vides security for the population of Longyearbyenwhile enhancing stability and predictability in theregion.

For a more detailed account of the overridingobjectives, reference is made to Report No. 22(2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard and to therespective chapters in this white paper.

4.2 Policy instruments

By virtue of Norway’s sovereignty over the archi-pelago, the authorities have access to the samepolicy instruments that are available in the rest ofNorway. The central government’s key socialdevelopment policy instruments are: legislation,economic policy instruments and various forms ofownership. Participation in committees or organi-sations can also constitute policy instruments.Specific to Svalbard in this respect is the coordina-tion of Svalbard affairs within the central govern-ment administration through the InterministerialCommittee on the Polar Regions. In addition, aseparate budget proposition (the Svalbardbudget) is presented simultaneously with thenational budget. These policy instruments are dis-cussed in more detail below.

How, and to what degree, these policy instru-ments are used depends on whether the economicclimate is characterised by continued, self-drivendevelopment or whether particular forms of stim-ulus are desired. At all times, the framework fortheir use is proper compliance with the SvalbardTreaty and the overriding objectives of the Sval-bard policy. Development in the past decade hasbeen largely of the self-driven variety. In such a sit-uation, the primary task of the authorities is toprovide for necessary regulation to ensure thatdevelopment does not conflict with the overridingobjectives as a whole. Since the previous whitepaper on Svalbard was presented, a growing num-ber of laws and regulations concerning Svalbardhave been implemented, ensuring that the activi-ties pursued in the archipelago accord with Nor-wegian law.

As described in the introduction, this whitepaper pays particular attention to the objective ofmaintaining Norwegian communities in the archi-pelago. This objective is pursued through the fam-ily community policy in Longyearbyen. Continueddevelopment of existing activities such as tourism,research and higher education will contribute tothis. However, it is also important to facilitatebroader, more diversified economic activity.


Both economic activity and research andhigher education activity are most likely to suc-ceed in cases where they build upon on Svalbard’sinherent natural conditions. Facilitating economicactivity, particularly tourism, stands out as one ofseveral measures that can contribute to achievingthis objective. However, the central government isnot a tourism industry actor, and the authoritieswill also have other considerations in mind, asillustrated by the five overriding objectives of theSvalbard policy. In order to facilitate economicactivity, the Storting has approved this Govern-ment’s proposal to allocate NOK 20 million toInnovation Norway. This appropriation enablesbusinesses to apply for start-up grants or fundingto develop different initiatives.

The scope of research and higher education inSvalbard has doubled during the past decade,making these areas an important part of Norwe-gian activity in the archipelago. Longyearbyen hasstrengthened its position as a hub for researchand higher education, both of which form much ofthe foundation for the local community.

This white paper describes the Government’sambitions for Svalbard, and in doing so providesguidelines for the archipelago’s further develop-ment. It is important that the administration takethese into consideration in its work.

The Longyearbyen Community Council wasestablished in 2002 and must, according to itsstatement of purpose, ensure ‘a rational and effec-tive administration of common interests within theframework of Norwegian Svalbard policy’.According to the provision, the LongyearbyenCommunity Council has an important task withregard to achieving national objectives. Of particu-lar note is the council’s role as local facilitator,helping to increase and diversify economic activ-ity in accordance with the guidelines of this whitepaper.

4.2.1 Legislation

Legislation is the most important policy instru-ment for Norway’s exercise of authority in Sval-bard and for advancing its other Svalbard policyobjectives. See Chapter 5, ‘Legislation’, for a moredetailed discussion of legislation as a policy instru-ment and of the legislative situation in specificareas. Important regulations in different areas arealso discussed in more detail in Chapter 7, ‘Envi-ronmental protection’; Chapter 9, ‘Economic activ-ity’; and Chapter 10, ‘Civil protection, rescue andemergency preparedness’.

4.2.2 State ownership in companies and real property

The Norwegian state owns the mining companyStore Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS(SNSK), Kings Bay AS, Bjørnøen AS and the Uni-versity Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), all of them asstate-owned limited companies. The Ministry ofTrade, Industry and Fisheries today manages thestate’s shares in SNSK, Kings Bay AS andBjørnøen AS, while the Ministry of Education andResearch manages the state’s ownership in UNIS.Furthermore, Svalbard Satellite Station (SvalSat)is owned by Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT),a company in which the state has an indirect own-ership interest through its ownership interest inSpace Norway and Kongsberg Gruppen.

State ownership in companies in Svalbard

The Norwegian state owns, either directly or indi-rectly, several companies in Svalbard. The objec-tive of state ownership of companies in Svalbard isto contribute to maintaining and further develop-ing the community in Longyearbyen in a way thatsupports the overriding objectives of the Svalbardpolicy.

The SNSK group is a state-owned company.The group currently consists of the parent com-pany, Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS(SNSK), and the wholly owned subsidiaries StoreNorske Spitsbergen Grubekompani AS (SNSG)and Store Norske Boliger (SNB). SNSK ownsapproximately 380 housing units through StoreNorske Boliger AS. SNSK also owns 65 per cent ofthe shares in the subsidiary Pole Position Logis-tics AS. SNSK’s head office is located in Longyear-byen. The SNSK group is also the largest claimholder in Svalbard, with 324 claims.

During almost 100 years of operation, SNSKhas supported the Longyearbyen both directlyand indirectly. In recent years the company hasbeen classified as a Category 3 company accord-ing to the definition given in Report No. 27 (2013–2014) to the Storting Diverse and Value-CreatingOwnership. Companies in this category competewith other businesses on a commercial basis. Atthe same time, the objective of state ownership inSNSK is to contribute to maintaining and furtherdeveloping Longyearbyen in a way that supportsthe overriding objectives of the Svalbard policy.The state’s ownership objective is met through itsownership role in the company, and not by issuingspecial guidelines for company operations.


SNSK has played, and will continue to play, animportant role in the Longyearbyen by supplyingcoal to the power plant. The company’s recent per-formance has provided cause to reconsider its cat-egorisation. To better reflect the various issuesthe state must consider as owner of SNSK, theGovernment announced in Proposition to theStorting No. 52 S (2015–2016) that SNSK’s cate-gorisation would be changed from Category 3 toCategory 4. Category 4 includes companies withsectoral policy objectives. Report No. 27 (2013–2014) to the Storting Diverse and Value-CreatingOwnership states that the objective for this type ofcompany should be adapted to the purpose ofownership. As owner, the state will place empha-sis on the achievement of sectoral policy objec-tives as effectively as possible. The company andits further development are discussed in moredetail in Chapter 9.

Kings Bay AS is a state-owned company. KingsBay owns land and most of the buildings in Ny-Ålesund. Kings Bay AS provides services in Ny-Ålesund to facilitate research and scientific activ-ity, and contributes to developing Ny-Ålesund as aNorwegian centre of international Arctic scientificresearch. Today the company receives subsidiesfor investments from the central governmentbudget, and plays a key role in achieving theobjective of further developing Svalbard and Ny-Ålesund as a platform for international polarresearch. The company also administers manycultural heritage sites in Ny-Ålesund and in thesurrounding land area measuring 295 km2.

The business purpose of Bjørnøen AS is tomanage and utilise the company’s property inSvalbard, and other related activities. Bjørnøenowns all the land and some historically significantbuildings in Bjørnøya. The company is administra-tively organised under Kings Bay AS. The objec-tive of state ownership in Bjørnøen AS is to man-age property holdings on Bjørnøya. The com-pany’s operations must be effective.

SvalSat is owned by Kongsberg Satellite Ser-vices (KSAT). In turn, 50 per cent of KSAT isowned by Space Norway (which is wholly ownedby the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries)and 50 per cent by Kongsberg Gruppen, in whichthe state has a 50-per-cent stake. The station inSvalbard is the northernmost in the world fordownlinking satellite data, and currently has 16employees and an annual turnover of more thanNOK 100 million. SvalSat is a global leader indownlinking data from weather satellites in polarorbit. State ownership in KSAT contributes indi-

rectly to ensuring that SvalSat is managed in linewith the overriding objectives of the Svalbard pol-icy, and affords control to ensure that the natureof its activities does not change without that beingthe intention.

State ownership of land in Svalbard

The Norwegian state owns approximately 98.4 percent of all land in Svalbard. Through its ownershipin Kings Bay AS and Bjørnøen AS, the state indi-rectly owns a further 0.75 per cent of land in Sval-bard. In 2015 the state purchased land in Svalbardfrom SNSK.

In addition to land, the state owns infrastruc-ture and building stock related to Mine 7 inAdventdalen, in Svea, and in Lunckefjell, as well assome infrastructure and building stock in Long-yearbyen. The Ministry of Trade, Industry andFisheries owns the state’s real property in Sval-bard. Parallel with the transfer of the land to thestate in 2015, a rental and management agreementwas signed with SNSK under which the companyrents and manages the real property on behalf ofthe Norwegian state.

The state-owned properties in Svalbard aremanaged in line with the overriding objectives ofthe Svalbard policy. Through its ownership of theland in Longyearbyen, the state will, in consulta-tion with the Longyearbyen Community Councilas the planning authority, facilitate business andurban development within the scope of the objec-tives of the Svalbard policy. In the time ahead, theGovernment will consider how the building stockand infrastructure in Svea should be further man-aged pending a possible decision to discontinuemining operations.

Table 4.1 Summary of distribution of land ownership in Svalbard, by percentage of land area

Landowner Percentage of land area

Norwegian state 98.4 per cent

Kings Bay AS 0.47 per cent (Kings Bay)

Bjørnøen AS 0.28 per cent (Bjørnøya)

Trust Arktikugol 0.4 per cent (Barentsburg and Pyramiden, etc.)

AS Kulspids 0.1 per cent (Søre Fagerfjord)

Horn family 0.35 per cent (Austre Advent-fjord)


4.2.3 The Svalbard budget

Every year government funding is allocated for avariety of purposes in Svalbard, drawing on theSvalbard budget and on central governmentbudget chapters pertaining to various sectoralministries. The Ministry of Justice and PublicSecurity presents the Svalbard budget as a sepa-rate budget proposition concurrently with the cen-tral government budget proposal. A separatebudget for Svalbard is presented every year inorder to show the revenues and expenditures inSvalbard. The budget gives an overall view of theGovernment’s focus areas and priorities in Sval-bard. Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting,Svalbard states that the Ministry of Justice andthe Police ‘will consider a closer examination ofthe content of some of the chapters of the budgetto ensure that appropriations harmonise in thebest possible way with the objectives of the vari-ous chapters’. In pursuance of this, budget chap-ter 2, ‘Subsidies for cultural purposes etc.’, hasbeen discontinued and the resources transferredto other chapters. Furthermore, the followingthree budget chapters have been added: chapter4, ‘Subsidies to Svalbard Museum’; chapter 3020,

‘Statsbygg, Svalbard’; and chapter 3022, ‘TaxOffice, Svalbard’. In addition, some chapter titleshave been updated. Combined, these revisionshave helped give a more accurate description ofthe various allocations from the Svalbard budget.

Tax revenues in Svalbard have varied consid-erably during the period since the previous whitepaper was published (Report No. 22 (2008–2009)to the Storting Svalbard); see Table 4.2. This isdue primarily to large tax revenues from profits bythe rig operator Seadrill Norge AS and SNSK. Thedecline in revenues in financial year 2014 was dueto an adjustment to the tax assessment for SeadrillNorge AS. After final settlement, it was decidedthat revenues previously taxed under Svalbard taxrules for the financial years 2008–2012 should bereassessed under ordinary tax rules.

Still, expenditure from the Svalbard budgetduring that period shows an increase, reflectingthe general rise in activity in the archipelago dur-ing that period as well as government investmentin Svalbard and the High North.

Figure 4.1 shows total appropriations for Sval-bard purposes from the central governmentbudget during the period. The reason for theincrease shown here is the same as that given

Source: Meld. St. 3 Central government accounts including National Insurance for 2008–2014

Table 4.2 Overview of Svalbard budget trends, based on accounting figures 2008–2014

(NOK million) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Revenues 134 539 349 816 540 151 -1 058

Subsidies 96 -298 -95 -544 -240 176 1 512

Expenditure 230 241 254 272 300 328 455

Figure 4.1 Total appropriations from the central government budget for Svalbard purposes, in NOK million.

Proposition 1 S to the Storting, Svalbard budget, from 2008 to 2016

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016


above: increased investment in Svalbard and theHigh North. The increase during this period isclosely linked to the rehabilitation of the energysupply system in Longyearbyen and the signing ofnew rental contracts for helicopters and servicevehicles by the Governor of Svalbard in 2014.

The Svalbard budget gives the Storting anoverall presentation of the Government’s invest-ments and priorities in Svalbard. The Svalbardbudget also provides the opportunity for annualpresentation of developments in the archipelago.At a time when economic activity stimulus inLongyearbyen is welcome, the Svalbard budget isa policy instrument the central government canuse to help achieve development towards thisobjective in line with the overriding objectives ofthe Svalbard policy. For these reasons, the Gov-ernment will continue the system of presenting aseparate budget for Svalbard.

4.2.4 Administration

As in the rest of Norway, the management andadministration of Svalbard have changed overtime. Previously the general rule was that centralauthorities had overriding and direct control overmost of the Norwegian activities in the archipel-ago. In step with new developments elsewhere,this situation has gradually changed, with theresult that the management aspect is now moredecentralised. This development is part of a delib-erate policy tailored to the situation. The situationfor Longyearbyen is therefore closely related tothe fact that the scope and diversity of economicactivity have increased compared with previousperiods.

Developments in recent years also show thatthe coordination of Svalbard affairs is becomingincreasingly complex. There are a number of rea-sons for this, including in particular Longyear-byen’s recent growth, the increase in private eco-nomic activity, and more extensive field activity(especially in tourism and research). Althoughthese developments have resulted in a gradualreduction in special administrative treatment forSvalbard beyond where this is necessary, there isstill a need to view some Svalbard issues using acomprehensive, overall perspective. Therefore,the decentralisation of authority also entails a spe-cific need to coordinate between the responsibleauthorities.

The growth in activity in Svalbard has meantthat more laws are now made applicable to thearchipelago, and several ministries now play a rolein formulating the Svalbard policy than was the

case a few decades ago. At the same time, Long-yearbyen now has more diversified economicactivity and a more complex constellation ofactors that influence developments locally. TheLongyearbyen Community Council has estab-lished its position as the local authority andadministrative body; dialogue with the ministriesis important to ensure that Longyearbyen’s com-munity development conforms with the overrid-ing objectives of the Svalbard policy. The Ministryof Justice and Public Security and the Longyear-byen Community Council maintain regular dia-logue.

Central administration

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security hasresponsibility for coordinating polar affairs in pub-lic administration. One of the ministry’s key policyinstruments in this regard is the InterministerialCommittee on the Polar Regions. The committeeconvenes about 10 times a year and performs itswork in accordance with specific instructions firstlaid down by the Royal Decree of 6 January 1965.The committee’s mandate and composition werestrengthened by the Royal Decree of 18 October2002. The Interministerial Committee on the PolarRegions is a coordinating and consultative bodyfor the central administration’s handling of polaraffairs, and serves as a special advisory body tothe Government on such matters. The fact thatpolar matters are submitted to the InterministerialCommittee on the Polar Regions changes neitherthe decision-making authority of the relevant min-istry nor the relevant minister’s constitutionalresponsibility for decisions made.

Another important tool for the central adminis-tration is the Svalbard budget, which is presentedannually as a proposition by the Ministry of Jus-tice and Public Security; see the discussion of theSvalbard budget above.

The Governor of Svalbard

The Governor of Svalbard is the Government’shighest-ranking representative in the archipelago,and serves as both chief of police and county gov-ernor. As chief of police, the Governor of Svalbardhas the same responsibilities and authority aschiefs of police on the mainland. The Governorhas responsibility for the rescue services and alsofor community preparedness. The main tasks inthese areas of responsibility consist of rescue andemergency preparedness, police duties and publicprosecution. See Chapter 10, ‘Civil protection, res-


cue and emergency preparedness’, for a moredetailed discussion of rescue and emergency pre-paredness tasks in Svalbard.

As county governor, the Governor of Svalbardacts as the regional state environmental authorityin Svalbard, and is responsible for enforcing envi-ronmental legislation and monitoring compliance.The Governor’s environmental protection dutiescover a broad spectrum, including protectedareas, species management, cultural heritage,encroachment and pollution. Planning activitiesnot designated as the responsibility of the Long-yearbyen Community Council come in addition.Case preparation, application processing, regula-tory duties and development of managementplans are other important tasks of the Governor inthe area of environmental protection. See Chapter7, ‘Environmental protection’, for a more detaileddiscussion of the environmental tasks in Svalbard.

The Governor of Svalbard is also an importantadviser on the formation of the Svalbard policy.

To enable the Governor of Svalbard to resolvenew challenges relating to rescue and emergencypreparedness, the police manpower has beenstrengthened and a new annex to the administra-tion building has been built to house a new opera-tions room. The environmental department hasalso allocated more positions.

All these investments make the Governor ofSvalbard well equipped to resolve current tasks ina satisfactory manner. If the Governor is assignednew tasks and responsibilities, there will be fur-ther need to strengthen manpower levels.

Longyearbyen Community Council

The Longyearbyen Community Council (LCC) wasappointed in 2002 and has become an importantpartner for the central authorities. The councilworks to ensure environmentally responsible andsustainable community development in Longyear-byen that complies with the wishes and needs of thelocal population and is within the framework of theSvalbard policy. The LCC receives most of its operat-ing funds via a block grant from the Ministry of Jus-tice and Public Security. Some guidelines are issuedto the council by the central authorities through let-ters of allocation and contact with the ministry.

The establishment of the LCC has provided amore up-to-date form of exercising of authority atlocal level. The council has management responsi-bility for specific areas within the Longyearbyenland-use planning area. In many areas its tasks aresimilar to those of a mainland municipality. LCCalso has responsibility for energy supply, however.On the other hand, it has no tasks or expenditure

Figure 4.2 The Governor of Svalbard’s administration building.

Photo: Frode Schärer Bjørshol, Ministry of Justice and Public Security


for elderly care because Longyearbyen is not acradle-to-grave community. Nor does the councilhave any responsibility for expenditure for otherhealth and care services; see section 6.3.3.

Supplying energy in the form of both heat andelectricity is one of the LCC’s most importanttasks, as well as one of the most expensive. Tosecure operations and extend the lifetime of thepower plant, extensive maintenance and upgrad-ing work has begun. The state covers two-thirdsof the cost of this work. The upgrade is expectedto extend the lifetime of the power plant by 20 to25 years from when the work began in 2013.Between 2012 and 2014 funding was allocated tobuild a sewage treatment plant to deal with emis-sions of sulphur and particulates from the powerplant, among other things.

Operation of the power plant is currentlybased on coal from Mine 7. The long-term supplyof coal from this mine may be affected by thechanges in the production plans for Mine 7.

See section 6.2.3 for a more detailed discus-sion of energy supply.

Other government agencies etc.

The Norwegian Polar Institute is a directorateunder the Ministry of Climate and Environment,and is the central government institution for map-ping, environmental monitoring and management-related research in Arctic regions. The Norwe-gian Polar Institute has a permanent presence inLongyearbyen as advisory body to the Governorof Svalbard, among other things. The Directorateof Mining, with the Commissioner of Mines atSvalbard, has its own office and staff in Svalbard.The directorate administers the Mining Code forSvalbard. The tax office in Svalbard is establishedin Longyearbyen, and Statsbygg Svalbard has itsoffice there, too.

Avinor is a state-owned limited company, andLongyearbyen Hospital is part of the University

Box 4.1 Management of tourism, field trips and other travel activity in Svalbard

The Governor of Svalbard processes cases pur-suant to the Regulations of 18 October 1991 No.671 relating to tourism, field trips and othertravel in Svalbard. These regulations have twopurposes. One is to ensure that everyone whotravels around Svalbard take safety into accountwhen planning and carrying out field trips. Theduties to provide notice of activity and to carryinsurance are important in this connection. Thetourism regulations are also intended to safe-guard the interests of the natural environmentand cultural monuments. In this respect, theregulations align with the provisions in the Sval-bard Environmental Protection Act regardingbehaviour in the field.

The tourism regulations were recentlyrevised, and the resulting amendments enteredinto force on 8 January 2015. This revision wasperformed after close dialogue between theGovernor of Svalbard and the tourist industry inSvalbard, among others.

On completion of the revision process it wasconcluded that there was no need to create amandatory certification scheme for guides. Thismatter was looked into as a follow-up to theStorting’s consideration of the previous whitepaper on Svalbard; see Recommendation to theStorting No. 336 (2008–2009), in which this mat-

ter was raised. In extension of this follow-up,new provisions were introduced setting require-ments for the qualifications of tour operators inSvalbard. Another new provision was introducedassuring the Governor of Svalbard access todocumentation needed in exercising officialtasks pursuant to the regulations. A new admin-istrative sanction was also introduced giving theGovernor of Svalbard authority in certain cir-cumstances to postpone tour operators’ right tosubmit notice of planned tours.

Safety and environmental considerationsapply regardless of who travels around Svalbard.This was made explicit in a new provision stipu-lating that representatives from research andeducational institutions were also subject to thetourism regulations when travelling in the field.

The Governor’s tourism adviser has primeresponsibility for administering the tourism reg-ulations, as well as for liaising between the tour-ism industry and the Governor of Svalbard. Thischannel of communication serves as a good toolfor exchanging information, providing guidance,and discussing issues that either party may wishto raise. The tourism regulations have been inforce since 1992, and experience has proventhem a useful tool in a growing, dynamic tour-ism market.


Hospital of North Norway and as such is state-owned; see the Health Authorities and HealthTrusts Act. Svalbard Church is now a publicagency in Svalbard. It has been proposed that theagency be separated from the state and trans-ferred to the Church of Norway, in line with the

proposal to establish the Church of Norway as anindependent legal entity, separate of the state; seeProposition to the Storting No. 55 L (2015–2016)to amend the Church of Norway Act.


5 Legislation

Legislation and its enforcement constitute a keyelement of any society based on the rule of law.Svalbard is no different from the rest of the coun-try in this respect, and our exercise of authorityover the archipelago is based on Norwegian legis-lation. Legislation is a key policy instrument forimplementing the objectives of the Svalbard pol-icy, and is necessary for achieving rational socialdevelopment within the scope of these objectives.Important laws and regulations related to theimplementation of the Svalbard policy are dis-cussed in more detail in: Chapter 4, ‘Objectives,policy instruments, administration’; Chapter 7,‘Environmental protection’; Chapter 9, ‘Economicactivity’; and Chapter 10, ‘Civil protection, rescueand emergency preparedness’.

This chapter presents a review of the princi-ples governing the application of legislation inSvalbard and of the status of implementation oflaws and regulations not previously applied. Thischapter also deals with areas of law that are espe-cially important for social development and withother legislative work going on in specific areas.

5.1 Legislative principles

The previous white paper on Svalbard (Report No.22 (2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard) gave athorough review of the principles governing theapplication of legislation in Svalbard. This discus-sion was based on the Office of the Auditor Gen-eral’s management audit of Svalbard (DocumentNo. 3:8 (2006–2007), which noted that in certainareas Svalbard seemed under-regulated. TheOffice of the Auditor General raised the questionof whether Longyearbyen’s development, with acomplex business community and a growing num-ber of foreign nationals, suggested a need to makeadditional legislation applicable there. The Officeof the Auditor General also called for an assess-ment of whether changes ought to be made to theprinciples governing how laws are made applica-ble to Svalbard. Furthermore, in processing theOffice of the Auditor General’s report (see Rec-ommendation No. 46 (2007–2008) to the Storting)

the Storting pointed out that a review of theseprinciples would require thorough assessment.

The review of the 2008–2009 white paper stip-ulated that the legal framework for Svalbardshould be as similar as possible to that of themainland, and that new legislation as a ruleshould be made applicable in Svalbard unless spe-cial circumstances dictated otherwise or unlessexemptions or adaptations were needed. It wasfurther stipulated that legislation should apply andbe enforced equally throughout the archipelagounless there was a need for transitional arrange-ments or other ways of phasing in legislation. TheStorting endorsed these guidelines through con-sideration of the white paper by the StandingCommittee on Foreign Affairs.

Nonetheless, not all legislation will automati-cally be made applicable to Svalbard. The whitepaper stipulated that the principles laid out in sec-tion 2 of the Svalbard Act should continue to apply.That is to say that legislation dealing with privatelaw, criminal law and the administration of justiceshould apply unless otherwise decided. Other leg-islation, in practice referred to as public law rules,must be introduced separately. In its considera-tion of the white paper, the Standing Committeeon Foreign Affairs agreed that this was an appro-priate solution because conditions for the localcommunity differed from those on the mainland.

Accordingly, separate assessments are madeof the relationship to Svalbard for rules of a publiclaw nature. This is necessary both when consider-ing whether laws and regulations already adoptedshould apply to Svalbard and when adopting newlegislation. Such a consideration must determinewhether an act of law is suited to conditions inSvalbard and whether there is a need for localadjustments. These may be warranted by adminis-trative, climatic, geographical or other local condi-tions.

In some areas, separate laws or regulationshave been passed that are specially adapted toconditions in Svalbard. One such area is environ-mental protection, where the Svalbard Environ-mental Protection Act implements the ambitiousenvironmental objectives for the archipelago. This


act is discussed in more detail in section 7.3.2. Aseparate taxation act has also been adopted forSvalbard; see section 5.3.2. Another example isthe regulations concerning tourism, field trips andother travel activity, which are discussed in Box4.1.

Although the objective, as already mentioned,is for legislation to be applied and enforcedequally throughout Svalbard, not all laws aresuited to conditions in the entire archipelago, andin some cases there will still be a need for transi-tional arrangements. Other ways of phasing inmay also be necessary, in order, for example, togive particular organisations the ability to restruc-ture. In special cases, exemption provisions maybe considered for certain types of activity. Admin-istrative factors may also necessitate adjustmentsin cases where Svalbard, for example, lacks localagencies or administrative levels correspondingto those on the mainland. It may be appropriate tointroduce legislation which, for practical andadministrative reasons, is made applicable only inthe Longyearbyen land-use planning area.

The Government will carry forward the princi-ples of applying legislation described above, andwill continually assess whether legislation appliedto the mainland should also be applied to Sval-bard. The following section elaborates on certainmatters with respect to legislation for Svalbard.

5.2 Status of instituting legislation

In keeping with the guidelines set out in the previ-ous white paper (Report No. 22 (2008–2009) tothe Storting Svalbard), several laws have sincebeen instituted which previously did not apply toSvalbard. In its audit, the Office of the AuditorGeneral pointed to the Competition Act, the Prop-erty Unit Ownership Act, the Harbours and Fair-ways Act and the Food Act as examples of under-regulation. The Competition Act was made appli-cable to Svalbard in 2009, while the Harbours andFairways Act and the Pilotage Act were madeapplicable in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Introduc-tion of both the Pilotage Act and the Harbours andFairways Act required a number of local adjust-ments to be made in laws and regulations. Theprovisions governing municipal emergency pre-paredness duties in the Civil Protection Act wereintroduced for the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil (LCC) in 2012. Other legal provisions nowin application are the National Security Act (2013)and the instructions for the County Governor andGovernor of Svalbard’s work relating to civil pro-

tection, emergency preparedness and crisis man-agement (2015). A comprehensive body of lawsand regulations in the area of health legislationwas also recently made to apply to Svalbard (seesection 5.3.1 for further discussion). The Food Actwas also made applicable in Svalbard, and work isunder way to assess which parts of the regulationspertaining to the act should also apply. Thus,many of the laws mentioned in the Office of theAuditor General’s performance audit have nowbeen introduced, as well as other legislation. Fur-thermore, the new Property Unit Ownership Actdue to be put forward in 2016 will also apply toSvalbard. Therefore, although some areas of legis-lation still need to be reviewed and considered forapplication to Svalbard, the need for regulationraised in the performance audit by the Office ofthe Auditor General must to all intents and pur-poses now be considered met.

In recent years the general approach to imple-menting legislation for Svalbard has been thatlegal authority in the archipelago is assigned tothe body that possesses the responsibility for thatissue on the mainland. As a result, a growing num-ber of bodies, such as the Norwegian MaritimeAuthority and the Norwegian Coastal Administra-tion, have assumed tasks and direct authority inSvalbard. For example, the County Governor ofTroms has supervisory responsibility for schools,assisted by expertise in Svalbard affairs from theGovernor of Svalbard. This arrangement allowsthe respective authorities to cultivate their rolesas experts and at the same time relieves the Gov-ernor of Svalbard and the Longyearbyen Commu-nity Council of having to develop expertise unnec-essarily. Prior to this arrangement, the absence oflocal competent authorities and the long distanceto the mainland meant that the Governor of Sval-bard was assigned these tasks and responsibili-ties. Today it is both natural and appropriate thatthe relevant competent authorities perform thesetasks and assume these responsibilities.

The previous white paper on Svalbard (ReportNo. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard) pre-sented an overview of business and company leg-islation that applies to Svalbard. With reference toa Supreme Court ruling published in Rt. 2007 p.801, it was shown that the public law parts of busi-ness and company legislation did not apply toSvalbard unless specifically provided. Further-more, it was pointed out that the Ministry ofFinance was in the process of considering theextent to which the Accounting Act and Book-keeping Act should be made applicable to self-employed persons and others engaged in eco-


nomic activity in Svalbard. It was also recom-mended that other legislation in this area of law bemore closely evaluated.

A recently appointed committee on auditingand accounting has been tasked with examiningthe application of auditing legislation to Svalbard.The Ministry of Finance is still considering theapplication of the Accounting Act and the Book-keeping Act to Svalbard, in consultation withother relevant ministries. The committee that willreview the Foundation Act will also considerwhether it should apply to Svalbard. It will alsoconsider to what extent the other public law ele-ments of business and company legislation shouldbe made applicable to Svalbard. This will also berelevant in light of the development of new busi-nesses in Longyearbyen for which it may be nec-essary to consider whether the legal frameworkfor developing different types of local productssuits the need.

5.3 Specific legislative issues

5.3.1 Welfare legislation

General situation

As discussed above, not all laws are suited to Sval-bard’s conditions. For one thing, central parts ofNorwegian welfare legislation are not applicableto Svalbard. The reasons are related to taxes andthe fact that immigration legislation does notapply to Svalbard.

Norway has several obligations under interna-tional law that apply to Svalbard as in other partsof Norway. Through the Svalbard Treaty, Norwayalso has certain obligations under internationallaw that apply only to Svalbard.

Immigration legislation is not made applicableto Svalbard. The reason for this originates in theaccess provision in Article 3 of the SvalbardTreaty. No requirements for visas, residence per-mits or work permits are imposed on foreignnationals when entering Svalbard (see section5.3.3 for a more detailed discussion).

In accordance with the overriding objective ofthe Svalbard policy to maintain Norwegian com-munities in the archipelago, the tax system inSvalbard must ensure competitive conditions andstimulate local business activity. Consequently, taxrates in Svalbard are significantly lower than onthe mainland. See section 5.3.2 for a more detaileddiscussion.

The Norwegian authorities make allowancefor a certain level of welfare benefits in Longyear-

byen. The low tax rate and the fact that immigra-tion legislation does not apply are reflected in therange of local services available (see section 6.3.3for a more detailed discussion). No social or wel-fare services are provided for individuals who can-not finance their stay in Svalbard through labourmarket participation. Therefore, central laws con-ferring statutory rights, such as the Social Ser-vices Act, do not apply to Svalbard. There are alsospecial provisions for Svalbard that give the Gov-ernor of Svalbard the authority to refuse entry topeople unable to take care of themselves. TheIntroduction Act of 4 July 2003 does not apply toSvalbard, either, so the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil is not obliged to offer an introduction pro-gramme or Norwegian language training.

In its performance audit, the Office of theAuditor General pointed to the increased propor-tion of foreign nationals in Longyearbyen with noties to Norwegian municipalities on the mainland,and wondered both whether more acts of lawshould be made applicable and whether it will bepossible over time, given the background, tomaintain the objective of not allowing Longyear-byen to become a cradle-to-grave community.

In the previous white paper on Svalbard, how-ever, it was emphasised that Longyearbyen wouldnot become a cradle-to-grave community. TheGovernment considers it important to continue topursue this objective, and does not intend toexpand the range of welfare services currentlyprovided. Norwegian nationals or families whoneed services beyond those available in Svalbardmust contact their home municipalities. Foreignnationals with no ties to the Norwegian mainlandwill not have this option, and must therefore con-tact their home countries if their needs cannot bemet locally.

General health legislation

Until recently, health matters in the broad sensewere mainly governed by the Regulations of 15June 1928 No. 3357 relating to medical and healthmatters in Svalbard (Health Regulations), andapplication of general health legislation for Main-land-Norway has been highly restricted. TheHealth Regulations provided the legal basis for arange of measures, such as water quality. TheLongyearbyen Community Council had authoritypursuant to the regulations within the Longyear-byen land-use planning area, and the Governor ofSvalbard for the rest of the archipelago.

In step with the development of social condi-tions in Svalbard, particularly in the local commu-


nity in Longyearbyen, there has been a need formore regulation in the area of healthcare, includ-ing the professional practices of healthcare per-sonnel, and for modernising the legal basis for thesupervision of food hygiene and water quality. Asa result, the Ministry of Health and Care Servicesissued regulations on 22 June 2015 to the effectthat several health laws and regulations must bemade fully or partly applicable to Svalbard. Theregulations were drawn up in cooperation with theministries involved, and entered into force on 1October 2015. Simultaneously, the health regula-tions of 1928 were repealed.

The main purpose of the legislative work hasbeen to modernise health legislation for Svalbardand bring it more in line with mainland legislation.However, to a large extent the regulations onlyestablish by law practices already in place. Sval-bard is not intended to be a cradle-to-grave com-munity. Consequently, no care services are pro-vided, and the health service in Svalbard is notorganised in the same way as on the mainland.The purpose of the regulations has not been tointroduce new types of services or new entitle-ment legislation. Accordingly, neither the Actrelating to health and care services nor the Actrelating to patients’ rights has been made applica-ble.

Under the regulations, however, the laws gov-erning healthcare personnel, health supervision,the specialist health service, communicable dis-eases, public health and emergency health prepar-edness have now been made fully or partly appli-cable. The same applies to the acts relating topharmacies, medicines and foods and to severalother acts of law. The following acts of law hadalready been made fully or partly applicable: theacts relating to nuclear energy activity, radiationprotection and use of radiation, patient injurycompensation, and the health authorities andhealth trusts.

Because the health service in Svalbard is notorganised in the same way as on the mainland,some adaptations were also made to provisions inmainland regulations that have been made appli-cable to Svalbard. That is the case, for example,with regard to the Act relating to the control ofcommunicable diseases and to Chapter 3 of thepublic health act concerning environmentalhealth. In principle, Longyearbyen Hospital func-tions as the municipal medical officer in this area,but the regulations also assign certain tasks to theLongyearbyen Community Council.

In accordance with the practice now generallyfollowed whereby the competent mainland author-

ities are also responsible for supervising activitiesin Svalbard, the County Governor in Troms super-vises healthcare personnel and the health servicein Svalbard. The Norwegian Food Safety Author-ity supervises compliance with the acts relating tofood and to cosmetic products and body careproducts.

The organisation of the health service in Sval-bard is discussed in more detail in section 6.3.3.

The production and sale of alcoholic bever-ages are regulated by the Regulations of 11December 1998 relating to the alcohol scheme forSvalbard. The production of alcohol in Svalbardused to be prohibited under an act of law from1928, but the ban was lifted in 2014 after actiontaken by actors in Svalbard wishing to producebeer locally. Since the amendments of 2014, theregulations governing the production of alcohol inSvalbard are now largely the same as on the main-land. A licence has been granted to produce beerin Longyearbyen, and Trust Arktikugol hasapplied for a licence to do likewise in Barents-burg.

5.3.2 Tax legislation

Svalbard has its own taxation regulations. TheSvalbard Taxation Act (Act of 29 November 1996No. 68 relating to tax payable to Svalbard) makesSvalbard a separate area for tax purposes. Twoforms of taxation apply: a special withholding taxscheme and tax assessment. Under the withhold-ing tax scheme, the employer withholds a percent-age of gross salary and pension, and this consti-tutes the final tax assessment. Income other thansalary and pension is taxed after assessmentaccording to the same rules that apply on themainland, though at lower rates. In Svalbard, sal-ary and pension are taxed at a rate of 8 per cent upto 12 G (G = National Insurance basic amount)and at a rate of 22 per cent for income exceeding12 G. In addition are national insurance contribu-tions for employees who are members of the Nor-wegian National Insurance Scheme. Other incomesuch as investment income and income from self-employment are taxed at a rate of 16 per cent. It isimportant that the taxation system in Svalbard istailored to conditions in the archipelago and thatits basic workings ensure competitive conditions.At the same time, it is important to prevent thefavourable tax level from being exploited to savetax on investment returns that are made outsideSvalbard and do not create activity or employmentin the archipelago. Companies with profits notearned from returns on activity or investment in


Svalbard will now be taxed for such profits at thesame tax rates that apply on the mainland.

5.3.3 Immigration legislation, nationality etc.

As mentioned in section 3.2.5, Article 3 of the Sval-bard Treaty imposes on Norway an internationalobligation to treat equally nationals and compa-nies from parties to the Treaty in certain areas.This applies to access to the archipelago, amongother things. In practice, Norway has in this areanot discriminated between nationals from the par-ties to the Treaty and nationals from other coun-tries. Therefore, given its purpose, the legislationregulating foreign nationals’ access and entry tothe realm is not suitable to conditions in Svalbard.For this reason the Immigration Act of 15 May2008 No. 35 and pertinent regulations have notbeen made applicable to Svalbard.

No work permit, residence permit or visa isrequired to travel to Svalbard. Furthermore, Sval-bard is not included in the Schengen cooperation.The rules on entry and exit control across theexternal Schengen border therefore apply totravel between the Norwegian mainland and Sval-bard. Pursuant to section 6 of the Immigration Actand subsection 1–15 of the Immigration Regula-tions, identity checks have been implemented ondeparture from and arrival at the airports inTromsø and Oslo. Therefore, foreign nationalswho reside Svalbard must, like other foreignnationals, comply with the provisions in the Immi-gration Act when travelling between Mainland-Norway and Svalbard, and foreign nationals sub-ject to visa requirements must have a visa whentravelling to the mainland. Today, the Governor ofSvalbard issues such visas upon application, inaccordance with section 13 of the ImmigrationAct.

The purpose of the rules in the ImmigrationRegulations is to meet Norway’s obligation to con-trol the external borders of the Schengen Area.However, the need may also arise for control sys-tems affecting travellers to and from the archipel-ago itself, for reasons of national security. In addi-tion to its own domestic needs, Norway has inter-national obligations to monitor activities on Nor-wegian territory. The need for control is not fullymet by the legislation for Mainland-Norway. Thisis because the mainland controls will not identifyindividuals travelling to Svalbard via other coun-tries. Moreover, in some cases there may be awish to carry out controls in Svalbard. One reasonfor this is that Svalbard may have to deal with

other types of challenges than those faced byMainland-Norway. The provision concerningaccess in Article 3 of the Svalbard Treaty does notpreclude establishment of control regimes, includ-ing entry and exit controls, in order to monitortravellers and individuals entering the archipel-ago. The Government will consider the need tointroduce such regimes.

The previous white paper on Svalbard (ReportNo. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard)described how the increasing number of foreignnationals in Longyearbyen created a need to con-sider legal problems associated with foreignnationals. This included certain issues concerningforeign spouses/cohabitants and children of Nor-wegian nationals and the possible need to intro-duce special rules in this area. In pursuance ofthis, a provision was incorporated into the Immi-gration Regulations (subsection 11–4 (b)) in 2010stipulating that a long period of residence in Sval-bard may be taken into consideration when calcu-lating the required period of residence for qualify-ing for a permanent residence permit in Norway.The other conditions for granting a permanentresidence permit must also be met. There are cur-rently no plans to make further amendments tothese regulations in favour of foreign nationals.The Government will monitor the situation todetermine whether the provision works asintended, and in light of that will continuouslyassess the possible need to tighten the rules.

The Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51 relating to Nor-wegian nationality (Norwegian Nationality Act)generally applies to Norwegian nationality andalso covers Svalbard. This act requires legal resi-dence on the mainland in accordance with immi-gration legislation before applications for acquir-ing Norwegian nationality may be granted. TheNorwegian Nationality Act prescribes no specialrules for persons with foreign nationality whoreside in Svalbard. Persons wishing to apply forNorwegian nationality must meet the terms of theact, including those governing residence permits,in the same manner as other applicants. Entitle-ment to Norwegian nationality may therefore notbe based solely on residence in Svalbard. Foreignnationals born in Svalbard or who reside in thearchipelago for a long period will not be grantedNorwegian nationality on this basis alone. Thereare no plans to change these rules.

5.3.4 Legislation on rejection and expulsion

As mentioned above, the Immigration Act doesnot apply to Svalbard, and therefore no visa or


other requirements are needed to travel there.Nonetheless, this does not mean that everyonehas an unconditional right to reside in Svalbard.The Governor of Svalbard may, inter alia, refuseentry to or expel persons who lack sufficientmeans to remain there or who are unable to takeadequate care of themselves. Persons suspectedor convicted of violating laws that apply to Sval-bard may also be refused entry or expelled undercertain conditions. This follows from the Regula-tions of 3 February 1995 laid down with legalbasis in the Svalbard Act. The regulations alsocontain provisions regarding expulsion.

Regulations were laid down by Royal Decreeon 7 August 2015 relating to the rejection fromSvalbard of persons who were subject to travelrestrictions. These regulations were issued tomake it possible to prevent persons designated as‘listed persons’ from residing in Svalbard. Theregulations apply to persons subject to travelrestrictions adopted by the UN Security Councilor who are covered by international restrictivemeasures thet Norway has aligned itself with.Such persons will be refused entry by the Gover-nor of Svalbard on arrival or at a subsequent pointin time.

The background for the adoption of specificregulations governing travel restrictions relatingto Svalbard is that – unlike Mainland-Norway –Svalbard is not part of the Schengen Area; see sec-tion 3.3.1. This means that the Schengen entrycontrol system has no relevance for persons whotravel directly to Svalbard from areas outside theSchengen Area. The need to implement travelrestrictions for Svalbard has been limited becausemost people travelling to the archipelago havedone so via Mainland-Norway. In such instances,listed persons would be identified through theSchengen reulations before they reach Svalbard.All scheduled air traffic to Svalbard goes via Main-land-Norway. However, it is possible to arrive atthe archipelago by charter plane or boat withouttravelling via the Schengen Area. The Govern-ment attaches importance to ensuring that sanc-tions and restrictive measures with which Norwayhas aligned itself must be enforceable throughoutthe country, including Svalbard.

The regulations are temporary, and will berepealed on 31 August 2016. The Government isconsidering the issue of control regimes for Sval-bard, including the introduction of permanent leg-islation to prevent listed persons from residing onSvalbard.

5.3.5 Education Act and Kindergarten Act

In the Regulations of 18 January 2007 No. 76 relat-ing to primary and secondary education andupper secondary education in Svalbard, the Minis-try of Education and Research stipulated that theAct of 17 July 1998 No. 61 relating to primary andsecondary education and training (the EducationAct) and pertinent regulations were applicable toprimary and secondary education and upper sec-ondary education in Svalbard in so far as they aresuited to local conditions. Under these regula-tions, children of Norwegian nationals have thesame right and obligation to attend primary andlower secondary school while residing in Svalbardas they would have on the mainland. Children offoreign nationals have a right, but not an obliga-tion, to attend primary and lower secondaryschool while residing in the archipelago. TheLongyearbyen Community Council (LCC) hasresponsibility for providing education in Long-yearbyen. It follows from the regulations that theLCC must fulfil the right to primary and lower sec-ondary education and that it may also provideupper secondary education. In Barentsburg, themining company Trust Arktikugol provides edu-cation for the children of its employees.

The Act of 17 June 2005 No. 64 relating to kin-dergartens does not apply to Svalbard. Nonethe-less, two conditions for the LCC’s receiving appro-priations from the national budget are that theintentions in the act determine how the kindergar-tens in Longyearbyen are run and that no signifi-cant distinction be permitted between the opera-tion of kindergartens in Longyearbyen and on themainland. This is discussed in the Government’sbudget proposal for Svalbard for 2016 (Prop. 1 S(2015–2016), p. 28. See also section 6.3.

Guidelines are needed on what the Longyear-byen Community Council should provide in theseareas. The objective is for Longyearbyen to be aviable local community, and today it is a commu-nity that provides a good range of services. None-theless, the special community frameworks dis-cussed in section 6.3 determine the scale of theservices to be provided and, consequently, whatthe inhabitants should expect. Moreover, the Gov-ernment has no objective to expand the range ofservices beyond that currently offered.

The issue of which provisions in the EducationAct and pertinent regulations are suited to thoseframeworks is decided by the Ministry of Educa-tion and Research. The Ministry of Education andResearch has permitted certain organisational


deviations from the Education Act with regard toteacher hours, subjects and levels.

With regard to children and young people withspecial needs, the Education Act currently pro-vides for special education assistance for childrenin kindergartens and for special tuition for pupilsin primary, lower secondary and upper secondaryschools. Given that the LCC is not obliged to pro-vide upper secondary education, however, it hasbeen decided that Chapter 5 of the Education Act,concerning special education, should not beapplied to upper secondary education. The minis-try has nevertheless urged the council to do asmuch as possible to adapt its upper secondaryinstruction, to the degree local conditions permit,for the benefit of pupils with special needs.

Regarding the physical environment, the Anti-Discrimination and Accessibility Act provides forindividual accommodation for people with disabili-ties, but these provisions are not made to apply toSvalbard. However, the Education Act also pro-vides for individual accommodation for pupils withdisabilities, and these apply to Svalbard in so faras they are suited to local conditions.

The development of Longyearbyen as a familycommunity, albeit with special conditions, meansthat there is now a need to clarify the Longyear-byen Community Council’s obligations under theEducation Act and the Kindergarten Act inrespect of children of both Norwegian nationalsand foreign nationals. This has gained particularsalience since several amendments have been pro-posed to both of those acts of law. It has been pro-posed to transfer the duty to provide special edu-cation assistance to children under school agefrom the Education Act to the Kindergarten Act.

In addition, it is proposed that rules ensuring suit-able, individually adapted kindergarten availabil-ity for children with disabilities be incorporatedinto the Kindergarten Act. This duty correspondsto the municipalities’ duty under the Anti-Discrim-ination and Accessibility Act to provide individualaccommodation in municipal kindergartens. Therules in this act providing for universal design andindividual accommodation currently do not applyto Svalbard. It is proposed to incorporate today’sfour acts of law dealing with equality and anti-dis-crimination, including the Anti-Discrimination andAccessibility Act, into one single act coveringequality and anti-discrimination. It is proposedthat the exemptions that already apply to Svalbardwill continue to apply in the new act of law, but aseparate assessment is needed as to whether therules for individual accommodation in schools andkindergartens should apply to Svalbard.

The Child Welfare Act applies to Svalbard,though with special rules laid down in the Regula-tions of 1 September 1995 No. 772 relating toapplication of the Child Welfare Act to the archi-pelago. Norway’s local government reformincludes plans to change the quality and structureof the child welfare services in a way that entails aredistribution of responsibilities between centraland local government. Here, too, a special assess-ment will be needed to determine the effect ofsuch changes on Svalbard.

In dialogue with the Longyearbyen Commu-nity Council and others, the Government will con-tinue its work clarifying the council’s obligationsin these areas. See also section 6.3.4 for furtherdiscussion.


6 Longyearbyen

6.1 Introduction

One of the overriding objectives of the Svalbardpolicy is maintaining Norwegian communities inthe archipelago. This objective is achievedthrough the family-oriented community life inLongyearbyen.

Longyearbyen is not a cradle-to-grave commu-nity, and there are clear limits to the services thatshould be made available for residents of the com-munity. This is reflected in the archipelago’s lowlevel of taxation and the fact that the NorwegianImmigration Act does not apply here. The Govern-ment’s aim is for Longyearbyen to remain a viablelocal community that is attractive to families andhelps to achieve and sustain the overriding objec-tives of the Svalbard policy.

Continued development within existing activ-ity will contribute to this. It is nonetheless desira-ble to facilitate growth of a broader and morediversified economy. In connection with the esti-mated accounts for the 2015 central governmentbudget, NOK 50 million was allocated to meas-ures that will help enable restructuring and rapidemployment in Longyearbyen. An important rea-son for this decision was the challenging situationfaced by the coal company Store Norske Spitsber-gen Grubekompani (SNSG) and the conse-quences for Longyearbyen. Many jobs havealready been lost as a result of the situation. Whendownsizing of the company began in 2011, therewere approximately 350 employees in the corpo-rate group. A large part of them, however, com-muted between Svea and the mainland. For aslong as the operating pause continues, there willbe about 100 employees in the company, includingthe activity at Mine 7 and administrative staff.Implementation of the operating pause will bedetermined one year at a time, but not beyond2019. It must be assumed that a reduction in reve-nue on such a scale will have consequences forother activities in Longyearbyen. The circum-stances surrounding the SNSK group aredescribed in more detail in Chapter 9, ‘Economicactivity’. Of the restructuring package’s NOK 50million, Innovation Norway was awarded NOK 20

million. The funds are used to maintain Norwe-gian presence and activity in Longyearbyen, andnot least to develop and support commercial pro-jects that are compatible with and support theobjectives of the Svalbard policy.

The Longyearbyen Community Council has akey role in the restructuring process, and there isclose dialogue between the council and InnovationNorway. It follows from Section 29 of the SvalbardAct that the council’s task is rational and efficientadministration of the public interest pursuedwithin the Svalbard policy framework, with theaim of environmentally sound and sustainablelocal community development. The LongyearbyenCommunity Council has been awarded NOK 4.5million of the restructuring package to strengthenits effort to develop the local community further.The Svalbard Chamber of Commerce, with itsknowledge of the local conditions and economy,has been awarded NOK 0.5 million. Another NOK3 million has been allocated to development of abusiness and innovation strategy directed by theMinistry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. Inaddition, the Longyearbyen Community Councilhas been awarded NOK 22 million to reduce themaintenance backlog in infrastructure while con-tributing effectively to construction-sectoremployment.

The Government emphasises that efforts torestructure Longyearbyen have been going on fora long time. At the start of the 1990s, Longyear-byen was described as a ‘one-industry town’ (seeReport No. 50 (1990–1991) to the Storting). Tenyears later, during consideration of Report. No. 9(1999–2000) to the Storting (see RecommendationNo. 196 S (1999–2000)), it was determined thatmany of the conditions that previously had justifiedcalling Longyearbyen a one-industry town hadchanged. A better range of public services hadsprung up, and the community had also gained abroader business base. In addition to the miningoperations, there had been a rise in tourism,research and higher education, space-related activ-ity and other enterprises. Although services insome areas, such as healthcare, are limited, Long-yearbyen today is seen as a local community with a


well-developed public infrastructure, good publicservices and a broad-based, diverse economy.

The Government wants this trend to continuewithin the framework of the overriding objectivesof the Svalbard policy, so that in future the com-munity will continue to possess the character,breadth and variety that make living in Longyear-byen attractive, thereby supporting the objectiveof maintaining Norwegian communities in thearchipelago.

The Government does not, however, wish tofacilitate a form of growth that quickly triggers aneed for heavy investment in new infrastructuresuch as water supply and heat and electric powerproduction. Establishing and maintaining infra-structure in an Arctic climate is costly, and theLongyearbyen Community Council already facessignificant challenges maintaining existing infra-structure. Significant investments in recent yearshave also been made in energy provision toensure continued stable production of electricityand heat. The sum total of the investments under-taken over many years provides Norway as awhole with an infrastructure at 78° N not foundanywhere else at the same latitude.

The central government has long borne a spe-cial responsibility for the development of infra-structure in Svalbard. Relevant reference is madeto Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting (seeRecommendation No. 336 S (2008–2009)), inwhich the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairsstated: ‘The committee refers in this context to thestrong national interests and international legalobligations associated with the archipelago, and tothe resulting requirement of strong state involve-ment. This should apply in particular to upgradingand construction of heavy infrastructure as well asenergy supplies and port facilities.’

The Government wishes therefore to empha-sise the importance, now and in future, of strongstate involvement in the further development ofstrategic infrastructure in the archipelago.

The introduction and growth of activity at theUniversity Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) exemplifythe development of infrastructure that has also con-tributed significantly to the development of theLongyearbyen community. UNIS has 110 perma-nent employees (2015), several adjunct professor/adjunct associate professor positions and a numberof visiting researchers. The employees and theirfamilies in combination with UNIS students consti-tute about 25 per cent of Longyearbyen’s popula-tion. For further discussion of UNIS, see Chapter 8.

A well-functioning infrastructure is essentialfor value creation, security and an acceptable level

of environmental risk. Good infrastructure is alsovital to job creation and stimulating economicdevelopment. It is therefore important toapproach Longyearbyen’s further development ina step-by-step fashion, with ongoing assessment ofthe effects of the SNSK group’s reorganisation onthe community of Longyearbyen and with atten-tion paid to what additional development in vari-ous areas would mean for infrastructure capacity.

The avalanche disaster on 19 December 2015reinforces the importance of such development.The avalanche made more urgent the work of cli-mate-adapted land development and of freeing upspace in the centre of Longyearbyen for residen-tial use. Coordinated action will have positiveeffects for the Longyearbyen community whilefacilitating desired economic growth. It is of cen-tral importance that the plans prepared for eco-nomic development be balanced against this land-use planning effort.

Growth of the community beyond today’s levelis not an objective. It is important, though, thatthe character, breadth and diversity of the com-munity make it an attractive place to live, therebysupporting the objective of maintaining Norwe-gian communities in the archipelago.

Within this framework, there will be a need forsome expansion and accommodation of suitabledevelopment in selected areas.

6.2 Areas for further development

The central government authorities are responsi-ble for the overarching development framework inthe archipelago through such measures as legisla-tion and central government budget allocations.The development work is carried out locally, how-ever. The Longyearbyen Community Council is animportant actor in this regard, cooperating, forexample, with Innovation Norway and the Sval-bard Chamber of Commerce. Coal mining hasbeen a cornerstone in maintaining the Longyear-byen community. It is unlikely that one type ofactivity alone will be able to offset the loss of jobsin coal mining. It is therefore important to con-tinue investing in existing operations, while alsopaving the way for new and varied activities.There has long been a deliberate focus on facilitat-ing research and higher education, tourism,space-related activity and various other activities.This has produced good results. Going forward,the Government wants to accommodate furtherdevelopment of activities that can help achieve theobjective of maintaining Norwegian communities


in the archipelago. This will lay the groundwork inthe long run for a more robust community.

6.2.1 Tourism: Longyearbyen and surrounding areas

Tourism is one of the principal industries in Sval-bard. The tourism industry experienced growth inrecent years and is an important contributor toemployment in Longyearbyen. Both the city andthe areas around it offer significant tourist experi-ence value associated with the unique naturalenvironment and cultural heritage sites located

there. With Longyearbyen now undergoing arestructuring process, it is natural that one of theindustries being facilitated is tourism. Develop-ment of tourism products in Svalbard mustinclude the development of new services andproducts and of more and better-adapted informa-tion. This particularly applies to the areas closestto Longyearbyen, its planning area and the adjoin-ing areas. But it is also important to facilitate envi-ronmentally sensitive tourism within the Isfjordenarea and Management Area 10, where both Long-yearbyen and the other communities are located(see Figure 6.1).

Figure 6.1 Management Area 10.

Map: Norwegian Polar Institute


The development of new tourism productsmust be sustainable and take place within the lim-its established by the environmental objectives,safety regulations and other regulations in Sval-bard. For the nature-based tourism industry, it isalso important to preserve what is unique aboutSvalbard’s natural environment. Within thisframework there is scope for further developmentof tourism in Longyearbyen. The Government willfacilitate the development of tourism in Manage-ment Area 10, which includes Isfjorden and theareas surrounding the communities (see Figure6.1). Local actors in the tourism industry havedrawn up a master plan for tourism in Svalbard. Itincludes elements that could be relevant in futuredevelopment.

For tourism in Longyearbyen to be able togrow, Longyearbyen must be developed as anarena for visitor experience with a varied range ofactivity and experiences made available to visitors.Development of attractions in the vicinity of Long-yearbyen will provide an important supplement tothe existing range of activity, especially during thepolar night. An expanded offering of interestingattractions might entice tourists to stay longer thanthey usually do today. Prolonged stays would resultin increased revenue per visitor, which is positivefor the business community in Longyearbyen. Theratio of revenue to environmental impact associ-ated with tourist transport to and from the archi-pelago would also improve. Increased focus onyear-round tourism would also be important for thelocal community in Longyearbyen.

Among the things the tourism industry wantsto develop (see the master plan for tourism from2015) are products related to commercial tourismcabins. In 2007, permission was granted under theSvalbard Environmental Protection Act for theestablishment of three commercial cabins for useby the tourism industry in Svalbard. Creatingmore such cabins may be appropriate as part ofthe further development of tourism in Svalbard.Such a process would then be based on the sameprinciples and central criteria as the process from2007, with localisation within Management Area10 and outside established protected areas, openadvertisement of the plan, a limited number of per-mits and a set of criteria for evaluating projects.

The tourism companies in Svalbard have aireda number of ideas for different types of temporaryfacilities for overnight or daytime visits in winterwithin Management Area 10. Such facilities canincrease the breadth and scope of tourism prod-ucts and services. The same can be said of accom-modating vessel disembarkation at selected loca-

tions in Isfjorden. It is important, in any event,that such facilities be adapted to their surround-ings and that comprehensive evaluations of scale,location and environmental impact be undertaken.Tourism companies are in discussion with theGovernor about some of these ideas.

Non-motorised tourism packages offeringactivities such as dogsledding, with Longyearbyenas their base, have undergone significant develop-ment, and are now experiencing growing demand.The potential exists for further development andgrowth of such travel products as dogsleddingand skiing trips. Consistent with the objective oflimiting motorised traffic in Svalbard, the Govern-ment will facilitate this by, for example, exploringopportunities for increased use of the large snow-mobile-free area.

The Government will also secure naturalplaces of interest and cultural heritage sites in theimmediate vicinity of Longyearbyen that areimportant for tourism and the local inhabitants. Aproject will accordingly be initiated to assess theneed for greater protection of areas in the lowerAdventdalen that are especially rich in bird life. Atthe same time, simple adaptations will be consid-ered in nearby areas in the form of sherpa trailsand similar measures to make nature and culturalsites in the areas more accessible. By making useof the leeway provided by existing regulations andobjectives, the Government will ensure sound andpredictable framework conditions for tourism inLongyearbyen.

There is also a need for more long-term plansfor the use of Management Area 10. Managementplans for this area, including both protected andunprotected areas, will therefore be prepared.The Governor has been asked to initiate thiswork. The purpose is to facilitate and manage useof the area so that the objectives of increased localvalue creation and positive visitor experiences arefulfilled, even as appreciation for Svalbard’sunique environmental qualities is increased andcultural heritage assets are maintained.

Food culture, too, can be of interest in travelproduct development. Several actors in Svalbardwant to be able to provide local food to their cus-tomers, such as meat from Svalbard reindeer andfish from Isfjorden. Such measures contributeboth to improving the tourism product and reduc-ing the environmental impact associated with thetransport of food. All harvesting in any case musttake place within the framework of environmentalregulations. Beer brewing and local production ofchocolate demonstrate that there is demand forproducts with a local connection.


For further discussion see Chapter 7, ‘Envi-ronmental protection’, and Chapter 9, ‘Economicactivity’.

6.2.2 Relocation of public-sector jobs

The Government is considering the possibility ofrelocating public-sector jobs to Longyearbyen as a

Box 6.1 Fredheim: The trapping station that was relocated

Figure 6.2 Fredheim.

Photo: Helene Mokkelbost, Office of the Governor of Svalbard

Fredheim in Sassenfjorden was the trapping sta-tion of the renowned trapper Hilmar Nøis. Hespent 38 seasons in Svalbard, 35 of them as awintering trapper. Fredheim was his main sta-tion, and where he wintered most often.

The trapping station consists of the mainhouse, Villa Fredheim (begun in 1924 and com-pleted in 1927), Gammelhytta (built by FredrikAntonsen and Simon Ingebrigtsen in 1908), andan outbuilding constructed at the same time asthe villa and used as an emergency cabin. Fred-heim is a popular destination for residents andvisitors alike in snowmobile season.

For many years shore erosion had crepttowards the trapping station. Had nothing beendone, the buildings would have been swallowedby the sea. Various measures were considered,including erosion prevention and moving of thebuildings. Gammelhytta was moved six metresfrom the shore’s edge in 2001, but was still notsafe.

Actual planning for moving Fredheimstarted in autumn 2013. Relocation of the stationwas cleared by the Directorate for Cultural Her-itage and the Norwegian Environment Agency,and the project began in earnest in spring 2014.

In the summer of 2014 the buildings werejacked up on steel beams and braced internally,while the floors were removed to avoid damage

during the moving process. In April 2015 all thebuildings were hauled by tracked vehicle acrosssnow-covered terrain up onto the brink east ofthe station, and in the summer of 2015 Fredheimwere reassembled internally and externally. Allwork was performed according to antiquarianguidelines.

The relocation itself went smoothly, withoutdamage to the buildings, thanks to good plan-ning and execution. The building group looksmuch as it did before, and there are no scars inthe terrain.

The Governor, as the responsible authority,must preserve a representative assortment ofcultural heritage sites as a reference base andsource of experience for future generations.Svalbard’s harsh climate is a constant threat tobuildings and equipment. Climate change mayintensify this threat. Conscious prioritisation isneeded to ensure breadth and representative-ness for the future.

The Fredheim trapping station is one of themost distinctive and valuable artefacts of cul-tural history in Svalbard. That is why it was soimportant to keep the buildings from beingdestroyed by shore erosion. The project costabout NOK 2 million and was funded by theGovernor and the Ministry of Climate and Envi-ronment.


contribution to attaining the objective of maintain-ing Norwegian communities in the archipelago.As a start, the Norwegian Consumer Council isconsidering establishing three to five office posi-tions in Longyearbyen as part of the agency’sreorganisation. The office will answer directly tothe council’s Tromsø office.

At an extraordinary meeting on 19 February2016 the Ministry of Health and Care Servicesgave Norsk Helsenett SF (Norwegian Health Net-work) the task of planning for the creation of acentral service centre providing administrativeservices to the central health and care servicesadministration as part of its activity. The servicecentre will be responsible for key functionsrelated to procurement, ICT and records/docu-ment management. Norsk Helsenett SF’s assign-ment involves creating a time schedule and workplan to establish the service centre by 1 June 2016at the latest.

The assignment calls for the service centre tobe established in the Oslo area, with redistribu-tion of certain services at a later date to the state-owned enterprise’s other locations in Trondheimand Tromsø, or to Svalbard.

6.2.3 Port development

Maritime traffic around Svalbard at present con-sists largely of cruise and cargo traffic, research-related shipping and some traffic tied to fisheriesactivity. The trend in recent years has been of gen-erally increasing traffic. Longyearbyen today has

three quays: Gamlekaia (the Old Quay), Kullkaia(the Coal Quay) and Bykaia (the Town Quay). Inaddition, Turistkaia (the Tourist Quay) has beeninstalled as a floating dock of plastic material.Bykaia and Turistkaia constitute Longyearbyen’spublic port service, and are the port facilities forheavy cargo and passenger/cruise traffic.

Today there is limited capacity at the port facil-ities in Longyearbyen, despite relatively heavytraffic to be accommodated in a short season. Thecapacity limit at Bykaia, which serves the largertourist and cargo vessels, was reached already in2005. The number of ships that had to lie atanchor in the 2012–2015 seasons varied between134 and 179. The total number of port calls in thatperiod ranged from 812 to 1,163. This results inclear limits to whether and how long each cruiseship may dock, and by extension, the degree towhich the local economy can take advantage ofthe cruise traffic.

Longyearbyen’s port infrastructure was dis-cussed in Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the Stort-ing Svalbard, where it was pointed out that Long-yearbyen, because of increased commercial andindustrial activity in the Arctic, should expect togain in importance as a base for rescue and pollu-tion-control preparedness and for maritime ser-vices. Since 2009, the need for expanded portcapacity has grown. The trend in recent yearsshows increasing maritime traffic to the Arctic,both in number and in scale, especially for cruisetraffic.

Figure 6.3 Increase in the number of Longyearbyen port calls since 2000.

Source: Longyearbyen Community Council. The figure for 2015 is for the period up to 15 November 2015.

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A number of studies have been conductedlocally to identify and document challenges andopportunities for additional port development inLongyearbyen. As a result, the LongyearbyenCommunity Council has drafted proposals for newport infrastructure that have been submitted tothe Ministry of Transport and Communications.

In the current National Transport Plan (NTP)(see Meld. St. 26 (2012–2013) National TransportPlan 2014–2023), up to NOK 200 million in statefunds have been set aside in the plan period forupgrading and new construction of port infra-structure in Longyearbyen, based on a cost esti-mate of NOK 400 million. It is further assumedlocal actors and private business may contributeto the projects’ realisation. In the 2016 central gov-ernment budget, NOK 15 million has been setaside for planning of new port infrastructure inLongyearbyen. The Norwegian Coastal Adminis-tration (NCA) has been tasked with assessingconcepts proposed by the Longyearbyen Commu-nity Council for upgrading port infrastructure.The NCA’s report is scheduled to be available inOctober 2016.

The aim of the NCA’s work is to study the typeof port infrastructure necessary to accommodate

Longyearbyen’s projected maritime traffic, thuscontributing to further developing of the localeconomy. On the basis of the proposals submittedby the NCA, the Government will determine howto proceed in developing port infrastructure inLongyearbyen.

6.2.4 Svalbard Science Centre

The Svalbard Science Centre opened in 2005 andis the main arena for education and research inLongyearbyen. The University Centre in Svalbard(UNIS) is located at the centre. In addition toUNIS, the centre hosts the Norwegian Polar Insti-tute, the Svalbard Science Forum (ResearchCouncil of Norway), the Svalbard Museum andthe national cultural history magazine, as well asthe University of Tromsø, Akvaplan-niva, theNansen Environmental and Remote SensingCenter, the Institute of Marine Research, the Nor-wegian University of Science and Technology,SINTEF, the Japan National Institute for PolarResearch and the student welfare association. Seediscussion of the key actors in Chapter 8, ‘Knowl-edge, research and higher education’. Research inSvalbard is important to the advancement of

Figure 6.4 Cruise ship in Longyearbyen’s port.

Photo: Ståle Nylund, Office of the Governor of Svalbard


understanding in many subjects, and has helpedexpand frontiers in several scientific disciplines.UNIS has received support from the Ministry ofForeign Affairs to establish a new Arctic SafetyCentre in Longyearbyen. The Arctic Safety Centreis a collaboration between the Norwegian Univer-sity of Science and Technology, SINTEF, the Nor-wegian Polar Institute, the Governor of Svalbard,Pole Position Logistics, SvalSat, the Longyear-byen Community Council, Lufttransport and VisitSvalbard.

The establishment, and subsequent expan-sion, of the Svalbard Science Centre has contrib-uted to a significant amount of activity with posi-tive repercussions in Longyearbyen. It draws notonly students and employees, but also tourists andlocal residents who are increasingly using what ithas to offer, including popular science lecturesand the Svalbard Museum. A 2014 evaluation1 ofthe Svalbard Science Centre shows that it is alsowidely used for entertaining and important visits,and concludes that the centre has contributed to amore diverse economy.

The unique natural environment and geo-graphic location, the long polar traditions and thegood access to modern infrastructure make Sval-bard an attractive platform for both Norwegianand international Arctic research. This is an areain which Norway has an outstanding opportunityto contribute to the development of global knowl-edge. There is a strong interest in research, andactive publication, dissemination and informationare vital if this knowledge is to be shared andused. Presentation of research to a broad audi-ence will contribute to this; likewise, conveyingwhat is unique about scientific research andknowledge production in Svalbard could providesupport to other activities, such as tourism.

6.2.5 Land development in Longyearbyen

The Longyearbyen Community Council is work-ing on new land-use plan for Longyearbyen. Thiswork will provide the framework for future devel-opment in Longyearbyen. As part of the processthe Longyearbyen Community Council is consid-ering moving industry-related operations from theport area known as Sjøområdet to Hotellneset, anearby peninsula, creating at the same time a‘greener’ Longyearbyen. This will free up space in

more central areas of Longyearbyen for otherpotential use, such as housing. It is also the Long-yearbyen Community Council’s wish to developHotellneset into a future business park and toaccommodate new economic activity there. A pre-requisite for developing the area is facilitation ofinfrastructure, such as electricity and water sup-ply. There is uncertainty as to the extent of pollu-tion in the ground and the clean-up costs. Accord-ing to the Longyearbyen Community Council,potential development of Hotellneset will alsorequire construction of a warehouse to store coal.

Efforts to free up space in the centre of Long-yearbyen have been further highlighted by theavalanche disaster in December 2015. A numberof houses were destroyed and cannot be rebuilt inthe area they occupied before the avalanche. Thishas created a new situation which, in the view ofthe Longyearbyen Community Council, requiresrapid creation of new residential areas that willmean reallocating other land. The Governmenttherefore proposes to increase the allocation byNOK 10 million for residential construction andland development in Longyearbyen. Reallocationundertaken in coordinated fashion should pro-duce positive effects for the Longyearbyen com-munity while facilitating the desired economicdevelopment. The council is therefore consider-ing undertaking a speedy examination of land usein Longyearbyen and initiating the work of layingout new infrastructure.

6.2.6 Energy supply

Supplying energy, both heat and electricity, is oneof the Longyearbyen Community Council’s mostimportant tasks, and also one of the most costly.The Longyearbyen power plant is a coal-firedcogeneration station dating from 1983 that sup-plies electricity and district heating for the wholeof Longyearbyen. The power plant is owned bythe Longyearbyen Community Council. To stabi-lise operations and extend the power plant’s lifecycle, a large-scale project of maintenance andupgrades has been initiated. The state is coveringabout two-thirds of the costs of this work.

The overall energy load of the community islarge. The power plant currently supplies bothelectricity and district heating at near its maxi-mum capacity. Demand growth in Longyearbyencould trigger a need for substantial investments inenergy production. Establishment and mainte-nance of infrastructure in an Arctic climate iscostly, and the Longyearbyen Community Councilalready faces challenges in maintaining existing

1 ‘Svalbard forskningspark: Etterevaluering, desember 2014’(Svalbard Science Centre: Ex-post evaluation, December2014). Erik Whist, Gro Holst Volden, Knut Samset, MortenWelde and Inger Lise Tyholt Grindvoll (NTNU 2014).


infrastructure. The Government therefore doesnot want to encourage growth that would quicklytrigger a need for major investment in infrastruc-ture such as water supply, heating and power gen-eration systems. It is therefore important thatwork continue on maintaining existing infrastruc-ture and energy efficiency.

The upgrading of the power plant, whichstarted in 2013, is expected to extend the plant’slife cycle by 20–25 years from the start of theupgrade. In the 2012–2014 period, funds werealso allocated for the construction of equipment toscrub the plant’s emissions of pollutants such assulphur and particulates. CO2 emissions at theLongyearbyen coal plant are high in comparisonto the amount of energy produced. Over time,UNIS has developed expertise on CO2 storagepossibilities in Adventdalen. The aim of the pro-ject has been to investigate whether it is possibleto store CO2 in Adventdalen. The project has alsoaimed to facilitate CO2 research and methodologydevelopment. The calculations and simulationsconducted so far indicate provisionally that it isprobably possible to store CO2 in Adventdalenwithout CO2 leakage occurring, but that furthertesting is necessary to be certain. The project hasconcluded for the time being.

6.2.7 Water supply

Isdammen, a reservoir, is Longyearbyen’s onlysource of drinking water. The Longyearbyen Com-munity Council is responsible for its operation andmaintenance as well as for risks associated withany dam breach and/or water loss. Issues relatedto sedimentation and leakage are among the sig-nificant challenges at Isdammen. The Longyear-byen Community Council has initiated work tosecure this drinking water source for the years tocome. Isdammen is also the only water sourcefrom the beginning of September to the beginningof July each year. The council wants eventually toestablish a reserve water source or other solutionso water can be supplied if something unforeseenshould happen to the primary water source. Thecouncil will have the issue examined in the springof 2016, with engineering and planning of a futurereserve source to follow.

6.3 Provision of services

6.3.1 In general

In the previous white paper (Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard) it was stated that

Longyearbyen should continue to be developed asa qualitatively good community with welfare andother services tailored to the community’s sizeand structure, all within an environmentallyacceptable framework. ‘Robust family commu-nity’ is the phrase often used. It was also deter-mined that Longyearbyen was not to become acradle-to-grave community with fully developedservice offerings, and that such a policy was botha prerequisite for the low tax rate and a conse-quence of there being no requirement in Svalbardfor foreign nationals to hold work or residencepermits. The Standing Committee on ForeignAffairs said in its consideration of the Svalbardwhite paper (Recommendation No. 336 S (2008–2009) that «(...) these factors mean that the com-munity frameworks must necessarily be some-

Box 6.2 Seed vault

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is an under-ground facility for long-term and back-up pres-ervation of duplicate seeds from the world’sseed collections. The seed vault, establishedin 2008, is owned by the Norwegian state andadministered by the Ministry of Agricultureand Food. The Norwegian Directorate of Pub-lic Construction and Property, or Statsbygg,operates the facility, while the Nordic GeneticResource Centre (NordGen) coordinates theadmission of seeds. The seed vault is the larg-est of its kind, storing more than 870,000 seedsamples from the world’s most importantcrops in 2015. That year, more than 40 percent of agricultural plant genes were securedhere, and new seed samples continue to beadded three to four times each year. The aimof Norwegian ownership is to create predicta-ble and secure conditions for the preservationof as much genetic diversity as possible incrops that are important to food and agricul-ture, and thereby to improve global food secu-rity. The seed vault generates considerableinternational interest, and has raised aware-ness about the importance of protectinggenetic material, as well as about Svalbard andNorway, in part due to media coverage aroundthe world. For the Norwegian Government, itis important to maintain a long-term perspec-tive in preserving the seed collections in thevault.


what different than for local communities on themainland, and the committee believes this is anappropriate form of organisation». Longyearbyentoday is seen as a local community with well-devel-oped infrastructure and good services. The ‘nor-malisation’ that has guided community develop-ment here in recent years has, in the Govern-ment’s view, been successful, and Longyearbyencurrently exhibits the characteristics of a ‘robustfamily community’, with services tailored to itsneeds. There is no intention to develop servicesbeyond the current level.

Services in Longyearbyen are seen to by bothcentral and local actors. Basic services are pro-vided by the Longyearbyen Community Council,Longyearbyen Hospital, the Governor of Svalbardand several other actors. The Longyearbyen Com-munity Council also provides all infrastructureservices inside the Longyearbyen land-use plan-ning area. It is also responsible for the school, the

kindergartens and the child and family service. Anumber of other services and facilities, includinga library, a sports and swimming hall, a culturalcentre and a youth club, are also provided by thecommunity council.

Additional services in Longyearbyen are sup-plied by others, including both public and privateagencies. Examples include infrastructure-relatedservices, such as the airport and data and tele-communications, and service functions such asbanking and postal services. Longyearbyen alsohas a varied assortment of shops, dining and over-night accommodation, restaurants and otherentertainment spots.

The Government will continue to facilitate alow taxation level in Svalbard. In conjunction withother framework conditions, this gives an indica-tion of the intended service level in Longyear-byen, and of its continued limitation with compari-son to the mainland. For the foreseeable future,

Figure 6.5 Camp Svalbard offers outdoor camp weekends, summer and winter, for youth aged 13 to 18 who are residents of Svalbard. Participants experience Svalbard’s natural landscape in safety, with competent instructors and leaders.

Photo: Marianne Stokkereit Aasen/Longyearbyen Community Council


therefore, Longyearbyen will not become a cradle-to-grave community.

6.3.2 Cultural activity

Culture and sports are strong focal points in Long-yearbyen. Although institutionalised culturalofferings are naturally limited, the cultural life isextensive, with wide-ranging and diverse options.These include both professional organisations andvoluntary activity in most parts of the culturalfield.

The Longyearbyen Cultural Centre containsboth cinema and stage. Galleri Svalbard presentspermanent and temporary art exhibitions. Thegallery also offers a residence for visiting artists.Longyearbyen has a public library, and the Sval-bard Museum displays exhibits from Svalbard’sculture and history to the present day. The North-ern Norway Art Museum has established Kun-sthall Svalbard at the Svalbard Museum, for tem-porary contemporary art exhibitions. The North-ern Norway Art Museum is also considering thepossibility of establishing an artist residence/guest studio in order to accommodate artists whowish to work there.

The cultural arts school offers children andyoung people fully qualified instruction in a vari-ety of cultural subjects. There is a broad spectrumof clubs and associations, including several sportsteams. Sporting facilities include a multi-purposehall and a swimming hall.

It is important that residents in Svalbard haveaccess to a wide variety of high-quality culturalactivity, much as the rest of the country does. Thisis consistent with the premise of Norwegian cul-tural policy: that culture has both intrinsic valueand value to individual residents. Climate and sur-roundings may restrict the opportunity of peoplein Svalbard, compared with people elsewhere inNorway, to develop and express themselves. Inthis perspective, a well-functioning cultural scenecontributes to quality of life and a desire to live inSvalbard. A broad and diverse cultural life also hasan affect on other aspects of society.

Cultural affairs can provide important supportto the tourism industry, both in terms of culturalexpertise and the cultural content in tourism prod-ucts. Surveys show that tourists increasingly seekout cultural experiences when travelling, and thatthose who do so represent an affluent customergroup. Cultural initiatives could represent animportant element in further efforts to developthe Svalbard community; see section 9.4.1, ‘Thetourism industry’.

Svalbard Church is located in Longyearbyen,and is part of the Church of Norway. The churchis open to all, and is also a resource for the otherSvalbard communities. The church is an impor-tant culture-bearing institution in the local com-munity, and a cultural actor as well. The churchserves a unifying function, especially when acci-dents or disasters strike, and it plays a central rolein emergency preparedness. It is important thatSvalbard Church be maintained as part of the cul-tural and social foundation of the community inLongyearbyen and the other inhabitated locationsin Svalbard.

6.3.3 Health and welfare services

The Northern Norway Regional Health Authority,through the University Hospital of North Norway(UNN Tromsø), is responsible for public healthservices in Svalbard. The University Hospital ofNorth Norway-Longyearbyen Hospital (UNNLongyearbyen) provides essential health services.The healthcare service in the archipelago isorganised differently from the system in the Nor-wegian mainland, where municipalities arerequired to ensure that an array of local healthand care services is provided. The LongyearbyenCommunity Council does not have such a respon-sibility. Longyearbyen Hospital provides sometypes of service not normally provided in hospi-tals; see below. Longyearbyen is not a communitywith services available for all phases of life, socare services and other services of a prolongednature, such as home nursing care, nursing homestays, respite care, practical assistance, etc. Peo-ple who need such services must thereforereceive them in their home municipalities on themainland. Foreign nationals without any connec-tion to the mainland will have no such opportu-nity, and must therefore obtain such services intheir own countries. For further discussion of thisissue, see section 5.3.1.

Longyearbyen Hospital has six beds for admis-sion and observation. The hospital is prepared foremergency response 24 hours a day. This includesoutpatient clinic examinations in cases of sus-pected illness or injury. Medical treatment andminor surgical procedures can usually be per-formed at the outpatient clinic, while patients whoneed to undergo further testing or to be referredto a specialist other than one that LongyearbyenHospital can offer must seek help on the mainlandor in their home country. Emergency medical ser-vices are provided to people travelling in the archi-pelago and adjacent waters, without their being


resident in Svalbard. In Barentsburg, the miningcompany Trust Arktikugol has a healthcare ser-vice in connection with its operations, but Long-yearbyen Hospital helps when needed.

Emergency medical services in Svalbard con-sist of an emergency medical dispatch centre(AMK), an emergency assistance service, anambulance service, off-road rescue in cooperationwith volunteers, a rescue helicopter serviceorganised by and in cooperation with the Office ofthe Governor, and an air ambulance service to themainland. Longyearbyen Hospital is part of theUniversity Hospital of North Norway (UNNTromsø) and cooperates with UNN Tromsø,sometimes via video-based medical emergencyinteraction (VEMI). This enables medical consul-tation and guidance from UNN Tromsø to employ-ees at Longyearbyen Hospital.

Longyearbyen Hospital provides some types ofservice not normally provided in hospital, includ-ing services comparable to primary healthcare onthe mainland, such as general practice medicine,midwifery, health visitor services and physiother-apy. The hospital also has a dental service and anoccupational health service, but no permanentpsychologist service.

Treatment costs and deductibles for healthservices rendered at Longyearbyen Hospital arecovered largely in accordance with rules and ratesapplicable on the mainland. In cases where thepatient is neither a member of Norway’s NationalInsurance Scheme while in Svalbard nor coveredby a mutual agreement Norway has concludedwith another country, and which includes Sval-bard, the patient must either have insurance thatcovers the expenses or pay directly for the treat-ment. The EU regulation on the coordination ofsocial security systems (Regulation 883/2004),whose area of application includes medical assis-tance in the European Economic Area, does notapply to Svalbard.

Veterinary service

There are animals in Svalbard, too, and dog keep-ing is widespread, especially in the tourism indus-try. On the mainland, animal health and welfareare safeguarded through special legislation,including the Food Act and laws governing animalwelfare and animal health personnel. The Minis-try of Agriculture and Food is the competent min-istry for this legislation. The Food Act and theAnimal Welfare Act are applicable in Svalbard.The Act relating to veterinarians and other animalhealth personnel, however, does not apply to the

archipelago. On the mainland, municipalities areresponsible for ensuring satisfactory access toveterinary services, which are performed by pri-vate-practicing veterinarians. Municipalities arealso responsible for organising on-call clinical vet-erinary services. In 2013 a private veterinary prac-tice was established in Svalbard. It has receivedannual subsidies from the Ministry of Agricultureand Food. The Ministry of Justice and PublicSecurity has also contributed start-up support.

On the mainland, no veterinarians in privatepractice receive support from the Ministry ofAgriculture and Food. Certain municipalitieswhere economic activity is sparse and access toveterinarians is unstable are provided govern-ment grants for measures to secure adequate sup-ply of veterinary services. As mentioned, the Actrelating to animal health personnel is not appliedin Svalbard. Nor is Svalbard a municipality in itsown right, which means mainland systems andprogrammes related to this topic are not automati-cally transferrable. The possibility of making theAct relating to animal health personnel applicablein Svalbard will be considered in connection withan upcoming revision of the act.

6.3.4 Children and youth

The number of children and young people inLongyearbyen has grown in step with the develop-ment as a family community. While in 2008 therewere 372 people aged 0–19 in Longyearbyen, thenumber in the 2015–2016 school year was 430.

There are two kindergartens operating inLongyearbyen. Both are run by the LongyearbyenCommunity Council, with all-day care available forchildren aged 0–6. The coverage rate in Long-yearbyen is currently 100 per cent, and places aremade available within three months of application.After several years of a growing child populationand expansion in day-care capacity, the number ofchildren in day-care has now declined from 145children in 2012 to 107 in 2015, and the operatinglevel has been adjusted accordingly. During thesame period, the proportion of foreign children inthe kindergartens has risen from 20 per cent in2013 to 32 per cent in 2015.

The Longyearbyen Community Council is alsoresponsible for schooling in Longyearbyen. Long-yearbyen School has a primary and lower second-ary school as well as a department for upper sec-ondary education; after-school and cultural artsprogrammes are also available. The Governor ofTroms county supervises the school, while theGovernor of Svalbard assists on issues relating to


matters in Svalbard. In the 2015–2016 school year,there are 225 primary and lower secondaryschool pupils and 25 pupils receiving upper sec-ondary instruction. Ten per cent of the pupils arefrom outside Norway.

As mentioned in section 5.3.5, the EducationAct and the Kindergarten Act determine theframework for the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil’s duties in providing for education.According to the regulations, education at the pri-mary and lower secondary level must be pro-vided, while the council may choose to provideupper secondary instruction. The Education Actalso contains provisions on individual adaptationfor pupils with special needs.

The regulations pertaining to schools and kin-dergartens in Longyearbyen are described inmore detail in section 5.3.5. Due to the operativeprinciple of applying them «to the appropriatedegree» or «circumstances permitting», a needhas arisen to clarify the scope of the council’sduties in a number of areas. With regard, forexample, to the duty to provide special educationfor pupils in the upper secondary level, the Minis-

try of Education and Research has ruled that theLongyearbyen Community Council is not obligedto provide such instruction. The ministry has nev-ertheless urged the council to do as much as pos-sible to adapt its upper secondary instruction, tothe degree local conditions permit, for the benefitof pupils with special needs.

Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the StortingSvalbard indicated furthermore that the Longyear-byen Community Council itself must consider whichspecial services to provide beyond what is necessaryunder statute, but to do so «on the basis of an overallevaluation», taking into account the resources thatsuch services require and proportionality withregard to the rest of the services provided.

This presents the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil with challenges and hard choices involv-ing both its direct obligations and any additionalservices it is to provide, in which case differentneeds must be weighted and prioritised. The factthat many pupils are foreign nationals raises spe-cial issues. The council has therefore asked forguidelines on how the regulations should be prac-ticed, and which services are to be provided.

Figure 6.6 Every year on 8 March, the return of the sun is marked with a traditional gathering on the old hospital steps at Skjæringa.

Photo: Anastasia Gorter, Office of the Governor of Svalbard


The Government wishes to emphasise that thelow taxation level and the fact that immigrationlegislation does not apply to Svalbard make forspecial framework conditions in the local commu-nity of Longyearbyen. Longyearbyen is notintended to be a cradle-to-grave society, and theaforementioned framework conditions are dimen-sioned for the services that are to be provided,and by extension for the expectations residentsshould have regarding, for example, special ser-vices for children and youth. The Governmenttherefore believes that the adapted school ser-vices and the restrictive practice currently in placeshould be continued, and that providing servicesbeyond the current level is not an objective. Nor,accordingly, should the Longyearbyen Commu-nity Council provide services of a clear social-pol-icy character.

Further work will therefore be done, as alsomentioned in section 5.3.5, to clarify the council’sobligations with respect to the Kindergarten Act,the Education Act and the proposed act on genderequality and prohibiting discrimination. This workwill also include clarifications needed as a result ofstructural and quality-based child welfarereforms, and changes in the division of responsi-bility between the state and the municipalities.

6.3.5 Foreign nationals

Opportunities for gainful employment and a rea-sonably well-developed list of services, along withthe fact that work and residence permits are not

required in Svalbard, have made it attractive forforeign nationals to settle in Longyearbyen. Thepopulation structure is therefore changing. Thenumber of foreign nationals has increased from326 in 2008 to 658 as of 1 April 2016; it has in otherwords almost doubled. The number of Norwegiannationals, however, has decreased in the sameperiod, from 1,692 to 1,478. While foreign nation-als accounted for 15 per cent of the population in2008, the proportion on 1 April 2016 was about 31per cent. In primary and lower secondary school,about 10 per cent of the children are foreignnationals, while in the kindergartens the figure isabout 32 per cent. In one of the kindergartens,37.5 per cent of children are foreign nationals,from 11 different countries.

This population trend raises several issuesthat relate in particular to the situation of childrenand youth. While the services provided in Long-yearbyen are available to all residents, includingforeign nationals, it is indeed limited, and does notaddress all needs, certainly not across the entirehuman life span. Even a prolonged stay in Long-yearbyen will not by itself open the way to a fur-ther stretch of time on the mainland for foreignnationals; see discussion in section 5.3.3. This isalso the case for foreign children born duringtheir parents’ stay in Svalbard. Norwegian nation-als may travel to the mainland for further school-ing and studies, and to their respective mainlandmunicipalities to fulfil any care needs. Foreignnationals without such ties have no such opportu-nity, apart from a limited access to upper second-

* as of 1 December 2015** as of 1 April 2016Source: Svalbard Tax Office

Table 6.1 Population in Longyearbyen, by nationality.

Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015* 2016**

Norway 1652 1604 1637 1643 1569 1557 1513 1472

Thailand 93 92 103 103 112 111 116 116

Sweden 65 72 91 94 107 125 123 141

Denmark 32 27 31 37 30 41 43 40

Germany 26 23 23 25 25 30 38 39

Russia 30 35 39 42 42 47 47 50

Ukraine 8 9 10 13 16 23 26 21

Philippines 10 12 16 18 20 27 37 40

Other, Europe 51 57 64 80 87 117 133 144

Other, outside Europe 27 32 54 52 48 54 68 67

Total 1994 1963 2068 2107 2056 2132 2144 2130


ary education. They must therefore return to theirhome country to fulfil their needs. This maybecome a challenge, especially for second-genera-tion and, eventually, third-generation childrenborn during their parents’ stay in Longyearbyen,and when ties to the home country over time mayhave become weak.

Responsibility in such situations rests with theparents. Just as the Norwegian authorities do notwish to facilitate life-long residence for Norwe-gians in Svalbard, it is not up to the Norwegianauthorities to facilitate life-long residence for for-eign nationals who choose to stay in Svalbard. It istherefore important that foreign nationals whocome to Longyearbyen be given clear, accurateinformation about the applicable legal and practi-cal constraints of life there, including the limitedrange of services and the fact that a life-long stayin Longyearbyen cannot be pursued. It will also beimportant to advise foreign nationals that theyhave no access to welfare benefits on the Norwe-gian mainland, and that they will therefore need tomaintain contact with their home country. On themainland, municipalities are responsible for vari-ous introduction programmes for foreign nation-als. Although these programmes are inapplicableto Svalbard, it is natural for the LongyearbyenCommunity Council to have primary responsibil-ity for providing such information, in close cooper-ation with other authorities, such as the Norwe-gian Labour and Welfare Administration and theGovernor of Svalbard.

When it comes to services specifically gearedto foreign nationals, the Longyearbyen Commu-nity Council has, as mentioned, no obligation tooffer introduction programmes, etc. Although thecouncil offers Norwegian-language instruction fornewly arrived foreign nationals, the Governmentdoes not intend to make provision for, or fund,additional introduction programmes or otheraccommodations specifically for foreign nationalsin Longyearbyen.

The Longyearbyen Community Council hasalso pointed out that in certain areas it will be nec-essary to clarify whether it is obliged to fund ser-vices for foreign children; this concern will be fol-lowed up in dialogue with the relevant ministries.

6.4 Summary

The Government will:– Seek to maintain Longyearbyen as a viable

local community that attracts families andhelps fulfil and support the overriding objec-tives of the Svalbard policy.

– Further develop the Longyearbyen commu-nity, with various types of development undercontinual assessment.

– Facilitate continued development of existingactivities such as tourism, research and highereducation, as well as a broad and varied rangeof economic activities.

– Facilitate the possibility of maintaining someactivity at Svea during a restructuring periodfor Longyearbyen, while mining operations atSvea and Lunckefjell are suspended.

– Strengthen the Longyearbyen community byincreasing funding for housing and land devel-opment in Longyearbyen by NOK 10 million.

– Facilitate employment and restructuring inLongyearbyen, using funds provided in theestimated accounts for the 2015 central govern-ment budget.

– Continue efforts to facilitate development ofsound infrastructure in Svalbard, includingenergy and water supply.


– In close consultation with tourism operators,take coordinated action to better facilitate tour-ism in Management Area 10, which includesthe Isfjorden area and areas surrounding theinhabitated locations.

– Consider facilitating closer contact betweenthe Governor of Svalbard and the local tourismindustry by redirecting resources for this pur-pose.

– Enable the Northern Norway Art Museum toconsider establishing a residence/guest studiofor visiting artists.

– Consider relocating public sector jobs to Sval-bard to help achieve the objective of maintain-ing Norwegian communities in the archipelago.


7 Environmental protection

7.1 Introduction

Protection of the natural environment is a key ele-ment in the Svalbard policy, and the preservationof Svalbard’s distinctive natural wilderness haslong been an overriding objective of this policy.This is also a result of the Svalbard Treaty, whichcontains provisions concerning the preservationof Svalbard’s natural environment. Svalbard has anatural and cultural heritage of international sig-nificance and value, which Norway has a specialresponsibility to preserve. This was emphasisedin the two previous white papers concerning Sval-bard.

The overriding objectives of the Svalbard pol-icy remain unchanged, and will ensure compre-hensive and balanced management of the archi-pelago. Preservation of the area’s distinctive natu-ral wilderness is one of these overriding objec-tives. More specific objectives for environmentalprotection in Svalbard have also been issued, andhave long guided its management policy (see sec-tion 7.2). These objectives, too, remainunchanged. At the same time, the management ofnatural and cultural heritage sites in Svalbardmust take into account the fact that Svalbard’scommunities and its environment are both chang-ing, and must facilitate necessary restructuringand further development in line with the objec-tives that have been set. One of the overridingobjectives of the Svalbard policy is to maintainNorwegian communities in the archipelago.Accordingly, activities that ensure this must befacilitated. Experience to date shows that signifi-cant growth in tourism and research and the fur-ther development of existing mining operationshave been possible within the framework of exist-ing environmental regulations and objectives.

The magnificent nature and abundant animallife of Svalbard offer significant opportunities fornature experiences and nature-based tourism.With the exception of a few particularly vulnera-ble areas, almost all of Svalbard is accessible tovessel-based tourism when ice conditions permit.This is also the case inside the protected areas,where extensive activity in the form of adventure

cruises already takes place in the summer season.In spring, large areas are accessible for snowmo-bile trips starting from, for example, Longyear-byen, even though certain areas are protectedfrom such traffic so as to accommodate non-motorised tourism and outdoor recreational activ-ity. Svalbard also offers unique opportunities toresearch climate change and the environment inthe Arctic, in a natural environment that is rela-tively untouched by other influences. Its geo-graphical position also makes Svalbard an attrac-tive location for a various types of space-relatedactivity. Moreover, Svalbard is relatively easilyaccessible and has a highly developed infrastruc-ture by Arctic standards. By deliberately capitalis-ing on these advantages, Norway has allowedresearch, higher education, space activity andnature-based tourism to grow and become impor-tant activities that also make up an increasinglylarge part of the foundation for Norwegian com-munities and presence in Svalbard. These activi-ties over time have also led to a rise in traffic inSvalbard’s natural environment, and to the needfor better forms of facilitation and, as needed, reg-ulation to protect the environment in the longterm.

Given the uncertainty about the future of con-tinued mining in Svea, the Longyearbyen commu-nity now faces a restructuring in which activityand traffic levels linked to tourism, research andhigher education, among others, may increasefurther. Such an increase in activity and traffic willheighten the need for management based onknowledge.

The environmental regulations and environ-mental objectives in Svalbard establish the frame-work for all activities. Within that framework,however, there is latitude for additional activitiesrelated to tourism, research and higher education.

This chapter describes the challenges thesedevelopments represent and announces somenew measures to facilitate necessary restructur-ing and further development, and to ensure thatthis can be achieved within the framework of theSvalbard Environmental Protection Act and theenvironmental objectives.


In close dialogue with the relevant actors inSvalbard, the environmental authorities will nowtake coordinated action to better facilitate tour-ism in the zone known as Management Area 10,which includes the Isfjorden area and areas sur-rounding the inhabitated locations (see map inFigure 6.1). With this in mind, the first phase ofthis work will be initiated as soon as possible,ensuring a comprehensive approach to the con-struction of new commercial tourist cabins andthe use of temporary facilities for the tourismindustry in winter. Efforts will also begin on theconsideration of accommodating vessel disem-barkation at selected locations in the Isfjordenarea and to put in place better frameworks fornon-motorised tourism products such as skiingand dogsledding trips.

An active visitor management strategy willensure that use of protected areas is facilitated insuch as way as to permit the best possible visitorexperience while at the same time increasingrespect and understanding for the protection andsafeguarding of the natural and cultural heritageassets. Through good dialogue with the users, theauthorities will ensure a management that takes

into account the challenges climate change cre-ates for the environment and for activities such astourism and research.

The Government will also secure naturalassets and cultural heritage sites located nearinhabitated locations and important for tourism,recreation and the local population. Furthermore,a process has begun to assess whether there isany basis for nominating parts of Svalbard asWorld Heritage sites, due to the internationallysignificant natural and cultural heritage foundthere.

To ensure comprehensive, long-term manage-ment, the Government will continue developingmanagement plans for the protected areas in Sval-bard. These plans will facilitate activity in accord-ance with the purpose of the protection and theprotection provisions. Another important objec-tive is to adapt management policy to the rapid cli-matic and environmental changes Svalbard is fac-ing. In order to facilitate activity and ensure soundcoordination of management inside and outsidethe protected areas in Management Area 10, man-agement plans will be drawn up that include bothprotected and unprotected areas.

Figure 7.1 Svalbard reindeer and Svalbard rock ptarmigan grazing together.

Photo: Nicolas Lecomte, Norwegian Polar Institute


7.2 More on the environmental objectives for Svalbard

Protecting Svalbard’s distinctive natural wilder-ness is one of several long-established overridingobjectives of the Svalbard policy. The purpose ofthe Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, whichentered into force in 2002, is to preserve a near-pristine environment in Svalbard with regard tocontiguous areas of wilderness, landscape, flora,fauna and cultural heritage. Within this frame-work, the act allows for environmentally soundcommunity, research and business operations.

In Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the StortingSvalbard, which the Storting endorsed through itsconsideration of the white paper (Recommenda-tion No. 336 (2008–2009) to the Storting), moredetailed objectives were set for protecting theenvironment in Svalbard. Apart from some minoradjustments, these objectives are the same asthose stated in Report No. 9 (1999–2000) to theStorting Svalbard.

The objectives are as follows:– On the basis of its internationally significant

natural and cultural heritage, Svalbard shall beone of the world’s best-managed wildernessareas.

– Within the framework set by the Treaty andconsiderations of sovereignty, environmentalconsiderations shall prevail in the event of con-flicts between environmental protection andother interests.

– The extent of wilderness areas shall be main-tained.

– Flora, fauna and cultural munuments that war-rant protection should be preserved virtuallyintact, and natural ecological processes andbiodiversity must be allowed to evolve virtuallyundisturbed by human activity in Svalbard.

– There shall be large and essentially pristinenature areas in Svalbard that meet the need forreference areas for climate and environmentalresearch.

– The possibility to experience Svalbard’s naturalenvironment undisturbed by motorised trafficand noise shall be ensured, including areasthat are easily accessible from the inhabitatedlocations.

The Government will continue to use these envi-ronmental objectives as the basis for its manage-ment of Svalbard. At the same time, within thescope of the objectives and applicable legislation,the Government considers it important to facili-tate further necessary development in the inhabi-

tated locations and development of new and sus-tainable activities.

7.3 Challenges and measures

7.3.1 State of the environment

After consideration of Report No. 22 (2008–2009)to the Storting (see Recommendation No. 336(2008–2009) to the Storting) it was concluded thatthe state of the environment in Svalbard was gen-erally good, and that this provided a good startingpoint for successfully protecting Svalbard’s natu-ral wilderness.

It was pointed out that the climate in Svalbardwas changing rapidly, and that we were alreadywitnessing the first impacts of climate change onsome stocks. It was also stressed that there was arisk that steadily growing traffic would affect anincreasing number of locations and areas in Sval-bard.

The state of the environment in Svalbard isstill generally good, and for some species, such asthe walrus, stocks have continued to regenerateand increase after previous overexploitation. Theimpacts of climate change have become evenclearer, and are now better documented. We havegained more knowledge about the vulnerability ofecosystems to climate change on land, in the seaand in pack ice, and new studies show that climatechange poses the most serious threat to speciesand ecosystems in Svalbard and in the Arcticregion generally. Although the level of differenttypes of activity in and around Svalbard hasincreased, the impact of current human traffic andother local activity is considered moderate.

7.3.2 Current policy instruments

Svalbard already has a modern framework of envi-ronmental regulations and a well-functioning sys-tem for managing natural and cultural heritagesites; these provide a good starting point for han-dling the environmental protection challengesthat Svalbard faces. The regulations offer manyopportunities for development within the existingframework.

The most important policy instrument forachieving the environmental objectives for Sval-bard is the Svalbard Environmental Protection Actand accompanying regulations. The act, whichentered into force in 2002, is a framework act. Itspurpose is to maintain a nearly intact environmentin Svalbard with regard to contiguous areas of wil-derness, landscape, flora, fauna and cultural herit-


age. Within this framework, the act allows forenvironmentally sound community, research andbusiness activity.

The act contains more detailed provisions on anumber of environmental topics. The SvalbardEnvironmental Protection Act and accompanyingregulations govern area protection, encroachmentinto the natural environment and traffic, protec-tion of cultural heritage sites, land-use planning inthe communities, local pollution and waste, andhunting, trapping and fishing. This legislation laysdown the framework for all activity and land usethat may have an impact on the environment.Within the protected areas, the protective regula-tions are the most important tool for setting limitson activity and land use. In the areas that are notprotected, activity and land use are governed by astrict, general environmental regulatory frame-work. In land-use planning areas surrounding theinhabitated locations, the Svalbard EnvironmentalProtection Act and accompanying regulationsdefine the framework for land-use planning andactivity that may impact the environment. Almost14 years after coming into force, the SvalbardEnvironmental Protection Act has shown that itsatisfactorily addresses the need for comprehen-sive, long-term management of the archipelago.Moreover, the act has not prevented a significantincrease in activity during that period. The regula-tions governing environmental matters remainunchanged, and the Government will carry themforward as a predictable framework for all activityin Svalbard.

The protected areas in Svalbard cover 65 percent of the land area and 87 per cent of the terri-torial sea. Between 2002 and 2006, protection ofthese areas was supplemented and expanded onthe basis of geographical analysis, so that all ofSvalbard’s main ecosystems are sufficientlyencompassed. New geographical and environ-mental data have been obtained since then, butimportant knowledge gaps still exist as towhether the protection is sufficiently representa-tive of all of Svalbard’s natural environment. Tosafeguard areas with special qualities, protectionmay still be regarded as an appropriate policyinstrument.

Management plans have been drawn up forthe nature reserves in East Svalbard, as well asdraft management plans for the national parks andbird sanctuaries on the west side of Spitsbergen.A management plan is being developed within theframework of the protection regulations, elaborat-ing on them and rendering them more specific.The plan should provide predictability through

specific guidelines for area use, information, caseprocessing, etc.

The current legislation provides a good start-ing point for dealing with future challengesbecause intact ecosystems in themselves helpmake nature more resilient to the impacts of cli-mate change. The Government will therefore con-tinue to pursue the current protection policy. Atthe same time, necessary adaptation and flexibil-ity for managing climate change and increasingactivity will be addressed. Management plansserve as an important tool in this context.

In Svalbard there is a close connectionbetween life on land and life in the adjacent areasof sea and pack ice. These marine areas are impor-tant habitats for many species found in Svalbard,particularly ice-dependent species such as thepolar bear, and Arctic seal and whale species. Thesurrounding marine areas are also feeding areasfor Svalbard’s seabird populations.

The environmental regulations in Svalbard areapplicable in Svalbard’s territory as far as the ter-ritorial limits. Many species in Svalbard are migra-tory or belong to stocks that inhabit large parts ofthe marine and pack-ice areas surrounding thearchipelago. It is important that these stocks bemanaged and protected with equal effect through-out their area of distribution. Consequently, themanagement plans and regulations that governactivity in the waters around Svalbard are alsoimportant for environmental protection in Sval-bard. Management of areas outside the territoriallimits is not a topic of discussion in this whitepaper, however.

For seabirds and marine mammals at the topof the marine food chains, the management andcontrol of fisheries in the territorial sea and theFisheries Protection Zone around Svalbard arevital. This topic is discussed in more detail in sec-tion 9.4.7. Fulfilment of international obligationsto protect migratory species and stocks we sharewith other countries, as well as vulnerable speciesand ecosystems, is also vital to environmental pro-tection in Svalbard.

7.3.3 The significance of climate change for environmental management

The temperature in the Arctic is rising approxi-mately twice as fast as the global average, andArctic species and ecosystems are particularlyvulnerable to climate change. Svalbard and thesurrounding marine areas are among the parts ofthe Arctic where these changes are occurringfastest, and where natural and cultural heritage


sites are expected to suffer the worst conse-quences.

In its latest report, the UN IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change concludes that the riskof significant changes in Arctic ecosystems in thelong term is extremely high. Climate changes willreduce the habitats of several species found in theArctic today. Many of these may eventually disap-pear from increasingly large parts of the Arcticregion, and Svalbard is among the areas wherethis is expected to occur with greatest rapidity.This is because the sea ice surrounding Svalbardis retreating faster than in most other parts of theArctic and because Svalbard, as a result, is an areawhere climate models predict the temperaturewill continue to rise particularly fast.

In addition to the direct environmentalimpacts of these climate changes, retreating seaice will make more and more of Svalbard’s coastaland marine areas accessible for activity for muchof the year. This presents opportunities for a con-tinued rise in maritime traffic related to cruisetourism and fishing around Svalbard and in thenorthern Barents Sea, but also the potential forgreater environmental impact and risk.

Together with other environmental impacts,including changes in activity, rapid climatechanges pose a significant and growing challengeto environmental protection in Svalbard. Contin-ual change in future environmental conditions istherefore something the environmental manage-ment authorities must take into account, and towhich the tourism industry and other activitiesmust adapt.

The restructuring process facing Longyear-byen may lead to increased activity and, as aresult, heighten the challenges related to traffic.Such an increase in traffic must therefore be man-aged in a way attuned to the rapid changes in cli-mate and environmental conditions. This meansthat management of local activity must accountsufficiently for species and habitats that areexposed to increasing pressure as a result of cli-mate change. This applies not least to ice-depend-ent species such as the polar bear and seals,which are at risk of having their main habitats sig-nificantly reduced as the sea ice graduallyretreats. The combination of increased traffic andclimate changes underlines the importance ofhaving plans in place to manage the areas sur-

Figure 7.2 Polar bear.

Photo: Jon Aars, Norwegian Polar Institute


rounding the inhabitated locations (ManagementArea 10). Such plans will facilitate further develop-ment of various nature-based tourism productswhile taking into account the increasing pressureon the environment stemming from such factorsas climate change. They will also help provide pre-dictable conditions for the business communitywhile providing the authorities with a useful man-agement tool for the area.

Ocean acidification caused by increaseduptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere bythe ocean is an increasingly important factoraffecting Arctic marine ecosystems. Ocean acidifi-cation occurs faster in the Arctic because coldwater absorbs more carbon dioxide. In the longterm it must be expected that ocean acidificationmay have significant consequences for the marineecosystems around Svalbard. This phenomenonwill interact with climate change in ways that arehard to predict, but that could affect plankton andother key species and therefore the structure andfunction of marine ecosystems.

Increased environmental impact caused by cli-mate change and ocean acidification are consider-ations that must be incorporated into the manage-ment of species and their habitats, and that mayhave significance for activity frameworks. Envi-ronmental management can facilitate desireddevelopment by learning from experience and byaccessing and exploiting new knowledge. Impor-tant prerequisites for such management include aset of clear, verifiable environmental objectives,continuous monitoring of the state of the environ-ment, development of models for predictingchanges, and regular assessment of the state ofthe environment and goal attainment. Such man-agement must also include sound processes forinvolving those affected by the measures. TheGovernment will further develop environmentalmanagement in Svalbard to ensure that these pre-requisites are in place. The Government is deter-mined to safeguard species and habitats that maybe exposed to further pressure resulting from cli-mate change and ocean acidification combinedwith other impact factors. Important tools in thiscontext are management plans and practicalimplementation of the Svalbard EnvironmentalProtection Act.

7.3.4 Challenges related to traffic and other activity

Despite increased activity in and around Svalbard,the scope of the impact resulting from traffic andother local activity is still deemed moderate. Few

conflicts have been registered between organisedtourism activity and natural and cultural heritageassets as a result of today’s tourism activity. Onereason for this may be sound industry proceduresand attitudes with regard to complying with envi-ronmental regulations, and training for guidesthat results in an emphasis on careful manage-ment of traffic by operators. Emphasis is alsoplaced on reaching out to individual tourists withgood information about regulations and safetymeasures.

Since the previous white paper on Svalbard,tourism and traffic levels have increased, as hasinternational interest in Svalbard as a platform forArctic research.

In the Barents Sea, fishing for fish species suchas cod and haddock has extended more to thenorth in recent years. Simultaneously, cruise trafficand research activity have contributed to a rise inmaritime traffic in the waters surrounding Sval-bard. On land, too, traffic is increasing and trafficpatterns are changing as a result of climate changeand retreating sea ice. This is the case for cruiseship disembarkations and snowmobile traffic alike.These trends have been managed satisfactorilythrough existing policy instruments, and the tour-ist industry has adopted its own measures to helplimit the environmental impact. Tourism andresearch are activities that contribute much-neededknowledge and create good ambassadors of envi-ronmental protection in Svalbard as a result of thenatural experiences they provide. These activitiesmay also contribute to restructuring needed in theyears to come. However, these types of activitiesalso create more traffic. Through the use of currentregulations and management plans, traffic throughthe natural environment will be managed so as toallow such traffic to increase in a way that is sus-tainable and that addresses environmental consid-erations in line with current objectives.

Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the StortingSvalbard pointed out that Svalbard could bedivided roughly into three zones according toacceptable levels of impact from traffic. The low-est impact level is accepted in the nature reserves.In the three large national parks established in1973, slightly higher levels of traffic and impactare accepted. In the remaining areas, whichencompass central Spitsbergen including theIsfjorden area and the inhabited locations, trafficimpacts are more acceptable than in the naturereserves and the national parks established in1973. This three-way division will continue in theimplementation of environmental regulations andthe development of management plans.


A growth in tourism may have significance forthe natural environment and cultural heritagesites in the Isfjorden area. This area containsnational parks, other protected areas and areasthat are not protected. We must therefore assist inmanaging use of this area so as to ensure the bestpossible visitor experience while at the same timeincreasing respect and understanding for the pro-tection and safeguarding of the natural and cul-tural heritage assets. The work on visitor manage-ment related to national parks on the mainlandwill serve as an important reference base in thisconnection, and similar processes should beimplemented in the Isfjorden area. Growth in tour-ism and other activities also heightens demand forknowledge about vulnerable areas and resourcedeposits, and about which areas can tolerateincreased use. In the summer of 2015, the Gover-nor of Svalbard and local tourism industry actorsconducted such vulnerability studies of someareas in Isfjorden. Further mapping and develop-ment should rely on a comprehensive methodol-ogy based on the Norwegian Biodiversity Infor-mation Centre’s ‘Nature Types in Norway’ classifi-cation system. On the basis of such mapping,work will be initiated to facilitate disembarkationat selected locations in the Isfjorden area.

In 2007 permission was granted under the Sval-bard Environmental Protection Act to establishthree cabins for commercial use in connectionwith tourism in Svalbard. See section 6.2.1 for fur-ther discussion of cabins for commercial use andother measures to facilitate further development ofthe tourism industry inside Management Area 10.

Management plans will be drawn up for thenational parks in central Spitsbergen. This workwill also include assessing management of theintervening non-protected areas in order to adopta comprehensive approach to different types oftraffic and other activity in the areas surroundingthe inhabited locations. This particularly appliesto Management Area 10 (see map in Figure 6.1)and the busiest traffic areas on the east coast.

In a comprehensive plan like this, guidelineson traffic in different areas must be assessedaccording to where increased traffic is desirableand where concern for natural assets makesincreased traffic undesirable.

Important measures have already beenlaunched in Svalbard in response to retreating seaice, easier access and increased exposure of vul-nerable species and nature areas to traffic. Regula-tions governing the large nature reserves in east-ern Svalbard, for example, have been amended toinclude certain restrictions on traffic in selected

areas. In 2007, ships were banned from carryingheavy fuel oil through these nature reserves. In2009, the ban was expanded to apply to all parts ofthe national parks on the west side, with sometime-limited exemptions that were repealed in2015. Exemptions still apply for sailing to andfrom Sveagruva. This significantly reduced therisk of environmental damage caused by emis-sions of heavy fuel oil inside the largest part ofSvalbard’s territorial sea. Maritime safety andemergency preparedness are discussed in moredetail in Chapter 10.

The environmental management authoritieswill pay closer attention to traffic in areas withimportant and vulnerable environmental assets.Emphasis will be placed on good dialogue withusers to find solutions that take into account thechallenges for activities such as tourism andresearch that could arise from possible changes tothe framework governing traffic. Changes in theframework must be followed up with specificinformation and increased supervision during crit-ical periods. Consideration of new measures mayalso evaluate alternative traffic routes and solu-tions to ensure predictability for the tourismindustry.

Less snow and fjord ice in springtime couldalso make snowmobile trails impassable andthereby affect conditions for tourism and otheractivity. At the same time, less sea ice will make iteasier to reach many areas by boat for longer peri-ods during the year. During winters with littlefjord ice, most snowmobile traffic will be concen-trated in areas where ice is still found. In such sit-uations, both snowmobile traffic and animal lifewill be concentrated in the remaining ice-coveredareas, and animals will be exposed to an increas-ing level of disturbance. The environmental man-agement authorities have circulated for publicconsultation a proposal to amend the regulationsgoverning motorised traffic in Svalbard. The pro-posal involves expanding the area where visitorscan operate snowmobiles when participating inorganised tours or when accompanied by perma-nent residents. The background for the proposalis that a decline in fjord ice in Tempelfjorden andBillefjorden has created a need to protect animallife from motorised traffic on the fjord ice as wellas a need on the part of tourism operators for analternative route to Pyramiden when the fjord iceis unsafe. Allowing an alternative route across theglacier systems will address both the tourismindustry’s need to arrange tours to Pyramidenand the need to avoid disturbing polar bears andseals at a sensitive time of the year.


When considering traffic related to researchand monitoring, the needs and opportunities forknowledge development – to provide a basis forSvalbard’s management, among other things –will have to be balanced against the need to avoidtraffic in vulnerable areas and at the most sensi-tive times of the year. In general the need forupdated knowledge about the environment andchanges in the state of the environment is grow-ing because of the speed of climate change. TheSvalbard Environmental Protection Act containsrules governing permits for motorised traffic.These stipulate, among other things, that manage-ment must take into account the objective to limitmotorised traffic in Svalbard when processingapplications for permits for motorised traffic.

Supervision and the exercise of authority willalso create a need to travel in vulnerable areasfrom time to time, including periods when distur-bances should be avoided. Nonetheless, the clearobjective for such activity must be to keep trafficin vulnerable areas to an absolute minimum.

7.3.5 Infrastructure development into nature

With the exception of a few areas surrounding theinhabited locations and the mines in Svalbard, thearchipelago appears as a large, contiguous wilder-ness area with no elements of heavy infrastructuredevelopment such as roads or power lines, etc.

In principle, infrastructure development inprotected areas is not permitted. In areas that arenot protected, the Svalbard Environmental Protec-tion Act places restrictions on permits and condi-tions for activities that involve infrastructuredevelopment.

The Svalbard Environmental Protection Actstipulates that settlement and business activity asa rule should be located in the land-use planningareas. Establishment of mining operationsrequires permission under the Svalbard Environ-mental Protection Act, and the holding of claimsdoes not give entitlement to infrastructure devel-opment in Svalbard. The restrictive practice gov-erning permits and conditions under the SvalbardEnvironmental Protection Act will be pursued inrespect of activities that result in the infrastruc-ture development of natural areas and landscapesoutside the established inhabited locations andmining areas. This practice is based on the envi-ronmental impact of the activity in question. Thismeans, in the case of applications to conduct activ-ities such as exploratory drilling for minerals, onemust examine the overall impact of the explora-

tory activity on the environment in terms of bothscope and time. If such an application to conductexploratory drilling is approved, it does not meanthe applicant can later expect to be granted a per-mit to begin mineral extraction if the explorationgives promising results. Such decisions will beconsidered individually, based on the restrictivepractice at the time and on the objective of main-taining the extent of wilderness in Svalbard.

Stringent conditions will also be set for infra-structure developments inside or in extension ofestablished mining areas and inhabited locationsin order to protect environmental interests in thecase of new or expanded activity. This particularlyapplies to new activities that will affect wildernessareas or important and vulnerable environmentalassets. In 2011 permission was granted to estab-lish a new mine in Lunckefjell on condition thatthe area involved be returned to its original condi-tion on cessation of operation. It was also stressedthat the operating period should last only fiveyears before being returned to its original condi-tion, and that any infrastructure developmentsshould be of a temporary nature. Similar require-ments must be anticipated if permission is grantedto expand existing mining areas or other activitiesthat involve heavy infrastructure developmentsinto nature. On granting permission for the newmine in Lunckefjell the ministry stated, withregard to opportunities for more activity of thesame type in the same area, that all applicationsmust be specifically considered in light of the prin-ciple of cumulative environmental impact. Aninfrastructure development permit related to themining operation in Lunckefjell does not meanpermission will automatically be granted to estab-lish similar activities in other areas in future.

7.3.6 Pollution and waste

Some species are still negatively affected by long-range transported pollutants. Levels of classic pol-lutants such as PCBs in animals from NorwegianArctic areas are showing a generally downwardtrend, mainly because of a ban introduced againsttheir production and use, whereas the concentra-tion levels for chemicals not banned internation-ally are rising. The levels for certain new pollut-ants are far higher than for the classic pollutants,indicating that the new pollutants pose a chal-lenge. Most of the pollutants found in the Arcticare transported over long distances. Local sourcesof pollution are discussed below in the sectiondealing with the environment and land-use plan-ning in the local communities.


Marine littering and microplastics in the seaand on the beaches around Svalbard have beenidentified as a growing problem. Marine debrissuch as plastic rope, fishing nets and plastic bagscan kill animals that eat it or become entangled init. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles thatcome from the breakdown of plastic debris in thesea or that enter the marine environment via drain-age and runoff from land, resulting from wear andtear of plastic products such as car tyres and fleecegarments or from products containing microplas-tics, such as scrubbing agents. Microplastics canrepresent an additional stress factor for animals inthe Arctic region that are exposed to climatechange. As well as having a direct impact on ani-mals, microplastics can also serve as routes fordispersal and uptake of pollutants.

Every year the Governor of Svalbard invitesthe local population to take part in a beach-clean-ing exercise. This clean-up helps reduce the riskto animal life and makes the coastal areas moreattractive to tourists. In 2016 the Norwegian Envi-ronment Agency will publish an analysis ofnational measures against marine littering and anassessment of potential measures to reduce andprevent the occurrence of microplastics in themarine environment.

7.3.7 New species

Several new species have been observed in Sval-bard in recent years, partly as a result of a warmerclimate and partly as a result of the introduction ofnon-native species. The rapid warming weakensthe climatic barrier against non-native speciesfrom temperate regions and raises the risk thatsuch species will gain a foothold and spread inSvalbard and in the Arctic waters, where theycould displace native species. The release ortransport of organisms that are not found natu-rally in Svalbard is prohibited under the SvalbardEnvironmental Protection Act without special per-mission. Work on drafting an action plan to pre-vent the introduction and spread of non-nativespecies in Svalbard is in its final phase, and will beimplemented by the environmental managementauthorities.

The discharge of untreated ballast water rep-resents a particularly high risk of introducing non-native organisms into the marine environment.Ballast water is regulated by ballast water regula-tions that entered into force in 2009. The BallastWater Convention is expected to enter in force inthe near future. Once it does, Norway will reviseits ballast water regulations.

The snow crab is a species that is regarded asnew to the Barents Sea and that is now spreadingtowards Svalbard. The snow crab appears on theNorwegian Biodiversity Information Centre’sBlack List of alien species in the high-risk cate-gory. It is not yet known how the crab arrived inthe Barents Sea from the Beaufort Sea. The spe-cies could come to occupy marine areas aroundSvalbard and account for a major part of the bot-tom fauna. Bycatches of isolated crabs havealready occurred in East Svalbard. It is difficult topredict what this crab will mean for the rest of theecosystem, but it could eventually have a signifi-cant impact on marine ecosystems. Like the kingcrab, the snow crab feeds on a wide range of bot-tom organisms. Studies of the state of the environ-ment in areas expected to be affected are cur-rently being conducted to document the impacts.

7.3.8 Environment and land-use planning in the local communities

The local communities in Svalbard are underdevelopment, and one feature common to all ofthem is that the Svalbard Environmental Protec-tion Act’s aim of environmentally sound commu-nity, research and business operations will formthe basis for future development. Increased activ-ity in the local communities and their immediatevicinity may affect the environment through theexpansion of buildings and infrastructure, moretraffic, more hunting and fishing in surroundingareas, and increasing emissions and generation ofwaste. The scale of the environmental impact inand around the inhabited locations in the comingyears will depend largely on what requirementsare placed on land use, energy efficiency, traffic,waste management and emissions.

New knowledge about the pollution situationin the communities indicates that local emissionsaffect the environment more severely than previ-ously believed. The Government therefore consid-ers it important that local sources of pollution bebrought under control.

Svalbard’s local communities have a long his-tory, with cultural heritage sites and environ-ments that bear witness to different phases intheir development. These heritage sites havegreat symbolic and source value, as storytellers.The buildings present today evolved in close con-nection with the historical core of the area, andstriking a balance between cultural heritage inter-ests and development aims can prove challenging.

The Svalbard Environmental Protection Actcontains provisions regulating land-use planning


within specifically defined land-use planning areasaround the communities. The intention behindthese provisions is to fulfil the purpose of the Sval-bard Environmental Protection Act in the bestpossible way and to lead development in a desireddirection.

Each land-use planning area has a planningauthority which, in addition to its ongoing plan-ning duties, ensures that plans are complied withand followed up. The planning authority is thelandowner or the party granted this authority bythe ministry.

A land-use plan clarifies the actual use of land,but grants no automatic right to start up a newactivity. The activity itself may be subject to otherprovisions in the Svalbard Environmental Protec-tion Act and, possibly, other regulations. Althoughan activity may be in compliance with an approvedland-use plan, a special permit from the Governorof Svalbard may be required in some cases.

The climate changes in Svalbard – as in therest of Norway – increase the risks of avalancheand flood, more extreme weather conditions, andhigher storm surges caused by sea-level rise.Physical infrastructure such as roads, buildingsand ports are therefore more exposed to thesetypes of climate-related incidents. Climate-relatedincidents can pose a threat to life and health. Cli-mate changes add strain to critical Arctic infra-structure that is already vulnerable, thereby creat-ing a need for upgrading and adaptation. Coastalerosion could also become a growing problem inSvalbard. It is therefore important that land-useand community planning in the planning areastake climate change into account. The guide toland-use planning under the Svalbard Environ-mental Protection Act is currently being revised.A description of how the planning areas in Sval-bard should take climate change into account willbe included in the revised guide.

The local communities in Svalbard are verydifferent in character, as are the types of land-useconflicts that need to be resolved. The communi-ties also have different management traditionsand, accordingly, different planning needs. Forthis reason the planning system is flexible, andallows details to be adapted to the needs of thecommunities.

Longyearbyen is the planning area that haschanged most in recent years. The land-use planfor Longyearbyen was last adopted in 2009 and iscurrently under review. A new plan is expected tobe approved in late 2016/early 2017. The Long-yearbyen Community Council is the planningauthority in Longyearbyen, and may approve land-

use plans insofar as no objections are raised. Workis currently being undertaken to implement Long-yearbyen’s numerous detailed zoning plans intothe land-use plan. The land-use plan will be animportant document for showing how Longyear-byen wants to develop in the coming years, mak-ing it an important tool in the community’s cur-rent restructuring process. Knowledge aboutareas prone to flood and avalanche will be vital forsound planning. This knowledge must also bereflected in the land-use plans so that these serveas adequate tools for further developing the localcommunity.

A key purpose of land-use planning is to setguidelines on what may be built and where, and towhat extent undeveloped areas may be used. Theplan must therefore be sufficiently detailed to pro-vide a basis for planning and building decisions.For some areas, such as the central areas, sepa-rate zoning plans may have to be prepared.

The areas in the immediate vicinity of Long-yearbyen are heavily used by the local populationall year round, and cultural heritage sites are oftentourist destinations. Longyearbyen’s cultural her-itage sites can be said to represent the commu-nity’s profile, and are used to market the town as atourist destination. In addition, interesting fossildeposits, including those of reptiles, are found inthe vicinity of Longyearbyen. The potential withinthis field is considerable, in respect of furtherresearch, higher education and information dis-semination, and as part of the offering to tourists.

The environmental management authoritieshave taken a closer look at the natural and culturalheritage assets in the area surrounding Longyear-byen and its value in terms of outdoor recreationand tourism. Adventdalen is regarded as one ofthe most important areas for waders and freshwa-ter birds in Svalbard; sixteen of Svalbard’s red-listed bird species have habitats there. The lowersection of Adventdalen is a particularly importantresting and stopover area for a large number ofgeese and waders. This area also has severalsmall sites that are highly valuable for plant life.Work will be initiated to assess the need forgreater protection of these areas in lower Advent-dalen.

Adaptation to make local natural and culturalheritage attractions more accessible will have pos-itive effects for both tourism and the local popula-tion. Possible measures include the installation of‘sherpa trails’ inside the planning area.

Barentsburg’s land-use plan from 2004 is cur-rently undergoing revision. A new planning pro-gramme was approved in the autumn of 2015, and


the responsible planning authority, Trust Arkti-kugol, wishes to update the plan so that existinginfrastructure, buildings and land use are accu-rately reflected in the plan, while at the same timefacilitating new land use. Research and tourismhave become important activities, and the aim isthat the plan should facilitate further developmentof these activities.

Pyramiden had its first land-use plan approvedby the Governor of Svalbard in 2014. The back-ground for the requirement to prepare a land-useplan was the wish to develop Pyramiden for tour-ism and research purposes. Trust Arktikugol isthe responsible planning authority for Pyramiden,and has performed maintenance work in the plan-ning area since 2007.

Sveagruva’s land-use plan was revised in 2012,but the planning area has undergone changessince then. The land-use plan has served as thesteering document for Store Norske SpitsbergenGrubekompani AS (SNSG) in connection with thephysical development of Svea, and provides abasis for decision-making on the use and protec-tion of the land and buildings there. The Norwe-gian Government took over as landowner in Sveain the spring of 2015. Svea’s coal-mining operationis currently suspended. During this suspension,SNSG rents the land and infrastructure from thestate. Based on this situation, the Ministry of Cli-mate and Environment has given SNSK authorityto act as the planning authority in Svea. The futureof the mining operation in Svea is now uncertain.Changed use of the area would require the land-use plan to be revised so that the use and the planare in accord. Under the Svalbard EnvironmentalProtection Act, revision of land-use plans is to beconsidered every four years. At the request of theGovernor of Svalbard, SNSK has initiated work onrevising the land-use plan for Svea.

Ny-Ålesund has begun work on revising its cur-rent land-use plan. Since the current plan wasapproved in 2009, a more detailed zoning plan hasbeen drawn up for a new geodetic observatoryand various changes have occurred in the Ny-Ålesund’s building stock.

Pollution in the inhabited locations

The Norwegian Environment Agency has grantedemissions permits to the coal mining operations inSvea Nord, Lunckefjell and Mine 7, to the coalpower plant in Longyearbyen, and to the coal min-ing operation and coal power plant in Barents-burg. The Governor of Svalbard has also grantedother emissions permits, including to Avinor for

operating Svalbard Airport. The scope of pollutionfrom diffuse sources such as soil contaminationand waste disposal sites remains uncertain.

PCB sources in the inhabited locations wereidentified under the PCB project, as it was called,and since then a number of clean-up measureshave been implemented and the use of PCBphased out. The biggest challenges lie in Barents-burg and Pyramiden, and the work has been con-ducted in good cooperation with Trust Arktikugol.The environmental reviews of buildings in Bar-entsburg and Pyramiden have resulted in newfindings of material containing PCB. Require-ments were set for clean-up and restoration wheredeemed necessary.

Supervision and environmental surveys haveshown continuing waste-management challengesin several inhabited locations, involving both haz-ardous waste and building refuse. The need forimproved regulations and measures to ensurecompliance will be assessed.

A sewage treatment plant opened in Ny-Ålesund in the autumn of 2015. Opening of theplant means that sewage is no longer dischargeduntreated into the fjord, a development which vali-dates the investment in Ny-Ålesund as a researchstation with its own marine laboratory, amongother facilities. The research station in Hornsundhas had a sewage treatment plant since 2008.Longyearbyen currently has no sewage system.Adventfjorden is affected by the emissions, sothere is a need for sewage treatment. This matterwill be examined further. The need to treat emis-sions from other inhabited locations and researchstations will also be assessed. The LongyearbyenCommunity Council will have responsibility forestablishing and operating a sewage treatmentplant in Longyearbyen.

7.3.9 Cultural heritage sites

Climate changes also affect Svalbard’s culturalheritage sites in the form of increasing erosion,more extensive damage from rust and rot, thaw-ing permafrost, landslides, etc. The iconic cable-ways and pithead installations from mining opera-tions in Longyearbyen and vicinity are exposed torot and landslides, and the airship mooring mastin Ny-Ålesund to rust; meanwhile, the huntingand trapping cabins and other important buildingsin Svalbard are decaying at a faster rate. Thewarmer climate and retreating sea ice in Svalbardmean that coastal erosion is happening faster thanbefore. At the same time, less sea ice leads tomore wave activity, which in turn leads to more


erosion of unprotected shorelines, where most ofSvalbard’s cultural heritage sites are situated.

A list of the 100 most important cultural herit-age sites and cultural environments was drawn upin the Cultural Heritage Management Plan forSvalbard 2013–2023. Fifty of them were assignedhigh priority. Follow-up of the prioritised culturalassets may involve supervision, proposals forpreservation, inclusion in land-use plans or resto-ration and maintenance. In the case of some cul-tural heritage sites of particular historical and/orexperiential value, there will be a need to initiatepreventive measures, such as ones to counteractrot or erosion.

In the case of particularly valuable culturalheritage sites, detailed documentation ought to beundertaken or archaeological emergency excava-tions carried out to preserve their value as histori-cal sources that would otherwise be lost. Also tobe considered is whether to relocate cultural her-itage assets or carry out preventive measuressuch as erosion control.

Industrial cultural heritage sites represent aparticular challenge. These sites are importantsymbolic structures for Longyearbyen and Sval-bard. The most important ones will be given prior-ity with regard to immediate measures and secur-

ing. Under the Svalbard Environmental ProtectionAct, owners are required to maintain protectedcultural heritage assets. Should they fail to do so,and if there is a risk of decay, the Directorate forCultural Heritage may order the owner or user tocarry out corrective measures.

7.3.10 World Heritage

As a state party to UNESCO’s Convention Con-cerning the Protection of the World Cultural andNatural Heritage (World Heritage Convention),Norway is obliged to identify potential world herit-age assets within its own territory. Given theunique natural and cultural heritage assets thearchipelago represents, Svalbard in 2007 wasplaced on Norway’s tentative list of sites underconsideration for nomination to the World Herit-age List in the next five to ten years. Any nomina-tion of parts of Svalbard to the World Heritage Listwould mark an important Norwegian contributionto a more geographically and thematically repre-sentative World Heritage List, and would alignwith the objective of making Svalbard one of theworld’s best-managed wilderness areas. Throughconsideration of Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to theStorting Svalbard (see Recommendation No. 336

Figure 7.3 Adventdalen.

Photo: Ståle Nylund, Office of the Governor of Svalbard


(2008–2009) to the Storting), further work wasannounced to review Svalbard as a World Heritagearea. The Government will assess whether thereare grounds for a nomination of parts of Svalbardas a World Heritage Site on the strength of itsinternationally significant natural and cultural her-itage.

7.3.11 Environmental management’s need for knowledge

Currently, the need for monitoring and evaluatingthe state of the environment is covered in part by

the system of Environmental Monitoring of Sval-bard and Jan Mayen (MOSJ). This system will befurther developed to address the growing needfor knowledge about the status of Svalbard’s envi-ronment and the trends observed. The monitor-ing programmes SEAPOP and MAREANO pro-vide knowledge, respectively, about seabirds inand around Svalbard and the seabed surroundingSvalbard. Aerial monitoring to map the impact ofclimate and environmental contaminants in Sval-bard is performed as part of the central govern-ment’s environmental monitoring. In addition, sur-veys and research are conducted on the impacts

Box 7.1 Lower Adventdalen

Figure 7.4 Purple sandpiper

Photo: Stein G Nilsen, Norwegian Polar Institute

The Adventdalen delta and Adventdalen west ofJansonhaugen make up a vital resting and stopo-ver area for a large number of water birds inboth spring and autumn. A total of 74 water birdspecies have been registered here, 25 of whichare wader species. No other area in Svalbardplays host to such a diversity of species. A totalof 16 of Svalbard’s red-listed bird species arefound in this area, among them brent goose,sanderling, dunlin, red knot, ringed plover, redphalarope and European golden plover. Thethree species mentioned last also nest there.

The Adventdalen delta becomes ice-free ear-lier than the other delta areas in Svalbard.Migrating water birds can therefore find foodhere before settling down to nest. Around10,000 pink-footed geese feed here in late Mayevery year, in addition to brent geese and a largenumber of barnacle geese.

The lower sections of Adventdalen, particu-larly Fivelflya, have abundant areas of moist/

bog tundra. This means the area has a higherincidence of certain bird species than any of theprotected areas in Svalbard. This is especiallythe case for the red-listed dunlin. More than80 per cent of Svalbard’s total population isbelieved to nest here. The purple sandpiper alsoappears in large numbers; as many as 2,000 havebeen sighted simultaneously. The purple sandpi-per has been designated a species of nationalresponsibility1 for Svalbard, since a significantproportion of the global population nests in thearchipelago.

The Longyearbyen Field Biological Associa-tion has been an important contributor of infor-mation concerning the incidence of bird speciesand other natural assets in this area. In 2015 theLongyearbyen Field Biological Associationcalled for this area to be protected and desig-nated as a wetland site of international impor-tance under the Ramsar Convention. The associ-ation also stressed the positive significance thiswould have for tourism and for development oftourism in Svalbard. Viewed in connection withthe proposed nature information centre in Long-yearbyen, the creation of a protected area andnomination of the area for inclusion on theRamsar Convention’s list of wetland sites ofinternational significance could lead to theestablishment of an important arena for informa-tion and experience while also serving as a newtourist attraction.

1 A species of national responsibility is a species Norwayhas a particular responsibility to protect. A significantproportion (25 per cent or more) of such a species’ Euro-pean stock is in Norway.


Box 7.2 Svalbard’s Environmental Protection Fund

Svalbard’s Environmental Protection Fund allo-cates funds to measures that protect naturalenvironments and cultural heritage sites in thearchipelago, in accordance with section 98 of theSvalbard Environmental Protection Act and thefund’s statutes. The fund’s resources shouldcontribute to ensuring that Svalbard’s distinctivewilderness and cultural heritage are preservedas sources of experience, knowledge and valuecreation. The fund’s income is largely derivedfrom the environmental fee for visitors to Sval-bard. Enterprises, organisations and privateindividuals may apply for funding. The Ministry

of Climate and Environment has appointed aboard for the fund, and the Governor of Sval-bard acts as its secretariat. Since its formation in2007, the Environmental Protection Fund hasallocated NOK 97 million to 471 environmentalprojects, and experience shows that the Fund isa well-established economic instrument in thework of protecting Svalbard’s environment.Examples of projects recently supported bySvalbard’s Environmental Protection Fund are anew waste disposal plant in Barentsburg, resto-ration of a locomotive in Ny-Ålesund, and a col-lection scheme for beach litter in Longyearbyen.

Figure 7.5 «Toa»: Steam locomotive No. 2 was made in Berlin in 1909 and it arrived in Ny-Ålesund in 1917. The locomotive was used to transport coal from the pitheads to the shipping quay before lorries took over that work. In connection with Kings Bay’s centenary, Svalbard’s Environmental Protection Fund has granted funding to restore the locomotive so it can continue to serve as a storyteller and landmark in Ny-Ålesund. The restoration work is being carried out at the Aurskog-Høland Line’s special workshop in Sørumsand.

Photo: Asbjørn Hagen


of climate change and other impact factors. Thisresearch has been strengthened in recent yearsthrough the establishment of the NorwegianPolar Institute’s Centre for Ice, Climate and Eco-systems (ICE) and the Fram Centre in Tromsø.The Fram Centre in Tromsø is now beingexpanded in a new building phase, and a new ice-strengthened research vessel is under construc-tion. Knowledge about the state of the environ-ment and climate change in Svalbard is decisivefor local environmental management and is impor-tant for the further development of conventionsand other international forms of cooperation.

Work is being conducted to improve the envi-ronmental monitoring parameters of cultural her-itage sites. This work is being carried out underthe MOSJ system. Reporting on the status of indi-vidual cultural heritage sites is done by updatingthe Askeladden cultural heritage database, and aconcentrated effort to quality-assure the data heldthere is advisable. There is a need to strengthenexisting knowledge about threatened and vulnera-ble species and habitats in the Norwegian part ofthe Arctic and to conduct more systematic assess-ments of threatened and vulnerable natural envi-ronments. This particularly applies to the signifi-cance of climate change for threatened naturalenvironments in the Arctic. The knowledge basefor threatened and vulnerable species and habitatsin Svalbard, with emphasis on marine and sea-iceenvironments, will be further developed.

7.3.12 Environmental information

The Governor of Svalbard has proposed establish-ing a nature information centre in Longyearbyen.Twenty-six authorised visitor centres have beenestablished on the mainland, focusing on a rangeof topics such as national parks, wetlands, wildreindeer and predators. Three World Heritagecentres have also been established for the pur-pose of providing accurate information, enhancingknowledge about world heritage, and strengthen-ing ties to local communities. In large parts ofSvalbard where the land and marine areas are pro-tected, there is untapped potential for visitors tobe introduced to the archipelago’s unique environ-mental assets in a way that allows them to be bothpreserved and experienced. The proposed natureinformation centre will convey the value of Sval-bard’s cultural and natural assets and serve as acommunications arena for administration,

research, higher education, tourism and othereconomic activities.

7.4 Summary

The Government will:– Continue to pursue the current objectives and

regulations in the environmental field.– Within this framework and in close consulta-

tion with tourism operators, take coordinatedaction to better facilitate tourism in Manage-ment Area 10, which includes the Isfjordenarea and areas surrounding the inhabited loca-tions.

– Ensure a comprehensive and environmentallyresponsible approach to the construction ofcommercial tourist cabins and the use of tem-porary facilities for tourism in winter.

– Improve knowledge about the Isfjorden area’svulnerability to human traffic, and on that basisconsider measures to facilitate vessel disem-barkation at selected locations.

– Improve the framework for non-motorisedtourism products such as ski and dogsled trips.

– Continue work on management plans that facil-itate further development of activities such astourism, research and higher education.Ensure that management plans are drawn upfor areas surrounding the inhabited locations(Management Area 10), including both pro-tected and unprotected areas. Ensure that useof the protected areas is facilitated and man-aged to permit the best possible visitor experi-ence while increasing respect and understand-ing for the protections and safeguarding thenatural and cultural assets.

– Facilitate in finding solutions for areas that arebecoming more vulnerable to human traffic asa result of a warmer climate and retreating seaice. The environmental management authori-ties have circulated for public consultation aproposal to expand the area where visitors canoperate snowmobiles when participating inorganised tours or when accompanied by per-manent residents. Secure natural assets andcultural heritage sites located near communi-ties and important for tourism, recreation andthe local population. To this end, work will beinitiated to assess the need for greater protec-tion of areas in lower Adventdalen, where birdlife is especially abundant.


8 Knowledge, research and higher education

8.1 Introduction

Research and higher education represent animportant focus area for Norwegian activity andpresence in Svalbard. Its unique nature and loca-tion, long polar traditions, easy accessibility andmodern infrastructure make Svalbard an attrac-tive platform for Norwegian and international Arc-tic research and higher education. Research inSvalbard is of great interest to both the Norwe-gian and international scientific communities, andeducational and research activity is on the rise.

The presence of researchers from many differ-ent countries creates many opportunities for inter-national cooperation within the framework of Nor-wegian facilitation and regulations. Researchactivity also provides a basis for the unique studyprogramme at the University Centre in Svalbard(UNIS), where students from many differentcountries meet and gain common insights andknowledge that the world needs.

Research in Svalbard is important for knowl-edge development in many thematic areas, andhas contributed to moving forward the state of theart in several disciplines. For example, new tech-nology and improved logistics have made it possi-ble to study life in Arctic waters all year round.New studies show that far more biological activitygoes on below and near the ice around Svalbardduring the polar night than previously assumed.

Norway is at the forefront of internationalpolar research, and still ranks third in the world inthe number of published articles dealing with theArctic.1 This is therefore an area where Norway isuniquely placed to contribute to global knowledgedevelopment. Active publication, dissemination offindings and information sharing are vital if thisknowledge is to be recognised and put to use.

The need for knowledge and expertise regard-ing the Arctic region is greater than ever before.Climate changes in particular pose major chal-lenges to our knowledge. The climate changes aremost noticeable in the Arctic, and Arctic speciesand ecosystems are particularly vulnerable tothem. Developments in the Arctic region will haveripple effects around the world because of the keyrole the polar regions play in the global climatesystem. Insight in many disciplines is needed tounderstand the changes taking place and theirimpacts. This task is too great for one country orresearch discipline to resolve single-handedly. Itrequires interdisciplinary, international coopera-tion, sharing of data, and infrastructure. Develop-ing climate models also requires many differenttypes of data from the Arctic, and both Norwegianand international institutions provide infrastruc-ture, contribute long, standardised measurementseries, and participate in international measure-ment networks. These provide a basis for impor-tant system studies and for the reports issued bythe UN Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange. Norwegian research in and around Sval-bard also contributes to a solid knowledge basefor Norwegian policy, management and businessactivity in the Arctic and in Svalbard.

Knowledge is vital for restructuring existingbusinesses and for creating a basis for new ones.This is why investments are being made in indus-try-oriented research and innovation throughoutthe country. This is the case for Svalbard, too, andcooperation between the business and researchcommunities could potentially take advantage ofthe archipelago’s natural advantages. This meansaccommodating a business community that devel-ops and uses the results of research and develop-ment work and that cooperates with other knowl-edge communities. Space research, cold-climatetechnology, logistics and tourism are potentialareas of research in this context. The policy forresearch and higher education in Svalbard hasseveral dimensions. It is a part of national policyfor research and higher education, which placesemphasis on quality, internationalisation, and lev-eraging of national advantages. It is also a central

1 Source: ‘Norsk polarforskning – forskning på Svalbard.Ressursinnsats og vitenskapelig publisering – indikatorer2014’ (Norwegian polar research: Research in Svalbard.Resource input and scientific publication: Indicators 2014).Dag W. Aksnes, Kristoffer Rørstad, Report 2015:37, NordicInstitute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education(NIFU).


element in Norwegian policy for the High Northand the Arctic, where knowledge is a key focusarea. Research and higher education also consti-tute an important element in the Svalbard policy,and contributes to the achievement of overridingpolicy objectives such as maintaining Norwegiancommunities in the archipelago. The Govern-ment’s goals for research and higher education inSvalbard remains unchanged. These were mostrecently affirmed through the Storting’s consider-ation of Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the StortingSvalbard (see Recommendation No. 336 (2008–2009) to the Storting):– Research and higher education shall be key

elements of Norwegian activity in Svalbard inthe years to come.

– Svalbard shall be further developed as a plat-form for international research, higher educa-tion and environmental monitoring. The archi-pelago’s infrastructure and unique researchpossibilities shall be exploited even better thanthey are at present. The infrastructure must besupplemented with measures that furtherstrengthen Svalbard’s position in internationalknowledge development.

– Norway shall be a key player in the develop-ment of knowledge in and about Svalbard, notjust a facilitator. A professional leading rolemust be ensured in particular through the pro-fessional standing and quality of Norwegianpolar research.

– All activity shall be in accordance with an overrid-ing consideration of the environment. Researchand higher education in climate and the environ-ment is a natural focus area, and this research isitself dependent on the area being kept unaf-fected by local impacts as far as possible.

Norway has for many years facilitated higher edu-cation and extensive Norwegian and internationalresearch in Svalbard. As host for this importantinternational activity, the Government now wantsto facilitate conditions so that these uniqueresearch opportunities can be exploited in an evenbetter way. The Government will therefore takeaction towards:– better use and coordination of resources– more clearly defined research priorities– improved quality and professional manage-

ment– more clearly defined expectations for scientific

quality, cooperation, and open sharing of data

This in turn will promote scientific advances andbetter results from the overall research activity in

Svalbard, and support the objectives of minimis-ing adverse environmental impacts and strength-ening the scientific basis for the study pro-grammes offered.

Section 8.2 discusses research and educationalactivity in Svalbard, and some key challenges andneeds. Section 8.3 describes the priorities in thisarea going forward.

8.2 Status and challenges

8.2.1 Investments and increasing activity

The scope of research and higher education inSvalbard has doubled during the past decade,making this area a vital part of the activity in thearchipelago. In line with the objectives stated inthe previous white paper (Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard), Svalbard today isa platform for international research, higher edu-cation and environmental monitoring.

It is an expressed objective that Svalbard’sunique natural advantages and accessibility befully exploited for research and higher educationpurposes. At the same time, the activity itself mustnot cause harm to this platform. Research andhigher education have taken place – and by andlarge ought to continue to take place – on thebasis of established inhabited locations andresearch stations. There has been a relativelyclear division of labour between research estab-lishments, in keeping with the qualities naturallyinherent in their locations. This, together withpractical coordination of fieldwork, has helpedminimise damage and wear and tear. This appliesto both fieldwork for research purposes and field-based instruction. Increasingly, remote sensingand automated data collection have also beenhelping to reduce the environmental impactswhile making it possible to collect data from other-wise inaccessible areas. Developing such solu-tions further requires a community that encour-ages innovation and technology development inSvalbard.

Accordingly, Norwegian authorities have con-centrated on developing and making availablebuildings, infrastructure and logistical servicesfor research and education activity and on devel-oping entities and services for practical and tech-nical coordination, primarily through UNIS, theNorwegian Polar Institute, Kings Bay AS and theSvalbard Science Forum, and by establishing theSvalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing Sys-tem (SIOS). The various actors are discussed inmore detail elsewhere in this chapter.


Longyearbyen’s role as a centre of researchand higher education has been strengthened, andLongyearbyen now includes a large, broad-basedscientific community centred around the SvalbardScience Centre. UNIS and the Norwegian PolarInstitute each play a central role in this commu-nity. The Svalbard Science Centre also serves asan important meeting place for research dissemi-nation, scientific debate, public education andinformation for students and employees, localinhabitants, tourists and other visitors. There is awish to facilitate further development of this role.See section 6.2.4 for a more detailed discussion ofthe Svalbard Science Centre. In 2009, UNIS pro-vided instruction to just under 400 students from25 countries. The number of study places hasrisen steadily over the years. In 2015 UNIS had690 students from 44 countries, equivalent to 202student full-time equivalents. UNIS’s academicstaff consists of 27 professors and associate pro-fessors, in addition to PhD candidates, postdoc-toral fellows, researchers and technical andadministrative personnel. In total these accountfor 110 permanent positions. In addition, there are43 adjunct professors/adjunct associate profes-sors. The number of scientific articles publishedhas risen from 90 in 2009 to 104 in 2015, 38 percent of which in level 2 journals (the highest qual-ity level). This trend has earned UNIS a signifi-cant position in Svalbard’s knowledge landscape.See Box 8.3 for further discussion.

Several other organisations and researchinstallations are located in or around Longyear-byen. These include EISCAT (European Incoher-ent Scatter Scientific Association), which ownsand operates an antenna facility outside Longyear-byen for exploring the upper atmosphere. Thisorganisation is owned by research councils andinstitutes in the member countries of Finland,Japan, China, Norway, the UK and Sweden. TheCentre for Polar Ecology, which is part of the Uni-versity of South Bohemia, Czech Republic, wasopened in Longyearbyen in 2014.

Ny-Ålesund has been developed as a researchcommunity where several international institutionsare active. The state-owned company Kings Bay ASowns land and buildings, and is in charge of opera-tions, with the exceptions of the Sverdrup station,which is owned by Statsbygg and rented by theNorwegian Polar Institute, and the geodetic obser-vatory, which is owned by the Norwegian MappingAuthority. Ny-Ålesund is the world’s northernmostyear-round research community. Since researchactivity began there in the 1970s, and particularlyover the past 10–15 years, considerable govern-

ment resources have been invested in developingNy-Ålesund into an important platform for scien-tific research on the Arctic, global climate, and cli-mate change. Ny-Ålesund’s favourable locationalongside Kongsfjord is well suited to environmen-tal monitoring and research. Ny-Ålesund has there-fore evolved into an important node in interna-tional research and monitoring networks.

Regular flights operate to Ny-Ålesund, andKings Bay AS provides joint facilities for accom-modation and scientific research activity. KingsBay rents out buildings to international researchinstitutions that use the facilities as a base forresearch in Svalbard. Fourteen institutions cur-rently have rental contracts and conduct perma-nent research activity in Ny-Ålesund. As meas-ured by the number of research days in Ny-Ålesund, the Norwegian Polar Institute is the larg-est Norwegian research institution. The second-largest is the Norwegian Mapping Authority. Theinternational institutions come from Germany,The United Kingdom, Italy, France, Japan, SouthKorea, China, the Netherlands and India.

A significant amount of research is also con-ducted elsewhere in the archipelago. The Norwe-gian Meteorological Institute has stations atHopen and Bjørnøya, which primarily are used forroutine meteorological observations. Radiosondesare also released on Bjørnøya. In addition, mete-orological measurements are conducted for otherNorwegian scientific institutions in both locations.The stations represent an important preparednessresource for search and rescue operations, andmake logistics available to public institutions dur-ing (short-term) missions of benefit to society.

Trust Arktikugol has been facilitating researchactivity in the mining community of Barentsburgsince 1962. Most of the research conducted todayis associated with the Russian Academy ofSciences, Roshydromet, and the Polar Marine Geo-logical Research Expedition. The Arctic AntarcticResearch Institute (AARI), an institute affiliatedwith Roshydromet, plays an increasingly largerrole. The research conducted covers a range of dis-ciplines including archaeology, geology, hydrology,atmospheric research, oceanography and geophys-ics. Barentsburg’s research facilities have beenupgraded in recent years, with installation of a sat-ellite ground station and new chemical laborato-ries, among other improvements.

The Institute for Geophysics at the PolishAcademy of Sciences has since 1957 had aresearch station based in Hornsund. This stationhas been permanently manned since 1978. It isalso used as a base for visiting researchers from


various – primarily Polish – institutions. The sta-tion has been expanded and is fully operational,with research being conducted in meteorology,geophysics, glaciology, and ionospheric andatmospheric science.

SINTEF established a field laboratory in 1984in Svea, where it conducts technological researchin cooperation with UNIS and private-sector part-ners. The level of activity is increasing, and thereis a general increase in demand for facilities forresearch, development, testing and education inArctic climate. Svea’s climate and geology affordstable fjord ice conditions and are conducive toresearch activity on topics such as dealing effec-tively with oil in ice, environment and security,construction and geotechnology, geology, materi-als technology, Arctic operations and safety, edu-cation and training. Svea’s coal-mining operationis currently suspended. In the time ahead, theGovernment will look into the continued manage-ment of Svea’s building stock and infrastructureafter a possible decision to discontinue miningoperations.

Several infrastructure investments have beenmade in recent years for the benefit of researchand higher education activity in Svalbard. Thisapplies not least in Ny-Ålesund, where the Norwe-gian state, through Kings Bay AS, has investedresources in further developing basic infrastruc-ture and new services for research purposes.Kings Bay Marine Laboratory, which opened in2005, is particularly well suited to conductingresearch in marine ecology, physiology and bio-chemistry, though it can also accommodate stud-ies in oceanography, marine geology and physics.The Zeppelin station is one of the most central sta-tions in a global network for atmospheric meas-urements coordinated by the World Meteorologi-cal Organization (WMO). The unique interna-tional scientific community and good access toboth Norwegian and international advancedresearch equipment provide opportunities forhigh-quality scientific research. Common facilitiesand services provided by Kings Bay AS, such asthe marine laboratory and the canteen, have con-tributed significantly to international cooperationin Ny-Ålesund. In 2015 the job of laying fibre-opticcable between Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund wascompleted. This is a prerequisite for developmentof a new geodesic observatory for the NorwegianMapping Authority and also helps improve condi-tions for research and environmental monitoringin Ny-Ålesund. The new observatory is currentlyunder construction and is expected to be ready foruse in 2018.

In 2013 the Office of the Auditor General ofNorway performed an audit on the utilisation ofresearch infrastructure in Norwegian areas of theArctic, and concluded that some Norwegianresearch infrastructure on Svalbard could be bet-ter utilised (Document 3:13 (2013–2014)). In par-ticular, the Office of the Auditor General men-tioned the potential to increase utilisation of theSverdrup station and the marine laboratory in Ny-Ålesund. This conclusion was based on the num-ber of research days in Ny-Ålesund between2011–2013, with statistics showing a decline in theshare of Norwegian research days and low activ-ity during the winter. The Storting has asked theGovernment to consider measures to increase uti-lisation of research infrastructure in Svalbard,including measures to increase Norwegianresearch activity in Ny-Ålesund (Storting resolu-tion of 25 November 2014 No. 34). The underutili-sation was largely rectified in 2014 and 2015. Nor-wegian and international interest in the marinelaboratory has grown substantially in recentyears, and utilisation reached record levels in2014 and 2015, partly because UNIS began usingthe laboratory in connection with its study pro-grammes. Although several measures have beenimplemented, it is important to stay mindful of theneed to increase utilisation of scientific infrastruc-ture in Svalbard and to have strategies to do so.SIOS is an important measure in this regard (seediscussion in Box 8.2). In general, importance willbe attached to achieving positive synergy and apractical balance between Norwegian-owned andforeign-owned research infrastructure in the com-ing years.

Nearly 1,000 researchers from around 30 coun-tries visit the archipelago annually in connectionwith fieldwork.2 Many of them are affiliated toNorwegian or international institutions that con-duct research on a permanent basis in Longyear-byen, Ny-Ålesund, Hornsund or Barentsburg.Measured in research days3, the number ofresearchers in Svalbard has increased by around120 per cent in the past 10–15 years. Researchersfrom Norwegian institutions account for morethan half the registered research days. Althoughthe level of Norwegian research activity has

2 Svalbard Science Forum: Estimates based on data registe-red in the Research in Svalbard database.

3 NIFU:2015. The term research days indicates how manydays were spent in Svalbard for research purposes, but isnot an exact measurement of the amount of research. Forexample, data and observations gathered during researchstays in Svalbard are normally processed at the home insti-tution instead of in Svalbard.


increased substantially and is by far the highestmeasured, in terms of both research publicationand research days in Svalbard, the Norwegianshare has decreased slightly. This is due to agreater increase in activity levels for internationalinstitutions overall than for Norwegian institu-tions, though the trends in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund have varied somewhat. The Norwegianshare of research days in Longyearbyen hasincreased. In Ny-Ålesund, the number of Norwe-gian research days has increased, but the share ofNorwegian research days has decreased due to ahigher level of activity for the international institu-tions. The Norwegian share of research daysthere in 2014 was 35 per cent, about the same asin 2010. During the period 1996–2000, when therewere fewer international research institutions inNy-Ålesund, the Norwegian share was over 50 percent.

8.2.2 Stronger need for coordination

The growing international interest in research inSvalbard contributes to knowledge developmentin the Arctic. The objective is for this to happen inaccordance with Norwegian research policy,which places emphasis on international researchand infrastructure cooperation and on openaccess to data and publications. At the same time,the high level of interest puts pressure on vulnera-ble areas in nature, creating a need for clearer and

better coordination of research activity in Sval-bard.

Coordination in Svalbard in general and in Ny-Ålesund in particular was also a key issue in theprevious white paper on Svalbard. The Norwegianauthorities have implemented several measures tothis end, first and foremost by further developingand strengthening entities and services whosepurpose is to enhance coordination.

The previous white paper (Report No. 22(2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard) signalled astronger coordinating role for the Svalbard Sci-ence Forum (SSF). SSF is composed of the keynational and international research actors in Sval-bard, with representation by the four researchlocations: Longyearbyen, Ny-Ålesund, Barents-burg and Hornsund. SSF received a new, rein-forced mandate from the Ministry of Educationand Research in 2011. The Research Council ofNorway leads the forum and serves as the secre-tariat. SSF’s secretariat manages and operates theResearch in Svalbard database (RiS). The data-base is owned by the Research Council of Norway.

While is not compulsory to register researchactivity conducted in Svalbard in the RiS database,it is strongly encouraged. Moreover, from 2015the Governor of Svalbard requires RiS databaseregistration for research projects that need theGovernor’s permission for passage, etc. pursuantto the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act.The Svalbard Science Forum, Svalbard’s Environ-

Figure 8.1 The Norwegian Mapping Authority’s new geodetic observatory in Ny-Ålesund. The observatory is due to be completed in 2018.

Photo: Martin Nerhus Øen/Veidekke Arctic


mental Protection Fund and the Research Councilof Norway also have registration requirements forprojects receiving financial support. In Ny-Ålesund and at the research station in Hornsundthere are internal procedures for registering inthe database. All in all, development of the RiSdatabase has improved the overview of researchactivity in Svalbard to the benefit of both theauthorities and the research communities, andhas made it possible to significantly improve coor-dination of research activity.

SSF has contributed to the development ofplans and priorities for research in Ny-Ålesundwith initiatives for joint research programmes(flagship programmes) in Ny-Ålesund. SSF alsoadvises the Governor of Svalbard in cases wherethat office processes applications by researchersand research institutions for passage, etc. pursu-ant to the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act.Furthermore, SSF assists the Research Council ofNorway in managing two support programmes forresearch cooperation and fieldwork in Svalbard:

the Svalbard Strategic Grant (SSG) and the ArcticField Grant (AFG). Both Norwegian and interna-tional actors may apply to these.

An important government institution is theNorwegian Polar Institute, which serves asadviser to the Norwegian authorities on scientificand strategic matters. The Norwegian Polar Insti-tute has a permanent staff deployed in Svalbard,and holds a central position in Svalbard and inNorwegian polar research in general. The insti-tute plays a key coordinating role in Ny-Ålesundby acting as the secretariat for the Ny-Ålesund Sci-ence Managers Committee (NySMAC), a body forvoluntary coordination for all institutions with per-manent activity and large-scale research projectsin Ny-Ålesund. The institute also hosts Norwegianresearchers and researchers from internationalinstitutions not established in Ny-Ålesund. TheNorwegian Polar Institute is therefore well placedto both facilitate and coordinate research activityin Svalbard, and is one of the tools available formanaging and developing Norway’s role as host.See Box 8.4.

A particularly important initiative that canhelp strengthen coordination is the SvalbardIntegrated Arctic Earth Observing System(SIOS). SIOS is organising cooperation to facili-tate mutual access to infrastructure and dataalready established in Svalbard by Norwegianand international institutions. This cooperationwill offer researchers new opportunities to con-tribute to interdisciplinary studies of the earthsystem, where measurements associated withocean currents, atmospheric and geological con-ditions, the extent of ice and snow, and plants andanimals interconnect in complex patterns. Thisdemands far more expertise, infrastructure andmeasurement data than any single research insti-tution can provide. Svalbard is well suited to thistype of research, partly because climate and envi-ronmental changes are easy to observe in theArctic. In addition to the scientific benefits, theobjective is improved coordination, resource uti-lisation and scientific quality. The project will alsopromote transparency in research activity andalleviate the pressure on nature and the environ-ment.

In order to achieve these objectives, it isimportant to gain the participation of as manyresearch communities as possible with relevantinfrastructure in Svalbard. The Government willfacilitate further development of SIOS from a pre-liminary project into an established cooperativeorganisation. This is described in more detail insection 8.3.3.

Box 8.1 The Norwegian Mapping Authority’s new geodetic earth

observatory in Ny-Ålesund

The Norwegian Mapping Authority’s observa-tory in Ny-Ålesund is the northernmost of itskind in a global network of geodetic stations. Itreceives signals from quasars, which are dis-tant celestial bodies located up to 13 billionlight-years out in space. When collated withmeasurements elsewhere on the earth, thisindicates movements in the earth’s surfacewith millimetre precision as well as how fastthe earth is rotating and the exact position ofthe earth in space. This is important for satel-lite-based infrastructure, among other things.The new facility, a major investment by Nor-way, provides enhanced measurement accu-racy and represents a substantial contributionto global cooperation in earth observation.The earth observatory is the northernmostobservatory of its kind, and is part of a globalobservation and research network. The obser-vatory will be upgraded with new technologyand will combine multiple geodetic measure-ment techniques, resulting in enhanced meas-urement accuracy. The new observatory, witha cost framework of around NOK 300 million,will be completed in 2018.


The Svalbard Science Centre also aids coordi-nation through co-location of the central researchinstitutions and serving as an important meetingplace. An evaluation of the Svalbard Science Cen-tre4 shows that it has contributed to increasedcooperation and exchange of expertise betweenthe Norwegian Polar Institute, UNIS and SvalbardMuseum, and to improved information activity,logistics and support.

No consolidated, overall national strategy cur-rently exists for research and higher education inSvalbard. Each institution by and large preparesits own activity plans. Certain initiatives establishsome constraints; this is especially the case withrespect to the Research Council of Norway’s Pol-icy for Norwegian Polar Research 2014–2023 andthe respective flagship programmes in Ny-Ålesund (discussed in section 8.3.4). SIOS willalso set forth a common strategy for further devel-opment and cooperation on the use of researchinfrastructure.

There is therefore a need to clarify a directionfor the types of research and higher educationactivity that should be prioritised in Svalbard. TheGovernment will therefore take the initiative todevelop an overall strategy for research in Sval-bard. The framework for this task is discussed inmore detail in section 8.3.

8.3 Policy instruments and measures

8.3.1 Further development of UNIS

Cooperation between UNIS and the mainland uni-versities has been strengthened in recent yearsthrough the cooperation agreement in 2011, a newquota system in 2014, and an annual meeting ofthe deans of the faculties involved. The aim hasbeen to ensure that all courses and subjects takenby students at UNIS be included in examinationsand study programmes at the mainland university.There is nonetheless a need to further developcooperation so as to make use of UNIS’s potential,to meet the requirement that 50 per cent of stu-dents come from Norwegian institutions, and toimprove predictability for UNIS and the universi-ties. It is particularly important to develop thecooperation on relevant study programmes at theuniversities and the course portfolio at UNIS inorder to better facilitate stays at UNIS in more ofits study programmes. UNIS will assess andrevise its quota scheme in 2016.

In the further development of UNIS, consider-ation must also be given to whether studentscould complete a larger part of their bachelor ormaster theses at UNIS and whether UNIS oughtto offer more of the basic courses that make upbachelor and master degree programmes. This inorder to give more candidates from Norwegianuniversities a stronger Arctic academic profile andhelp utilise UNIS’s capacity outside the fieldworkseason.

The Government wants to maintain anddevelop UNIS as a unique institution for univer-sity-level studies and research in Svalbard, with a

4 ‘Svalbard forskningspark: Etterevaluering, desember 2014’(Svalbard Science Centre: Ex-post evaluation, December2014). Erik Whist, Gro Holst Volden, Knut Samset, MortenWelde and Inger Lise Tyholt Grindvoll (NTNU 2014).

Box 8.2 Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS)

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth ObservingSystem (SIOS) is a Norwegian-initiated interna-tional cooperation project aimed at enhancingknowledge about global climate and environ-mental changes, with a basis in infrastructure inSvalbard. The participants include several Nor-wegian and international institutions withresearch infrastructure relevant for earth sys-tem science. ‘Infrastructure’ in this case refersto laboratories, observatories, field equipment,etc. SIOS itself neither owns nor operates theresearch infrastructure, but facilitates mutualaccess to existing equipment and the sharing of

collected data. SIOS also helps improve coordi-nation of new initiatives and research priorities.

The Research Council of Norway led the pre-paratory phase, with participation by all institu-tions conducting permanent research activity inSvalbard. The preliminary project received fund-ing from the EU’s Seventh Framework Pro-gramme and was concluded in 2014. In 2015 aNorwegian consortium led by UNIS and theNorwegian Polar Institute started an interimproject which, with Norwegian and internationalpartner institutions, will prepare core servicesin the future SIOS cooperation project.


range of academic programmes and researchactivity that capitalise on the natural advantages ofthe location. The UNIS board of directors has con-sidered different scenarios for developing theinstitution. These scenarios describe both forpotential academic expansion based on today’snatural sciences and technology profile, and newpotential subject areas that also meet the require-ment of Arctic relevance, such as tourism andsecurity in the Arctic. Future expansion of UNISwould require further expansion of the premisesat the Svalbard Science Centre.

The Government will:– Maintain and further develop UNIS as a unique

institution for university-level studies andresearch on Svalbard, with a range of academicprogrammes and research activity that capital-ise on the natural advantages of the location.

– Facilitate further cooperation between UNISand mainland universities to make the most ofUNIS’s potential, to satisfy the requirementthat 50 per cent of students come from Norwe-

gian institutions, and to improve predictabilityfor both UNIS and the universities.

8.3.2 Improved quality and scientific leadership

Norwegian research, expertise and presence areimportant if Norway is to have access to – andcontribute to – the international knowledge fron-tier in the Arctic. At the same time, the nature ofthe research is international, and Norwegian Sval-bard research is an integral part of internationalresearch. An expressed objective is to developand utilise both Norwegian and internationalexpertise in different disciplines and thematicareas. It is also desirable and natural to have Nor-wegian leadership in key research fields. Thisrequires central Norwegian research groups to bepresent, with high scientific quality, sufficient vol-ume and strong international partners.

Norwegian polar researchers are generallyattractive partners for international polar research

Box 8.3 University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)

The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is theworld’s northernmost higher education institu-tion, and over the past 20 years or so it hasexpanded from a programme for a few Norwe-gian students to a world-class university centrefor Arctic studies. UNIS trains candidates withpolar expertise for work in public administra-tion, the private sector and polar research. UNISis highly popular with students from around theworld, and promotes international cooperationand networks.

UNIS was originally created as a cooperativeproject among the four universities in 1993, butis now a limited liability company under the Min-istry of Education and Research. All instructionis conducted in English, and the programmesare based on international research. UNISoffers study programmes in four disciplines:Arctic biology, Arctic geology, Arctic geophysicsand Arctic technology. Most of the instruction isbased on field activities and excursions, so theactivity level is lower during the darkest time ofyear. UNIS has office space in the Svalbard Sci-ence Centre and provides most of its instructionthere, though some instruction also takes placein Ny-Ålesund and Svea, as well as in the field.UNIS is not accredited as a university, and the

courses that are taught must be part of ordinarycourses of study at mainland universities.UNIS’s centre for auroral research, the KjellHenriksen Observatory, is situated on Mine 7Mountain in Adventdalen. In addition to the self-financed research in the four subject areas,UNIS participates in several externally financedcooperative projects, among them the BirkelandCentre for Space Science (BCSS), which is aCentre of Excellence at the University of Ber-gen. Other examples are the Sustainable ArcticMarine and Coastal Technology (SAMCoT) atthe Norwegian University of Science and Tech-nology and the Research Centre for ArcticPetroleum Exploration (ARCEx) at the ArcticUniversity of Norway. UNIS also participates ina Centre of Excellence in Education initiative inbiology (bioCeed) at the University of Ber-gen.UNIS has received support from the Minis-try of Foreign Affairs to establish a new ArcticSafety Centre in Longyearbyen. The ArcticSafety Centre is a cooperative project betweenthe Norwegian University of Science and Tech-nology, SINTEF, the Norwegian Polar Institute,the Governor of Svalbard, Pole Position Logis-tics, SvalSat, the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil, Lufttransport and Visit Svalbard.


cooperation. Norway has strong research commu-nities with active research activity in Svalbard and,in a number of areas, leading expertise. Scientificleadership is developed and expressed throughinternational research cooperation. The Svalbardresearch is distinguished by its high level of inter-national cooperation. About half of the articles haveinternational co-authors. Norwegian polarresearchers represent the most important coopera-tion partner for international researchers in Sval-bard. This suggests solid Norwegian leadership inSvalbard research. As many as three of four Norwe-gian articles dealing with Svalbard were co-writtenby authors from other countries. This is positive,and there is a wish to maintain and further developthis position. Conducting research in Svalbard musttherefore be made more attractive to Norwegianresearchers. At issue are the academic and socialenvironments, the design of funding programmes,infrastructure, and research opportunities for bothestablished and young Norwegian researchers.

The Government’s objective is for Svalbard tobe used for high-quality research in priority areas.A 2015 report by the Nordic Institute for Studiesin Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU),titled Norsk polarforskning – forskning på Svalbard(Norwegian polar research: Research in Sval-bard), shows that, regardless of nationality, arti-cles dealing with Svalbard are less frequentlycited than the global average for articles dealingwith polar research. The relatively low citationcount may be due to the research topic or projectdesign, but it may also indicate that the quality ofinternational research in Svalbard could be better.In any case, the Government is concerned withemphasising quality in the future work of facilitat-ing research activity in Svalbard.

The Government will:– Continue the focus on polar research and the

special emphasis on Svalbard research, inorder to help strengthen the volume and qual-ity of Norwegian research in Svalbard. The

Box 8.4 Norwegian Polar Institute

The Norwegian Polar Institute is the central gov-ernment institution for mapping, environmentalmonitoring and management-related research inthe Arctic and Antarctic. The institute serves asadviser to the central Norwegian administrationon scientific and strategic matters and as scien-tific adviser to the Norwegian EnvironmentAgency and the Governor of Svalbard. The insti-tute conducts extensive activities in Svalbard,including research, environmental monitoring,topographic mapping, geologic mapping,research and logistics services, operation ofresearch stations, lighthouse inspection andadvisory tasks. The institute is a key knowledgeproducer and possesses broad research-basedexpertise in areas where the environmentalmanagement authorities have direct manage-ment responsibility in the High North and polarregions or serve as a key driving force in bothnational and international processes. Further-more, the Norwegian Polar Institute develops,revises and leads the Environmental Monitoringof Svalbard and Jan Mayen (MOSJ). Anotherimportant task of the institute is to help stimu-late and coordinate national and internationalresearch in Svalbard through cooperation onresearch projects and by granting access to theinstitute’s infrastructure, such as research sta-

tions, field equipment and transport. Along withUNIS, the Norwegian Polar Institute providesimportant logistical services to many Norwe-gian and international research partners in Sval-bard. In addition to its offices in Longyearbyen,the institute has a research station in Ny-Ålesund and owns an air monitoring station onZeppelin Mountain. The institute’s research ves-sel, Lance, is also in regular use around Sval-bard. In 2012 the Storting approved a resolutionto build Kronprins Haakon, a new icebreakerresearch vessel. The Norwegian Polar Instituteis charged with managing ownership of the ves-sel on behalf of the Norwegian state. The Insti-tute of Marine Research will have operatingresponsibility and will lead the expeditions com-mittee for the vessel. The Norwegian Polar Insti-tute is charged with managing ownership of thevessel on behalf of the Norwegian state. TheInstitute of Marine Research will have operatingresponsibility and will lead the expeditions com-mittee for the vessel. The expeditions commit-tee will consist of the Norwegian Polar Institute,the Institute of Marine Research, and the ArcticUniversity of Norway. According to plans,Kronpris Haakon will be ready for scientificexpeditions in 2018, with Tromsø as its homeport.


Government will also consider possible meas-ures to encourage Norwegian researchers totake advantage of the research opportunitiesavailable in Ny-Ålesund.



8.3.3 Clear Norwegian role as host

Interest in the Arctic is steadily growing, bothnationally and internationally, and institutionsfrom more and more countries are contributingwith Svalbard-based research activity. Norwayfacilitates research and higher education in Sval-bard, and will actively continue scientific researchand practise a clear policy for hosting such activ-ity. Research activity in Svalbard will be conductedin line with relevant Norwegian regulations; seeChapter 5, ‘Legislation’, and Chapter 7, ‘Environ-mental protection’.

The Government will further develop Nor-way’s hosting policy by improving coordination

and clarifying priorities and conditions forresearch activity. The aim is to achieve higherquality, more cooperation, transparency and shar-ing, and better utilisation of resources across insti-tutional and national boundaries. Therefore, moreemphasis should be placed on generally acceptedcriteria for developing and measuring quality withrespect to utilising infrastructure and limitedresources. International cooperation should befurther promoted. Research findings, data andinfrastructure should be made more easily availa-ble for mutual access and sharing.

The Government will develop an overall strat-egy for research and higher education in Sval-bard. The strategy should communicate Norway’sexpectations for the knowledge communities inSvalbard and give direction for further develop-ment in different geographic and thematic areas.This particularly applies to expectations regardingcooperation, transparency and sharing of dataacross institutional and national boundaries. Thestrategy should contribute to quality, effectiveresource utilisation and transparency with regardto the international activity in the archipelago. Itshould also be a tool for setting priorities whenexpanding and using infrastructure, services andscientific activity in vulnerable nature areas in andaround Svalbard that will reduce the need forinfrastructure development and traffic throughthe natural environment. Moreover, the strategyshould identify instruments and measures for pur-suing objectives and strategies, and identify prior-ity areas to which Norwegian research can con-tribute with especially good effect.

Box 8.5 Research Council of Norway

The Research Council of Norway acts as thecentral government adviser on research policyissues, and annually allocates about NOK 9 bil-lion to research and innovation projects.Through its programmes and schemes, theResearch Council of Norway funds severalresearch projects and activities in Svalbard. Inaddition, the Research Council of Norway man-ages the two support programmes Arctic FieldGrant and Svalbard Strategic Grant, based onrecommendations and advice from the SvalbardScience Forum (SSF). The Research Council ofNorway regularly initiates surveys of resourceinput and scientific publication activity in Nor-

wegian polar research. Furthermore, theResearch Council of Norway has regionalresponsibility to facilitate more research-basedeconomic development in Troms county. In 2015the area of responsibility was expanded toinclude Svalbard, and the Research Council’swork with the business community in Svalbardwas consequently intensified. The regionallyresponsible body cooperates with InnovationNorway Troms and Svalbard. The ResearchCouncil of Norway has a permanent presence inLongyearbyen by virtue of its responsibility assecretariat for SSF.


The Research Council of Norway will betasked with proposing such a strategy, based on awide-ranging process involving central authori-ties, the Governor of Svalbard, and all actorsundertaking research and educational activity inSvalbard. The Research Council will also have pri-mary responsibility for evaluating how the strat-egy is implemented.

Based on the strategy, broad cooperation willbe facilitated on research infrastructure and datafor earth system science through the SvalbardIntegrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS)(see discussion in section 8.2.2). The establish-ment of a consortium, through a memorandum ofunderstanding (MoU) between the participatinginstitutions, is envisaged. The consortium willform its own governing bodies where participantswill make decisions regarding organisation andpriorities. The consortium’s decisions and theSIOS cooperation shall operate within the frame-work set by the Norwegian authorities forresearch activity in Svalbard. A non-profit limitedliability company, wholly owned by UNIS, will beestablished to attend to recruitment, agreements,the secretariat function and services the consor-tium will need. SIOS will produce maximal syn-ergy if all central Norwegian and internationalresearch institutions in Svalbard actively partici-pate.

To improve overview and coordination, it isimportant to further develop the Svalbard ScienceForum (SSF), SSF’s secretariat, and the ResearchCouncil of Norway’s office in Longyearbyen. Thiswill prove extremely useful to establishedresearch communities and new researchers arriv-ing in Svalbard. The Arctic Field Grant and Sval-bard Strategic Grant funding programmes areimportant for international cooperation, but theyshould be designed, more so than they are today,to encourage activity aligned with research priori-ties. The proposed strategy for research andhigher education will provide a good basis for this.At the same time, SSF’s information and dissemi-nation activities should be intensified in order toimprove the overview of research projects andmake it easier for research communities to findand enter into cooperation with each other. Thereis also a need to further develop the RiS databasewith a view to improving, among other things, theeffectiveness of the Governor of Svalbard’s proce-dures for processing applications to conduct field-work pursuant to environmental legislation. Theobjective is to have all the research communitiesin Svalbard use the database to enter informationregarding their activity and actively use it to

enhance cooperation. The Svalbard ScienceForum is an important arena for achieving thisobjective.

The Government will:– Develop an overall strategy for research and

higher education in Svalbard. The ResearchCouncil of Norway will have responsibility forpreparing a strategy proposal on the basis of awide-ranging process. Central governmentauthorities, the Governor of Svalbard, the busi-ness community and all research and highereducation organisations in Svalbard will beinvolved. The Research Council will also haveprimary responsibility for evaluating how thestrategy is implemented.

– Facilitate formal establishment of SIOS in thecourse of 2016. As the host of SIOS, Norwaywill help cover a significant share of theexpenses. The participating institutions arealso expected to contribute through member-ship fees and other resources.

– Further develop the Svalbard Science Forum(SSF) and the Research Council of Norway’soffice in Longyearbyen. Objectives, tasks androles will be updated in a new revision of themandate. The Research Council’s stimulusfunding and support programmes related toSSF will be designed in line with the prioritiesin the strategy.

8.3.4 Issues specific to Ny-Ålesund

The Government wishes to strengthen Norway’srole as host and coordinator of research activity inNy-Ålesund. Ny-Ålesund shall be a platform forworld-class, international scientific research coop-eration, with Norway in a clear role as host andwith professional standing and leadership in rele-vant areas. There is a need, meanwhile, for moreclearly defined strategic priorities, improved aca-demic and practical coordination, and more sys-tematic development and management of buildingstock and infrastructure.

Activity should be be more clearly aligned withthe overriding research objectives, with a basis inresearch priorities, scientific quality, a greaterlevel of cooperation, and open sharing of data andresults. A gradual shift is also desired away fromresearch stations located in separate buildings tocentres thematically aligned with priority areasand equipped for shared use.

A research strategy for Ny-Ålesund will bedeveloped with a view, in part, to strengtheningNorway’s role as host and supporting its Svalbardpolicy. Such a strategy will be a useful tool for


assessing and allocating time and space in exist-ing buildings and laboratories. It will also providea basis and guidelines for long-term plans for fur-ther development of infrastructure, buildings andservices in Ny-Ålesund. This will also form a basisfor communicating clear expectations to all actorsin Ny-Ålesund.

The research strategy should be seen in thecontext of the overall strategy for research andhigher education in Svalbard. The Research Coun-cil of Norway will be responsible for drawing upthe research strategy for Ny-Ålesund, in consulta-tion with the relevant ministries and with Norwe-gian and international research communities.This process should secure sufficient support andbreadth of participation among scientists whileand at the same time protect the various Norwe-gian research interests in Svalbard.

The Norwegian Polar Institute, which is adirectorate organised under the Ministry of Cli-mate and Environment, will be responsible forimplementing and following up the research strat-

egy in Ny-Ålesund in consultation with theResearch Council of Norway and with relevantministries and actors. The Norwegian Polar Insti-tute already has a presence in Ny-Ålesund. Theinstitute is a key research actor with professionalstanding and international credibility, and is theNorwegian state’s principal body for protectingNorwegian interests in the polar regions. Theseaspects are vital prerequisites for satisfactorilyimplementing the strategy.

Organisation, operation and ownership

The research strategy will provide guidelines forthe development and operation of infrastructurein Ny-Ålesund. In the future, operational responsi-bility for Ny-Ålesund should be seen in the con-text of implementing the research strategy. Sincethe Norwegian Polar Institute will coordinate theoperative implementation of the research strategy,it is natural that responsibility for managing stateownership in Kings Bay AS be transferred from

Figure 8.2 Ny-Ålesund.

Photo: Max König, Norwegian Polar Institute


the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries tothe Ministry of Climate and Environment. Thiswill help concentrate and clarify responsibility forfollowing up the overriding objectives and strate-gies for Ny-Ålesund and enable relevant issues tobe viewed in broader context. As planned, respon-sibility for managing the state’s ownership inKings Bay AS will be transferred from the Minis-try of Trade, Industry and Fisheries to the Minis-try of Climate and Environment on 1 January2017. Responsibility for managing the state’s own-ership in Bjørnøen AS, which owns land and build-ings of historical significance on Bjørnøya and isadministratively subordinate to Kings Bay AS, willsimultaneously be transferred from the Ministryof Trade, Industry and Fisheries to the Ministryof Climate and Environment. Consideration willalso be given to whether the ownership rightsheld by Kings Bay AS and Bjørnøen AS to the landin Ny-Ålesund and on Bjørnøya should be trans-ferred to the Ministry of Trade, Industry andFisheries, which manages all state-owned land inSvalbard.

The Government will:– Strengthen coordination in Ny-Ålesund

through the development of a research strategyfor Ny-Ålesund by spring 2017. The researchstrategy for Ny-Ålesund should be seen in thecontext of the overall strategy for research andhigher education in Svalbard and should sup-port Norway’s role as host and its research pol-icy in Svalbard. The Research Council of Nor-way will have responsibility for drawing up astrategy in cooperation with the relevant actors,research bodies and ministries.

– Give the Norwegian Polar Institute responsibil-ity for operational implementation and monitor-ing of the research strategy in Ny-Ålesund. Inorder to appropriately follow up the strategy inNy-Ålesund, regular dialogue will be estab-lished between the Research Council, the Nor-wegian Polar Institute, Kings Bay and the rele-vant ministries.

– Transfer responsibility for managing thestate’s ownership in Kings Bay AS from theMinistry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries tothe Ministry of Climate and Environment witheffect from 1 January 2017. The purpose is tocoordinate implementation of the researchstrategy with operation and development of Ny-Ålesund. Responsibility for managing thestate’s ownership in Bjørnøen AS, which isadministratively subordinate to Kings Bay AS,will also be transferred simultaneously fromthe Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheriesto the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

8.4 Summary

The Government will:

– Maintain and further develop UNIS as a uniqueinstitution for university-level studies andresearch on Svalbard, with a range of academicprogrammes and research activity that capital-ises on the natural advantages of the location.

– Facilitate further cooperation between UNISand mainland universities to make the most ofUNIS’s potential, to satisfy the requirementthat 50 per cent of students come from Norwe-

Box 8.6 Kings Bay AS

Kings Bay AS owns land, facilities and most ofthe building stock in Ny-Ålesund, and providesservices to the research activity conductedthere. The company also owns Kings BayMarine Laboratory. Many Norwegian and inter-national research institutions rent buildings andfacilities from Kings Bay. The Norwegian ten-ants are: the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Nor-wegian Institute for Air Research, the Norwe-gian Mapping Authority, the Northern ResearchInstitute (NORUT), the Andøya Space Centerand the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS).The international institutions are: the AlfredWegener Institute, the Chinese Arctic and Ant-

arctic Administration, Consiglio Nazionale delleRicerche, the German Research Centre for Geo-sciences, Institut Polaire Francais/Paul EmileVictor, the Korea Polar Research Institute,India’s National Centre for Antarctic and OceanResearch, Japan’s National Institute of PolarResearch, the British Antarctic Survey and theArctic Centre of the University of Groningen.Kings Bay AS owns and maintains Svalbard’slargest collection of automatically listed heritagebuildings. These valuable cultural heritage siteshave been cared for and repaired, but the pro-tection regulations impose some constraints onhow the building stock is used and developed.


gian institutions, and to improve predictabilityfor both UNIS and the universities.

– Continue the focus on polar research and thespecial emphasis on Svalbard research, inorder to help strengthen the volume and qual-ity of Norwegian research in Svalbard.

– Consider possible measures to encourage Nor-wegian scientists to take advantage of theresearch opportunities available in Ny-Ålesund.



– Develop an overall strategy for research andhigher education in Svalbard. The ResearchCouncil of Norway will have responsibility forpreparing a strategy proposal on the basis of abroad-based process. Central governmentauthorities, the Governor of Svalbard, the busi-ness community and all research and highereducation organisations in Svalbard will beinvolved. The Research Council will also haveprimary responsibility for evaluating how thestrategy is implemented.

– Facilitate formal establishment of the SvalbardIntegrated Arctic Earth Observing System(SIOS) in 2016. As the host of SIOS, Norwaywill help cover a significant share of theexpenses. The participating institutions arealso expected to contribute through member-ship fees and other resources.

– Further develop the Svalbard Science Forum(SSF) and the Research Council of Norway’soffice in Longyearbyen. Objectives, tasks androles will be updated in a new revision of themandate. The Research Council of Norway’sstimulus funding and support programmesrelated to SSF will be designed in line with thepriorities in the strategy.

– Strengthen coordination in Ny-Ålesundthrough the development of a research strat-egy for Ny-Ålesund by spring 2017. Theresearch strategy for Ny-Ålesund should beseen in the context of the overall strategy forresearch and higher education in Svalbard andshould support Norway’s role as host and itsresearch policy in Svalbard. The ResearchCouncil of Norway will have responsibility fordrawing up a strategy in cooperation with therelevant actors, research bodies and minis-tries.

– Give the Norwegian Polar Institute responsibil-ity for operational implementation and monitor-ing of the research strategy in Ny-Ålesund. Inorder to appropriately follow the strategy in Ny-Ålesund, regular dialogue will be establishedbetween the Research Council, the NorwegianPolar Institute, Kings Bay and the relevant min-istries.

– Transfer responsibility for managing thestate’s ownership of Kings Bay AS from theMinistry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries tothe Ministry of Climate and Environment witheffect from 1 January 2017. The purpose is tocoordinate implementation of the researchstrategy with operation and development of Ny-Alesund. Responsibility for managing thestate’s ownership in Bjørnøen AS, which isadministratively subordinate to Kings Bay AS,will also be transferred simultaneously fromthe Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheriesto the Ministry of Climate and Environment.


9 Economic activity

9.1 The business community in Svalbard

Svalbard has a long tradition of economic activity.The economic activity began with hunting andtrapping in the 1600s. In the 1900s, coal miningwas initiated in Svalbard, and this industry hasbeen the foundation of the inhabited locations inSvalbard. Through to the present day, this indus-try has made a significant contribution to stable,year-round activity in Longyearbyen.

The SNSK group’s activity in Svalbard hasbeen an important element of the Svalbard policy.Through the 1990s and 2000s, the company’s rolein Svalbard’s growing economy became less domi-nant. The challenges in the 1990s resulted in anactive policy to modernise the community andstimulate a wider range of businesses. Steps havebeen taken to facilitate a more diversified busi-ness community during this period, with resultantgrowth in tourism, trade, higher education,research and space activity. This effort has provedsuccessful.

The mining operation experienced an upsurgein the early 2000s, with plans for new operations atSvea at the same time the tourism industry wascontinuing to grow. In 2014 production started atLunckefjell, but financial challenges linked to coalprices led to an operational halt at the Lunckefjellmine in 2015. Although employment has fluctu-ated from the 1990s to the present day, over timethere has been significant growth in the total num-ber of jobs in Longyearbyen.

The general trend visible in Svalbard todayhas been under way for a long time. A gradualbroadening of Longyearbyen’s industrial struc-ture has made the community less dependent onthe coal industry. The businesses that have devel-oped concurrently with coal mining are those thatalso have natural advantages in Svalbard. This isespecially the case for tourism and research. Butthere are also other businesses with significantemployment in Svalbard, such as construction,services and public sector activity. The gradual

development of a more heterogeneous businesscommunity in Svalbard is an advantage for futureeconomic development and the creation of newjobs. Activity in industries such as manufacturing,construction and hotel and restaurant serviceshas brought about employment trends that inlarge part correspond with development in themining operations. The coal-mining industryremains important, with about 100 employees atSNSK while the suspension of operations remainsin effect.

Svalbard’s labour force, like that of Mainland-Norway, has become increasingly educated.Increased knowledge and the use of technologycreate new opportunities for economic activityand new, sustainable and profitable jobs in Sval-bard as elsewhere. This means that jobs in future,even more than to date, will be focused in otherfields, so that a broader effort is needed now topave the way for new and diverse activities. Thereis reason to believe that such an approach will bethe most effective way in the long run to stimulatenew jobs and thereby contribute to the continuedviability of the Longyearbyen community. Thereare also a number of specific challenges associ-ated with facilitating new economic activity inSvalbard. This is a major reason there is a needfor close communication on current challengesbetween the local actors and public policy instru-ments.

It is not the role of the authorities to point outwhich new enterprises and jobs may be relevant infuture. The authorities’ role, in the framework ofthe Svalbard policy, is to facilitate the creation ofnew jobs in industries where Svalbard has naturaladvantages. Based on past experience and Sval-bard’s position as a unique and exciting travel des-tination, there appear to be solid opportunities,especially in tourism, to develop new jobs andworkplaces. But the potential for new jobs andincreased value creation exists also in the serviceindustry, infrastructure and logistical services,the maritime sector and retail.


9.2 Future economic development in Svalbard

A community with a heterogeneous businessstructure will be less vulnerable to changes inmarkets, individual industries and individual com-panies. Developing the breadth and complexity ofSvalbard’s business community is therefore desir-able.

It is naturally the case that new economicactivity in Svalbard occurs by and large withinindustries that capitalise on either Svalbard’sunique natural environment or its location. Eco-nomic development and new activities in Svalbardmust therefore take place within Svalbard’s over-all environmental management framework.

The expanded economic activity will mainly besituated in Longyearbyen. The same applies forindustries like tourism, whose actual activity,while based in Longyearbyen, may occur else-where in Svalbard. Public infrastructure is a foun-dation for developing a more diverse businesscommunity in Longyearbyen. New enterpriseswishing to establish themselves need good infra-structure, logistical services and access to land.Good land-use planning is therefore important foreconomic development. By way of regulations andthe exercise of authority over land-use manage-ment, as well as state ownership of land and infra-structure, the authorities will have a large degreeof control over the establishment of new enter-prises.

9.2.1 Measures to strengthen activity and the business community in Longyearbyen

The Storting has already approved a proposal bythe Government to allocate NOK 50 million forrestructuring measures to develop Longyearbyenand facilitate new economic activity and jobs. Thisgets the work of restructuring and economicdevelopment off to a good start. The restructuringfunds are distributed to the Longyearbyen Com-munity Council, the Svalbard Business Counciland the industrial policy instruments of Innova-tion Norway. Further development of Longyear-byen is thus being facilitated with the help ofactors with both sound local knowledge and expe-rience in economic development and restructur-ing processes.

Longyearbyen Community Council

The Longyearbyen Community Council todayplays an important role in restructuring the Long-yearbyen community, and will do so going for-ward, too. The council is intimately familiar withlocal conditions and knows the business commu-nity well. It also has a special responsibility fordevelopment within the Svalbard policy frame-work, a responsibility also enshrined in section 29of the Svalbard Act. On that basis, the Longyear-byen Community Council has been allocatedNOK 4.5 million towards restructuring and eco-nomic development efforts, primarily in Long-yearbyen.

Good infrastructure is essential for developingemployment and stimulating economic develop-ment. There is currently a maintenance backlogfor infrastructure measures in Longyearbyen. TheLongyearbyen Community Council and the Minis-try of Justice and Public Security have both beenconcerned about this for several years. To reducethis maintenance backlog and simultaneously con-tribute to new jobs in the construction sector,NOK 22 million of the NOK 50 million total wasallotted to infrastructure projects in Longyear-byen.

Svalbard Business Council

It is important that those who know Longyear-byen and the needs of its business community beincluded in the development of business-promo-tion measures.

The Svalbard Business Council represents thebusiness community and works to promote itsinterests in the archipelago. The council receivedNOK 0.5 million from the restructuring packageto facilitate restructuring and economic develop-ment efforts in Longyearbyen. The funds will helpgenerate collaboration between the local businesscommunity and local authorities.

Policy instruments – Innovation Norway

Innovation Norway is a key tool of the state andcounty authorities in their efforts to realise valuecreation and economic development. With itsexperience in regional restructuring, InnovationNorway can be an important contributor to therestructuring work Svalbard now faces. Innova-tion Norway has received NOK 20 million in totalfrom the restructuring package to enhance itspresence in Longyearbyen and to develop andfund projects. A strengthened presence makes


Innovation Norway more visible and accessible tothe local economic development actors. Specialproject funding to Innovation Norway, earmarkedfor Svalbard, can help the organisation providesupport to specific local projects, thus contribut-ing to economic development in Longyearbyenand helping to achieve the Svalbard policy’s keyobjectives. Depending on which projects are pro-posed, it may be possible to award funds fromother national programmes administered by Inno-vation Norway. In its work promoting new eco-nomic development, Innovation Norway mustcoordinate and exploit the expertise within itsown organisation and in other public policy instru-ments. The company will work closely with theLongyearbyen Community Council and the Sval-bard Business Council on the progress and pros-pects for creating new enterprises and jobs thatsupport the objectives of the Svalbard policy.Experience gained from restructuring in otherlocal communities with special restructuring chal-lenges indicates that success requires the partici-pation and support of local actors and key policyinstruments.

To strengthen the possibility of creating a newbusiness community in Svalbard, new expertise inenterprise and innovation will be brought in. NOK3 million has therefore been allocated to prepare aspecial business and innovation strategy for Sval-bard. The aim of the strategy effort is to gatherinput and opinions from a variety of actors as abasis for reviewing and presenting the potentialthat exists for Svalbard’s economic developmentin the longer term. Input will be needed from rele-vant bodies of experts, including Innovation Nor-way and the Research Council of Norway, andfrom a partnership of local actors such as theLongyearbyen Community Council and the Sval-bard Business Council. The Ministry of Trade,Industry and Fisheries will lead the strategy work,and the work will be anchored in the Interministe-rial Committee on the Polar Regions.

9.3 Objectives and framework for future economic development

Sustainability and predictability have long consti-tuted a fundamental element of the Svalbard pol-icy. That will continue to be the case. One of thekey objectives of the policy is maintenance of Nor-wegian communities in the archipelago. Like com-munities elsewhere, Svalbard’s is changing, andthe development of new economic activity must bebased on the same principles that apply to the

development of sustainable economic growth ingeneral industrial policy. At the same time, consid-eration must be given to the special frameworksapplicable to Svalbard. An adaptable business andcommunity and employees with the right exper-tise provide the basis for developing new eco-nomic activity in Svalbard. Innovativeness andincreased knowledge make it possible to adoptnew technologies, which in turn can contribute tothe development of new, sustainable enterprisesand jobs.

Box 9.1 Innovation Norway

Innovation Norway’s main purpose is to trig-ger business development that is profitablefrom both a commercial and a socio-economicperspective, and to unleash the businesspotential of different regions, by pursuing thesubsidiary objectives of generating more suc-cessful entrepreneurs, more growth compa-nies, and more innovative business clusters.The company administers policy instrumentsinvolving finance, expertise, promotion, net-working and advisory services. By workingacross different industries, regions and clus-ters, Innovation Norway takes a comprehen-sive approach to value-creating businessdevelopment across a wide spectrum of Nor-wegian enterprises.

Innovation Norway has a decentralisedoffice structure. It is Innovation Norway’soffice in Tromsø that has had operationalresponsibility for Svalbard. Innovation Nor-way can support enterprises in Svalbard usingfunds from national programmes. There areno special regional policy funds earmarked forSvalbard, but Innovation Norway is able toprovide some degree of support to enterprisesin Svalbard within the bounds of the Ministryof Local Government and Modernisation’sbudget item titled ‘National measures forregional development’. The Ministry of LocalGovernment and Modernisation also funds anational ‘centre of excellence’ for regionalrestructuring at Innovation Norway. This ena-bles Innovation Norway to provide municipali-ties undergoing restructuring with expertise,advice and work effort, including knowledgetransfer from the various restructuring pro-cesses the company has participated in overtime.


The Government’s commitment to economicdevelopment, new jobs and enterprises in Sval-bard will build on the main elements listed below.

The Government will:– Facilitate development of existing and new

industries within the overriding objectives ofthe Svalbard policy.

– Strengthen economic development effortsunder the auspices of the Longyearbyen Com-munity Council and the relevant national policyinstruments in cooperation with existing busi-ness interests in Longyearbyen, using fundsprovided in the estimated accounts for 2015.


– Facilitate development of a new, forward-look-ing business and innovation strategy for Sval-bard.


9.4 Economic activity in more detail

9.4.1 The tourism industry

The tourism industry has long been one of Sval-bard’s principal industries. In Report No. 50(1990–1991) to the Storting on industrial policymeasures in Svalbard, the Government wished tofacilitate the development of tourism as an indus-try in Svalbard. The focus on tourism was fol-lowed up in Report No. 9 (1999–2000) to theStorting Svalbard and in Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard, where it wasasserted that the tourism industry had become animportant foundation of economic activity in thearchipelago, particularly in Longyearbyen. Evenas the Government seeks to facilitate furtherdevelopment of tourism, it is an overriding objec-tive that Svalbard shall be one of the world’s best-managed wilderness areas, and the best-pre-served High Arctic destination in the world. Theambitious environmental objectives and strictenvironmental legislation pertaining to Svalbardwill remain frameworks for the development oftourism.

Since the early 1990s, Svalbard has experi-enced gradual growth in tourism, as desired. Thenumber of registered guest nights at hotels orguest houses has risen from barely 20,000 in 1991to about 131,000 guest nights in 2015. That means,given an average stay per visitor of 2.24 days, that

about 60,000 guests overnighted in the archipel-ago in 2015. The number of overnight stays is,nonetheless, modest compared with destinationson the mainland.

The latest available report, from 2014, showsan occupancy rate for overnight accommodationin Longyearbyen of 57 per cent. The tourismindustry in 2014 employed 194 people directly andcontributed to 103 full-time-equivalent positions inrelated activity. The industry had approximatelyNOK 363 million in sales and generated a turno-ver in local purchases equivalent to approximatelyNOK 137 million (Norwegian Institute for Urbanand Regional Research/Longyearbyen Commu-nity Council).

Growth in the Svalbard tourism industry, interms of visitors, employment and number ofcompanies, has occurred in waves. Particularlystrong growth was noted in the 1999–2001 period,before levelling out in 2001–2005. A new peak in2008 was followed by decline and stagnation thatlasted until March 2013, when competition in airtravel to Svalbard contributed to renewed growth.

Cruise tourism is an important part of tourismin Svalbard. Cruise tourism can be divided intotwo main segments: overseas cruises, with shipsarriving from afar, and expedition cruises, withLongyearbyen as the start and end point forcruise journeys in the waters around the archipel-ago. The ban on heavy fuel oil that was introducedwith full effect from 2015 and compulsory pilot-age, also introduced in 2015, have meant thatships using heavy fuel oil and those without a piloton board are no longer permitted to sail in Sval-bard’s protected areas.

Tourists and crew from overseas cruise shipsare largely self-sufficient, but they contribute tothe retail trade in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesundwhen they go ashore. Expedition cruises are gen-erally combined with stays in Longyearbyenbefore and after undertaking expeditions, andtherefore contribute somewhat to the local econ-omy. The Association of Arctic Expedition CruiseOperators (AECO) is an international organisa-tion for expedition cruise operators operating inthe Arctic and for others with interests in thisindustry. AECO develops standards for responsi-ble, environmentally friendly and safe operation ofexpedition cruises in the Arctic.

The Svalbard Cruise Network (SCN) is com-mitted to the development of cruise tourism toSvalbard. One way cruise tourism can be used tocreate value in Longyearbyen is through productand destination development in the city andIsfjorden. Cruise customers have spending power.


It is therefore important that provision is made fora wide range of available services that encouragecruise passengers to take advantage of the com-mercial and cultural activities in Longyearbyen.Improved port infrastructure in Longyearbyenshould contribute to this.

Svalbard has received considerable attentionin recent years. Nevertheless, the share of inter-national visitors has declined. Targeted interna-tional marketing efforts have led to signs of anincrease in the percentage of international visi-tors. If Svalbard is to perform well against theinternational competition, the promotion of Sval-bard as a destination and the marketing and devel-opment of travel products must be correctly pack-aged and market-appropriate.

Tourism products

Considering its size, Longyearbyen today offers awide variety of tourism products. Many are experi-ences connected to nature, such as guided hikesin nearby areas, kayak trips, visits to caves underglaciers, and snowmobile and dogsled safaris. Sur-veys indicate that it is precisely these experiences,all related to pristine wilderness, that most tour-ists wish to seek out. Despite today’s varied offer-ings, the potential exists to develop additionalproducts – anything from multi-day expeditions tooutdoor adventures and excursions combined

with activities in Longyearbyen. Examples of newtourism products developed in recent yearsinclude the conversion of Mine 3 into a museumand snowmobile trips to Svea that combine indus-trial history with experiences of the magnificentnatural environment.

Amidst rising international competition, con-tinuing development of tourism products is cru-cial. As pointed out in section 6.3.2, Svalbard’s cul-tural scene is also a resource in developing thetourism industry. The field of culture is a resourcein terms of both the cultural expertise used indeveloping goods and services and the experi-ences and content of tourism products. For exam-ple, the museum and library are sources of insightinto history, cultural heritage and cultural expres-sion. The cultural institutions have extensiveexperience in presentation and communication.Artists can supplement the tourism industry’s out-doors offerings with cultural experiences in theform of concerts, exhibitions and stage perfor-mances. Practitioners of most of the arts come toSvalbard. Cultural actors are also showing grow-ing interest in various issues and challenges rele-vant to the High North and Arctic areas.

Food culture is of interest in this regard. Sev-eral businesses in Svalbard would like to offertheir customers local food, such as Svalbard rein-deer meat and fish from Isfjorden. Such offeringshelp improve the tourism product and can reduce

Figure 9.1 Tourism – cruise ship with inflatable boats.

Photo: Margrete Keyser, Office of the Governor of Svalbard


the environmental impact associated with trans-porting food. Environmental objectives and regu-lations, however, limit the harvesting of suchresources. Beer brewing in Svalbard illustratesthe consumer demand for locally sourced foodand drink. Consideration will be given to the pos-sibility of adapting regulations in this area to bet-ter meet the tourism industry’s need and desire touse local food resources. Any changes must beconsistent with the legislation governing Sval-bard’s environment.

There is no doubt that the cultural sector as awhole could make a major contribution tostrengthening the tourism industry. A potentialchallenge exists, however, in the fact that the cul-tural and tourism communities both lack themutual insight and understanding needed toappreciate what cooperation can mean for themboth. It is therefore important to make the added-value potential more visible and to encourageknowledge development and exchange, and, byextension, to encourage cooperation betweenSvalbard’s cultural and tourism actors.

One of the overriding objectives of the Sval-bard policy is to maintain Norwegian communi-ties in the archipelago. A greater number of attrac-tive experiential opportunities might entice tour-ists to stay longer than they do today. Prolongedstays would result in increased revenue per visi-tor, which is positive for the business communityin Longyearbyen. Moreover, the relationshipbetween revenue and the environmental impact oftourist transport to and from the archipelagowould improve.

There has been significant growth in new tour-ist offerings based on the use of sled dogs, andthe opportunity exists for further developmentand growth in these products. Activities on thesnow cover generally have less environmentalimpact than activities on dry land. It is thereforedesirable to encourage greater use of the largesnowmobile-free area, for both dogsled and skitrips. Increased activity and job creation in thetourism industry require that good air travel ser-vices be maintained. At the same time, increasedtourism will help improve the basis for maintain-ing and further developing communications andother important societal functions in Longyear-byen.

The tourism industry is to some extent sea-sonal. This means that labour demand is reducedduring the polar night and that it can be a chal-lenge to create year-round jobs in Longyearbyenthat contribute to the maintenance of a viable localcommunity. Statistics in recent years indicate a

positive trend towards year-round tourism, partlyas a result of aurora borealis tourism, but thepolar night is still a low season. In order to facili-tate year-round tourism, products must be devel-oped that are attractive even in the dark. Since thepolar night greatly limits the potential for activityoutside the Longyearbyen area, varying the activi-ties and experiences available to visitors in thegreater Longyearbyen area could help make thepolar night more attractive and create more year-round jobs. Several popular products are alreadyoffered during the polar night, such as Polarjazzand Dark Season Blues, but continued efforts areneeded to develop year-round tourism in Long-yearbyen. Developing visitor experiences andactivities in the central district could helpstrengthen Longyearbyen as an attractive destina-tion even during the polar night.

The environmental objectives and legislationrelating to Svalbard limit the activities that can bepursued. Increased activity in the Svalbard tour-ism industry must take place within these limits.Nature-based tourism, which is the core of whatSvalbard can offer, depends on frameworks ensur-ing that Svalbard’s unique and unspoiled naturalenvironment is preserved in future. The tourismindustry in Longyearbyen is working towards hav-ing Longyearbyen awarded a quality label for sus-tainable destinations where the environment andthe welfare of local communities are protected. Toachieve this, the tourism industry must develop ina way that preserves natural and cultural heritagesites, ensures considerate and safe travel acrossthe natural landscape and attends to local commu-nity needs, all while strengthening the foundationfor profitable enterprises. In connection with a2014 revision of the regulations on tourism, theGovernor emphasised that there are very few con-flicts on record between modern organised tour-ism and Svalbard’s natural and cultural assets.This is partly attributable to the industry’s inter-nal discipline, which, along with the SvalbardGuide Training Course, leads operators to empha-sise cautious and considerate traffic. It can never-theless be hard to reach individual travellers withsufficient information about regulations andessential safety measures.

Developing new tourism products and gettingthem established takes a long time in many cases.Over and above promotion and marketing, it iscrucial that tourists enjoy their visit to Svalbardand the activities they engage in while there.Good communications, infrastructure and facili-ties are key to the experience. Predictability andstable framework conditions, moreover, are essen-


tial for the tourism industry’s ability to offer tour-ists positive experiences. A clear framework forland use, local resource management and facilita-tion of activities is crucial to the development ofgood tourism products and sustainable tourism inSvalbard.

The tourism industry in Svalbard will be con-centrated largely in the inhabied locations and inManagement Area 10. To facilitate further devel-opment of the tourism industry it is essential toprovide tourism operators with sound, predictableframework conditions within the constraintsestablished by existing regulations. Not least, it isimportant to find satisfactory solutions for thetourism industry when ice conditions or wildlifeconsiderations make traffic adjustments neces-sary. An example of this is the proposal that theenvironmental management authorities have cir-culated for public consultation to expand the areawhere visitors may drive snowmobiles when par-ticipating in organised tours or when accompa-nied by permanent residents. The proposaladdresses both the tourism industry’s need to beable to operate tours to Pyramiden and the needto avoid disturbing polar bears and seals at a vul-nerable time of year.

Tourism is one of the activities that can helpLongyearbyen be a viable local community of highquality in future. The aim is to develop Longyear-byen as an arena for both visitors and permanentresidents with a diverse range of activities andexperiences that are better arranged for gueststhan is the case today. Increased activity and newjobs in the tourism industry will help to create abetter foundation for maintaining communicationsand important social functions for the local com-munity. At the same time, good communicationsto and from the archipelago are a precondition forfurther development of tourism in Svalbard.

The Government will:– Ensure sound, predictable framework condi-

tions that provide a basis for growth in the tour-ism industry, by facilitating the development oftourism products.

– Facilitate the development of tourism productsin Management Area 10.

– Further develop Visit Svalbard as a developerof tourism in Svalbard, and Visit Svalbard’scoordinating role for the tourism industry.

9.4.2 Mineral activity

Coal has been extracted in Svalbard since theearly 1900s. Apart from coal, there have been sur-veys and trial operations for other minerals such

as phosphorus, gold, zinc, lead, copper, gypsumand marble. These efforts have not resulted in anyprofitable operations. No commercially viabledeposits of minerals other than coal have beenproven.

Today there are coal operations in Longyear-byen and Barentsburg. Store Norske SpitsbergenGrubekompani (SNSG), a subsidiary of StoreNorske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS (SNSK), isthe company that runs the coal operation in Long-yearbyen, while the coal operation in Barentsburgis run by Trust Arktikugol. Previously, there wasalso activity in Ny-Ålesund and Pyramiden, but themines there closed down in 1962 and 1998 respec-tively. SNSG’s coal operation in the Svea Nordmine has been in regular operation since 2002.When production in the final panel at Svea Nord iscompleted in the spring of 2016, SNSG will carryout preparatory activities and measures needed tosuspend mining operations in the Svea area for upto three years, from 2017.

Box 9.2 Visit Svalbard

Visit Svalbard AS is a travel destination com-pany for Svalbard. The company is whollyowned by the Svalbard Tourism Council,which is a member-based organisation for thetourism industry in Svalbard. In 2016 VisitSvalbard AS was allocated a subsidy of NOK2.2 million from the Ministry of Trade, Indus-try and Fisheries in order to promote valuecreation and improve profitability for an envi-ronmentally appropriate form of tourism bymarketing and disseminating information onSvalbard as a destination.

The company’s tasks include:– Marketing and sales promotion of Svalbard

as a travel destination nationally and inter-nationally

– Provision and promotion of tourism ser-vices on behalf of the tourism industry inSvalbard

– Development of a uniform profile for Sval-bard as a destinationCoordination of allproduct information about Svalbard as adestination

– Operation of the tourist information officein Longyearbyen

– Serving as the secretariat for the collectivetourism industry in Longyearbyen


Mining Code for Svalbard

The right to search for, acquire and exploit naturaldeposits is regulated by the Mining Code for Sval-bard, as stipulated in the Royal Decree of 7 August1925. Only persons from, or companies domiciledin, states which are parties to the Svalbard Treatyhave the right to obtain mining rights in Svalbard.The Mining Code is based on the principle of firstfinder’s right. Whoever first discovers a mineraldeposit has first right to the find and to demand aland claim (mining rights).

The owner of land where a claim has beenawarded has a right to participate in the operationat a level of up to 25 per cent.

The Mining Code sets minimum requirementsfor the effort that must be expended to retain aclaim. The obligation to work a claim is not abso-lute. On specified terms set forth in the MiningCode, dispensation may be granted from the workobligation. Upon application by the claim holderand recommendation by the Directorate of Min-ing, a dispensation from the work obligation isgranted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry andFisheries for five years, which constitutes a work-obligation period.

If a claim holder has not fulfilled the work obli-gation and also has not applied for and beengranted dispensation, the claim lapses at the endof the following calendar year. Others may thenapply for new claims in the freed-up area.

Possession of a claim does not confer the rightto encroach on Svalbard’s natural environment.The establishment of mining operations in Sval-bard requires permission under the SvalbardEnvironmental Protection Act. This legislation isdescribed in greater detail in Chapter 7, ‘Environ-mental protection’.

At the end of 2015 there were a total of 371registered claims in Svalbard, and the SNSKgroup possessed 324 of them.

9.4.3 Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani

About Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani

Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani wasfounded in 1916, and its principal activity is coalmining in Svalbard. In 1973 the state acquired one-third of the shares in the company, and from 1976the state owned 99.94 per cent (see Proposition No.125 (1975–1976) to the Storting). Today the stateowns 100 per cent of the shares, after the remain-ing shares were redeemed in June 2015 (see Propo-sition 118 S (2014–2015) to the Storting).

The group consists of the parent company,Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS(SNSK), and its wholly owned subsidiaries, StoreNorske Spitsbergen Grubekompani AS (SNSG)and Store Norske Boliger (SNB). SNSK also owns65 per cent of the shares in the subsidiary PolePosition Logistics AS. The SNSK group is also thelargest holder of mining claims in Svalbard, with324. The group currently has about 170 employ-ees, but due to financial difficulties the companyhas decided to downsize to just under 100 employ-ees.

SNSG now has operations in two mines: Mine7, near Longyearbyen, and Svea Nord, which islocated 60 km south of Longyearbyen. Coal pro-duction in Mine 7 has remained relatively stable inrecent years. In 2014, 61,462 tonnes of saleablecoal were produced, as against 64,687 tonnes in2013. About 35 per cent of the coal from Mine 7 issold to the local power plant, which the Longyear-byen Community Council operates in Longyear-byen. The rest is exported abroad. By the com-pany’s assessment, Mine 7 had 1.9 million tonnesof total coal reserves at the end of 2014 and anexpected operational life, assuming two shifts, ofabout 10 years. An additional 2.0 million tonnes ofresources are indicated. The indicated resourcesare expected to have higher sulphur content andhence lower quality than today’s coal reserves.Assuming it is deemed commercially profitable toextract the indicated resources, there could beproduction taking place in Mine 7 even after 2025.Lunckefjellgruva, located northeast of Svea Nord,was to have been in production according to itsbusiness plan, but this has been discontinued.

In Svea, the coal operation was mainly relatedto Svea Nord. The mine has been in regular opera-tion since 2002. Operation in the core area of SveaNord is coming to an end, and production is nowtaking place at the outer edge of the resources,

Table 9.1

Claim holder No. of claims

Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS 324

Trust Arktikugol 33

Reistad Consult AS 1

Svalbard Oil Co. AS 3

Austre Adventfjord AS 10

371


which means production conditions are moredemanding. When production in the final panel iscompleted in the spring of 2016, SNSG will carryout preparatory activities and measures needed tosuspend mining operations in the Svea area for upto three years, from 2017.

Lunckefjellgruva opened in February 2014.The mine has access from Svea Nord, and SNSG’scoal operation was to have continued at Lunck-efjell after Svea Nord. As a result of the difficultmarket outlook, however, SNSG has ceased pro-duction at Lunckefjell. There are about 8 milliontonnes of coal reserves at Lunckefjell, and thequality of the coal there is such that it could besold for metallurgical application (PCI coal),achieving a higher price than coal for electricityproduction. Lunckefjell is still regarded as a natu-ral project to pursue if coal prices develop posi-tively.

Challenging market conditions

In the 2004–2013 period the SNSK group had anaccumulated profit of about NOK 1.5 billion, and itpaid out nearly NOK 500 million in dividends. Rel-atively favourable coal prices and the positiveimpact of financial hedging contracts contributedto the results in this period. In recent years, as aresult of a significant drop in coal prices combinedwith large unrealised losses on currency hedgingcontracts and poor market prospects for coal,SNSG has found itself in a very challenging eco-nomic situation.

The SNSK board and the ownership ministry,the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries,have been in close dialogue about the company’ssituation. In May 2015 the Government put for-ward a proposition to the Storting (Proposition118 S (2014–2015)) whose main elements werethat the state would strengthen SNSG’s liquidityby NOK 500 million. Of this amount, NOK 295million went to the purchase of real property andinfrastructure then owned by the SNSK group,and NOK 205 million was provided as a subordi-nated loan to SNSK from the state. The fundswere to be made available for operations in SNSG.The Storting approved the Government’s pro-posal on 11 June 2015 (see Recommendation No.343 S (2014–2015)). The funds SNSK was pro-vided by the state were intended to help finance aminimum level of operations by SNSG in 2015 and2016. It was also evident that coal operations atSNSG were at high risk of having to be wounddown after year-end 2016 if market conditions didnot improve.

With coal prices continuing to decline throughthe autumn of 2015, the situation for SNSKbecame even more difficult. In September 2015the SNSK board contacted the Ministry of Trade,Industry and Fisheries about the deteriorating sit-uation and the options for continued operation.The company saw no economic basis for furtheroperation at Lunckefjell, and production was dis-continued in the autumn of 2015. The board rec-ommended to the owner that the operation ofMine 7 continue in two shifts, and that a suspen-sion of operations for up to three years be facili-tated at Svea and Lunckefjell.

There are several considerations behind stateownership of SNSK. After a comprehensiveassessment – with strict attention paid to issues ofmaintenance, further development, and commu-nity restructuring in Longyearbyen of a kind thatsupports the overriding objectives of the Svalbardpolicy – the Government proposed (in Proposition52 S (2015–2016) to the Storting; see Recommen-dation No. 214 S (2015–2016)) that the state asowner contribute capital to facilitate a suspensionof operations at Svea and Lunckefjell for up tothree years and that the operation of Mine 7 nearLongyearbyen be continued and expanded to twoshifts, in line with the board’s recommendation.The ministry’s proposal entails an allocation ofNOK 112 million to SNSK in the central govern-ment budget for 2016.

The Government acknowledges that there isconsiderable uncertainty associated with businessdevelopments at SNSG and the SNSK group,including a low probability that it will be rationalfrom a business point of view to resume produc-tion at Svea and Lunckefjell in the current three-year period. The liquidity made available to SNSGmust therefore be regarded as risk capital with ahigh risk of being lost. The ministry also pro-posed converting the subordinated loan of NOK205 million plus interest to equity in SNSK. Theproposition also makes it evident that there is con-siderable uncertainty as to further development inthe SNSK Group and that the Government willevaluate this in more detail.

Although the Svalbard community has devel-oped several legs to stand on and can absorb theongoing reduction in the number of SNSK groupemployees, a potential winding down of coal min-ing operations at Svea and Lunckefjell would haveconsequences for the community. The SNSKgroup still holds great significance for the Sval-bard community. The financial cost of a suspen-sion in operations must be weighed against thebenefits of continued Norwegian activity related


to the Svea area coal mines after the period of min-imal operations runs out 2016. Overall, the Gov-ernment sees good reasons for choosing sus-pended operations rather than a winding down,especially given the consideration of providing theSvalbard community more time for restructuringand the objective of maintaining Norwegian com-munities in the archipelago.

If prices had provided a sufficient financialbasis, coal deposits proven in the Svea area couldhave supported operations through 2023. Marketconditions for coal mining have shown a negativetrend in the past year, and the outlook appearschallenging. For the coal resources in Svalbard tobe produced profitably from an economic point ofview in future, market conditions have to improvesignificantly. The special conditions in Svalbardalso make it very expensive to run coal opera-tions. The high cost level can to some extent beexplained by factors such as location, operatingconditions, security requirements and generalwage pressure. SNSK today has claims in severalplaces in Svalbard. These are deposits that can beused as reserves if coal operations beyond the oneat Mine 7 become likely.

The Government will consider alternativesolutions and the structural framework for theSNSK group’s further activity, including alterna-tive solutions for any continuation of activity atSvea and Lunckefjell, and it will consult with theboard in this regard.

Future activity in the company

The operation of Mine 7 is scheduled to continueand to deliver coal to Longyearbyen. This maycontinue for several years. Beyond coal mining,the SNSK group also manages housing and prop-erty in Svalbard. Through the subsidiary StoreNorske Boliger AS (SNB), the SNSK group ownsabout 380 housing units in Longyearbyen. Thecompany’s purpose is to own and rent out realproperty. Primarily, SNB rents out homes to com-panies in the group and to partners. The largesttenant is SNSG, which rents out housing toemployees. In line with the state’s objective of con-tributing, through its ownership in SNSG, to themaintenance of the community in Longyearbyen,the company has applied to increase the numberof family homes to make it attractive for the com-pany’s employees to settle in Longyearbyen withtheir families. According to the company, theprice level in SNB is set on the basis of what itcosts to invest in housing construction in Long-yearbyen, as well as to cover municipal fees, dis-

trict heating/heating and continuing and periodicmaintenance.

The downsizing of SNSG in 2013 freed up sev-eral housing units, leading to a marked increase inexternal rentals. This development continued in2014 and into 2015. As of February 2016, SNB wasrenting out about 35 per cent of its housing stockexternally. This includes rentals to partners.SNSK wants to help develop the market for bothresidential and commercial property in step withlocal needs. The company’s housing and propertymanagement activity will depend on the activitylevel in other areas of business and communitylife in Longyearbyen, and on financial resources.Currently, SNSK also rents the state’s land atHotellneset in Longyearbyen. SNSK is also con-sidering further development of Hotellneset forcommercial use of the area in the longer term.

When production at Svea Nord ends in thespring of 2016, SNSG will carry out preparatoryactivities to suspend mining operations at Svea forup to three years, starting in 2017. During theperiod of suspended operations, SNSK will con-tinue to rent land and infrastructure from the stateas well as to oversee management and mainte-nance of Svea on behalf of the state. In this periodSNSK will also work for the development of new,commercially profitable activities tied to the exist-ing infrastructure at Svea which can be combinedwith any future resumption of mining operations.This applies both to research activities under thedirection of Svea Arctic Research Infrastructure(SARI), collaborative projects with UNIS, andfacilitation of tourism activity.

As landowner and owner of the infrastructurein Svea, the state will have certain expenses inmanaging and maintaining the properties. Thecosts related to Svea are costs that the state willhave to fund regardless of the SNSK group’s fur-ther development. An important job ahead willtherefore be to examine how Svea can be man-aged further if mining operations at Svea arewound down.

Changed purposes and categorisation

The state must attend to several purposes throughits ownership of the SNSK group. On the onehand, the ownership is supposed to help supportthe overriding Svalbard policy objectives. Formany years, the company’s mining operationshave contributed significantly to stable, year-round Norwegian activity and presence in Sval-bard. SNSK has also signed agreements with thestate on operation and maintenance of parts of the


state’s real properties in Svalbard. On the otherhand, the state’s purpose in owning SNSK hasbeen for the company to operate on a commercialbasis and with a view to delivering competitivereturns. This has proved difficult in recent years.

To better reflect the state’s various interests asowner of SNSK, the Government has changed thecategorisation of the state’s ownership in the com-pany. The Government has moved SNSK fromCategory 3 (commercial objectives and other spe-cifically defined objectives) to Category 4 (sec-toral policy objectives). Apart from this, today’sframework for corporate governance of the com-pany is to be extended. Requirements have beenset for efficient operations.

The Government will:– Assess the situation for continued SNSK oper-

ations in light of developments in the price andmarket outlook for coal.

– Administer ownership in SNSK so that it con-tributes to the Longyearbyen community in away that supports the overriding objectives ofthe Svalbard policy.


9.4.4 Space activity

Svalbard is Norway’s foremost advantage as aspace nation. The archipelago’s geographical loca-tion is ideal for space activity, both for explorationof the atmosphere and downlinking of satellitedata. Its northern position gives Svalbard a com-petitive advantage with regard to downlinkinginformation from satellites in polar orbits. Sval-bard is the only easily accessible place where it ispossible to communicate with satellites in polarorbits during each orbit that such satellites makearound the earth. Downlinking satellite data fromSvalbard thus helps to make the operation ofpolar-orbit satellites more efficient. As a result,the services provided by the station in Longyear-byen are in high demand.

Svalbard plays a key role in Norwegian spaceactivity, and the space activity in Svalbard continuesto develop strongly. Space activity is an importantpart of the economic base in Svalbard. Svalbard’saccessibility and northern location, along with thecommunities associated with the University Centrein Svalbard (UNIS), result in an active researchcommunity. UNIS is involved in research into Arc-tic geophysics and studies of the aurora borealis.

The European Incoherent Scatter ScientificAssociation (EISCAT) is an international scientific

organisation that operates three radar facilities forionospheric studies. EISCAT has four stations,including one in Svalbard outside Longyearbyen.Norway is a member along with five other coun-tries.

SvalSat and SvalRak

The cornerstones of space activity in Svalbard arethe Svalbard Satellite Station (SvalSat) ground sta-tion and the Svalbard Rocket Range (SvalRak).SvalSat downlinks information from satellites inpolar orbits, and SvalRak provides launch servicesfor scientific balloons and rockets. SvalSat hasabout 30 employees and is owned by KongsbergSatellite Services (KSAT). The state, throughSpace Norway AS, owns 50 per cent of KSAT.Space Norway AS also operates the fibre opticcable to Svalbard. SvalRak is owned by AndøyaSpace Center AS (ASC). ASC is a state companyunder the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisher-ies.

Svalbard Satellite Station, located on Platåber-get at Longyearbyen, is the northernmost satellitedownlink station in the world. Through effectiveutilisation of SvalSat, Norway is exploiting its geo-graphical advantage. This has made Norway amajor international player in the satellite downlinkmarket. SvalSat is currently the largest commer-cial satellite ground station in the world and aglobal leader in downlinking meteorological datafrom polar-orbit satellites. With its downlink ser-vices at Svalbard and at the Troll station in Dron-ning Maud Land in Antarctica, KSAT is the onlycompany in the world that can offer downlinkingof information near the North Pole and the SouthPole alike. This permits quick access to observa-tional data from polar-orbit satellites, providingKSAT with a competitive advantage.

SvalRak is a launch station for research rock-ets at Ny-Ålesund. Because Svalbard is situatedvery close to the magnetic north pole, the rocket-launching range is particularly well suited forstudies of the aurora borealis and other phenom-ena specific to the Arctic. Along with Norwegianresearchers, the users of the facility are primarilyJapanese and American. There is also increasedinterest in the release of large stratosphericresearch balloons from Svalbard.

Major international actors such as the US,European and Japanese space agencies, as well asseveral other major actors in space activity, makeuse of the services and infrastructure at SvalSat.The European Space Agency (ESA) uses theinstallations at Platåberget near Longyearbyen for


both commercial and research-related activity.SvalSat operates antennas for NASA, the Europeanmeteorological organisation EUMETSAT and theESA, among others. Many earth observation satel-lites travel in polar orbits, so from positions nearthe poles it is possible to communicate with anddownlink data from these satellites at relativelyshort intervals. Services based on earth observa-tion data are of great administrative and commer-cial significance to Norway, especially in the man-agement of marine areas in the far north. SvalSatalso operates antennas for the Galileo, EGNOS andCopernicus EU programmes, thereby helping tostrengthen the programmes’ coverage and perfor-mance in Norwegian areas of interest.

Large investments have been made tostrengthen SvalSat’s position as a leading providerof space-based services. In 2004, fibre optic cableswere introduced for transmitting data from Sval-bard to the mainland. As a result, real-time accessto data from the satellites is also available on themainland. The development was funded throughan agreement with the US aerospace and meteor-ological agencies, NASA and NOAA; the fibreoptic cables are owned by Space Norway AS.

Future opportunities

There is reason to believe that international inter-est in the use of Svalbard’s space infrastructurewill continue to grow. Satellite data downlinked inSvalbard is used operationally in the monitoring ofsea-ice conditions, oil pollution and maritime traf-fic. This information is critical to preventing anddetecting accidents and environmental crime atsea.

Svalbard’s geographical location providesunique opportunities for space research, includ-ing research on space weather. Space weatherresearch is research into the sun’s effect on theearth. It is common for space weather to affect theearth, but in most cases the effect manifests itselfin the form of remarkable natural phenomena:aurora borealis and aurora australis. It is the trulypowerful solar storms that may have conse-quences for us, because such storms can affectour systems on earth, interfering with satellitesignals, for example, as well as other technologiesand infrastructure. Vulnerability rises in step withsociety’s adoption of increasingly sensitive tech-nology. Norway is a leader in aurora borealis

Figure 9.2 Svalbard Satellite Station. Svalbard Airport, Longyear, is visible by the fjord.

Photo: ©KSAT – Kongsberg Satellite Services


research, and the Kjell Henriksen Observatory(KHO) outside Longyearbyen represents the coreof Norwegian and international research into theaurora borealis. Together with rocket and satellitemeasurements and the EISCAT and Super-DARNradar facilities, this research infrastructure isunique to Svalbard. This research infrastructureputs Norway in a strong position to participate ininternational collaboration in this field.

Efforts are under way to integrate the spaceactivity with other observational platforms, suchas SIOS, whose contributions include improvedavailability of climatic, environmental and earthobservation data from Svalbard from satellites.

In this way Norway will also be able to helpexplore the solar system. Norwegian researchers’understanding of satellite data and field measure-ments from glaciers in Svalbard could be impor-tant to an understanding of glaciers and any poten-tial biological life on Mars and other planets.NASA and the ESA use Svalbard regularly to testequipment employed in space missions for solarsystem exploration.

Substantial funds have been allocated toencourage Norwegian companies to take part inresearch and innovation efforts in a Europeancontext. It is important that Norwegian spaceactivity actors also take part in European collabo-ration, so as to exploit the competitive advantagesthat Svalbard’s location and attributes provide inspace-related research, innovation and economicdevelopment.

The earth’s curvature and Svalbard’s locationfar from other land masses limit opportunities forcoverage by conventional communication chan-nels, such as marine VHF radio and satellites ingeostationary orbit over the equator. Existing sys-tems that provide satellite communications inareas north of 75° N have limited performanceand capacity. This can present a challenge in oper-ations such as search and rescue. The Govern-ment will look into the possibility of a solution fora satellite-based communications system in theHigh North.

Space activity creates high-technology jobs inthe northernmost counties and in Svalbard. Con-tinued growth in space-based activity in Svalbardwill lead to increased interest from domestic andinternational communities alike. Space infrastruc-ture and space activity in general have greatpotential to contribute to future sustainable activ-ity and value creation in Svalbard.

The space activity exploits Svalbard’s geo-graphical advantages, and navigation and earthobservation satellites are particularly useful in

these areas, as they can cover large areas with rel-atively little infrastructure without harming theenvironment. Space-based infrastructure pro-vides useful and cost-effective benefits to the pop-ulation and business community in Svalbard.Good examples include environmental monitoringand maritime emergency preparedness, which areparticularly important for the High North, includ-ing Svalbard. The need for space-based serviceswill continue to grow in fields related to civil pro-tection, the environment and climate, among oth-ers. The fibre optic cable link to Svalbard is anexample of infrastructure put into place becauseof the commitment to space activity in Svalbard,and which benefits residents and scientists inSvalbard by enabling fast and secure internetaccess.

The Government will:– Facilitate space activity as part of the future

economic base in Svalbard.– Assess the need and possibility of a satellite-

based communications system in the HighNorth.

9.4.5 Electronic communications services

Electronic communications were liberalised inNorway in 1998. The electronic services legisla-tion – the Act of 4 July 2003 No. 83 relating to elec-tronic communications (the Electronic Communi-cations Act) – is applicable in Svalbard, with theexception of the competition rules in chapters 3and 4 as well as section 9–3. The permit systemon the mainland is also applicable in Svalbard,with the exception of permits relating to the estab-lishment and use of satellite ground stations, forwhich special rules are needed out of concern forprovisions in the Svalbard Treaty. The regulationsfor establishing, operating and using satelliteground stations in Svalbard are being revised tomake them up-to-date and forward-looking. Theaim is to reorganise and strengthen the supervi-sory activities.

Access to frequency resources in Svalbard isnow administered so that special licences areawarded for Svalbard regardless of correspondingfrequency licences for the Norwegian mainland.In Svalbard, growing interest is focused mainly onresearch activity involving the use of radio fre-quencies and the need for allocation of frequencylicences.

Under the electronic communications legisla-tion, the opportunity exists for a number of com-mercial actors to take part, but Telenor ASAremains the most important provider of electronic


communications networks and services to Sval-bard.

The fibre optic cable to Svalbard provides thebusiness community, the public sector, theresearch and education community and the gen-eral population with electronic communications atleast as good as those on the mainland, due to thevirtually unlimited capacity of these fibre opticcables. It is natural to envisage the creation ofadditional initiatives for utilising the capacity ofthe fibre optic cables to the mainland in future.

The Svalbard cable’s service interruption inJune 2014 showed how dependent all communica-tions to and from Svalbard are on this transportchannel. The interruption led the owner to con-duct a value assessment and a risk and vulnerabil-ity analysis of the connection, including the cablelanding point and the linkage of data streams intothe commercial electronic communications net-works. The relevant actors are now following upon these efforts.

Because of Longyearbyen’s limited geo-graphic area, it has been used as a testing groundfor new technology. As a result, residents havehad access to advanced services before mostother Norwegians. Apart from providing modernservices to the business community and publicadministration, Telenor Svalbard today offersmodern ‘triple play’ solutions (telephony, IPTVand broadband access) to the populations of Long-yearbyen and Ny-Ålesund. There is full fibre opticcoverage, and the typical broadband line to ahousehold has a transfer rate of at least 50 Mbit/s.

A fibre optic connection between Ny-Ålesundand Longyearbyen was recently established. Theconnection is redundant, with two separate cables.The connection was put into operation in May 2015and is the world’s northernmost high-speed con-nection. The radio link that previously served as thecommunications connection is being terminated.The technology is now present to allow the activityin Ny-Ålesund to link up to the rest of the worldwith high-speed connectivity via the new cable andthe fibre optic connection between Longyearbyenand the Norwegian mainland. Between Longyear-byen and Svea, the connection is via radio link.

Both NetCom and Telenor offer mobile tele-phone services and mobile broadband (3G and4G) in Longyearbyen, Svea and Barentsburg.Both providers also cover large parts of Advent-dalen, Van Mijenfjorden and Isfjordbassenget.

The Government will:– Revise the regulations governing the establish-

ment and operation of satellite ground stationsin Svalbard.

9.4.6 Maritime activity

Norway has a long tradition of shipping in the Arc-tic and the High North, and the Norwegian mari-time industry has extensive expertise in the spe-cial conditions and challenges of Arctic waters.The maritime traffic around Svalbard consistsmainly of cruise and cargo traffic, research-related shipping and fishing.

The number of overseas cruise ships comingto Svalbard has varied between 21 and 34 per yearsince 1997, but the number of passengers hasalmost trebled in the same period. Since the peakyear, 2012, there has been a slight decline in arriv-als to Svalbard by the large cruise vessels. Thedecline may be related to several factors: eco-nomic conditions, the introduction of a ban onheavy fuel oil in the protected areas, the introduc-tion of compulsory pilotage, and limited portcapacity in Longyearbyen.

The large overseas cruise vessels visit onlythe west coast of Svalbard. The ban on heavy fueloil is discussed further in section 7.3.4. In addi-tion to the overseas cruise vessels, much oftoday’s cruise tourism takes place using smalland medium-sized vessels. These vessels do notuse heavy fuel oil, and can travel throughout Sval-bard, including the large nature reserves in theeast.

Spills of heavy fuel oil in the event of ship acci-dents could have serious negative consequencesfor the environment in the vulnerable and valuableareas around Svalbard. A ban on heavy fuel oilwas therefore introduced in the nature reserveson the east side of Svalbard in 2007 and in thenational parks on the west side in 2009, with a fewtime-limited exceptions (see over). The ban onheavy fuel oil is not applicable in Isfjorden, amongother places, and imposes no restrictions oncruise traffic there.

Future opportunities

The northern marine areas are undergoingchange, and the melting ice could provide oppor-tunities for expanded economic activity andwealth creation in Svalbard. The growth potentialfor the maritime industry will be affected bygrowth in other industries and by any new activitythat is begun in or around Svalbard and thatdepends on maritime transport. This also pre-sents new environmental and security challenges.A well-functioning infrastructure is a premise forincreased value creation, improved security andreduced environmental risk.


The High North, including Svalbard, is not suf-ficiently prepared to accommodate a potentialactivity increase in a safe, environmentallyfriendly and efficient manner. Norway is never-theless the Arctic coastal state that must beregarded as having the most developed infrastruc-ture in the area, not least as regards ocean surveil-lance. This gives Norway, with its geographicalposition and existing and planned infrastructure,an advantage with regard to international collabo-ration and potential localisation of internationaloperations.

The capacity of the port facility in Longyear-byen is limited at present. New port infrastructurewill be an important measure for further develop-ment in fields such as research, tourism, logisticsand maritime services. In the National TransportPlan 2014–2023, up to NOK 200 million has beenset aside for new port infrastructure in Longyear-byen. A more detailed account of the NorwegianCoastal Administration’s work studying differentport infrastructure solutions for Longyearbyen ispresented in Chapter 6.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisherieshas issued rules expanding the trade area for NIS-registered cargo ships and passenger ships sothat they receive operational access to Svalbardfrom 1 January 2016. This contributes to astrengthening of the Norwegian-registered fleetand promotes the Norwegian maritime businesscommunity in Svalbard.

The Government will:– Decide on further work to develop port infra-

structure in Longyearbyen.

9.4.7 Fisheries activity

Regulation of fisheries resources

Fishing takes place in the territorial sea aroundSvalbard and in the Fisheries Protection Zone out-side. The fishing in the territorial sea is far lessextensive than in the Fisheries Protection Zonearound Svalbard. Several of the stocks outsideSvalbard migrate between Norwegian, foreignand international waters. For migrating stocks it isimportant to ensure protection and managementthroughout their area of distribution. Pursuant tothe Act of 17 December 1976 No. 91 relating to theeconomic zone of Norway, a Fisheries ProtectionZone of 200 nautical miles was established aroundSvalbard by the Royal Decree of 3 June 1977.Thus, the reason for establishing a non-discrimi-natory Fisheries Protection Zone around Svalbard

was primarily to achieve control of fishing in thearea in order to preserve the resources and avoidunregulated fishing.

Today, fishing for cod, haddock, capelin, red-fish, Greenland halibut, shrimp, Norwegianspring-spawning herring and snow crab is regu-lated in this area. Different regulations have beenissued for the various fisheries, including quotaregulation and effort regulation. The regulationsare issued pursuant to the Act relating to manage-ment of wild living marine resources (MarineResources Act). In addition, regulations on fishingin the territorial sea of Svalbard are issued pursu-ant to the Svalbard Act, while regulations on fish-ing in the Fisheries Protection Zone around Sval-bard are issued pursuant to the Act relating to theeconomic zone of Norway. Uniform rules havebeen issued for fishing in the territorial seaaround Svalbard and in the Fisheries ProtectionZone around Svalbard. This includes reportingrules, rules for keeping a catch logbook, provi-sions on mesh size in fishing gear, the use of sort-ing grids and minimum sizes for fish, etc. Insidethe three original national parks and the naturereserves from 1973, the seabed is protected.Excluded from the protection is shrimp fishing atdepths exceeding 100 metres.

The Coast Guard and the Directorate of Fish-eries are jointly responsible for the practicalaspects of exercising resource control in areasunder Norwegian fisheries jurisdiction. A signifi-cant part of the Coast Guard’s resources are usedin the northern marine areas. The Coast Guard ispart of the Armed Forces, and provisions relatingto the Coast Guard’s tasks and administrativeduties are found in the Coast Guard Act and theCoast Guard Instructions. The Coast Guard’sexercise of control and enforcement measures inthe territorial sea of Svalbard shall be in accord-ance with directives issued by the Governor ofSvalbard.

It is essential to manage living marineresources in such a way that they can continue tobe harvested in future. Control over fishing in theterritorial sea and Fisheries Protection Zonearound Svalbard must therefore be as good as inother areas under Norwegian jurisdiction. Inter-national obligations with respect to resource man-agement and resource control must also be car-ried out there. It is in the interest of all fishingnations that genuine control is exercised over theouttake of fish from these areas, and that illegalfishing is avoided.


Landing of catch

Svalbard has no tradition of commercial landing orprocessing of fish and seafood, and the seafood soldand consumed there has come in large part fromthe mainland. Recently, interest has grown in estab-lishing fish processing plants and developing vari-ous tourism concepts related to local food thatwould involve commercial landing of fish and sea-food in Svalbard. The Government will facilitatesuch seafood industry related to local food and tour-ism. For the time being, however, the likelihood ofdemand to land catches in Svalbard is uncertain.The likelihood will depend on the fish species andthe nature of the fishing fleet in the area.

Landing and sale of seafood on the mainlandare subject to detailed regulation through acts andregulations, including the Marine Resources Act,the Act relating to first-hand sales of wild marineresources (the Fishermen’s Sales OrganisationAct) and the Act relating to food production andfood safety (the Food Act). The land territory inSvalbard has previously been exempt from theseregulations. Legislation outside fisheries legisla-tion, including environmental legislation, may alsohave a bearing on the establishment of fish pro-cessing plants.

To ensure that considerations of resource con-trol and food safety are addressed in Svalbard aselsewhere, processes have been initiated to imple-ment the necessary regulations. The applicationof such a framework would be an important con-tribution to facilitating the regulation of sales oflocally caught fish for commercial use in Long-yearbyen.

The Food Act’s scope of application wasextended to Svalbard and Jan Mayen in October2015. None of the Food Act’s regulations weremade applicable at the same time. Interministerialconsideration is currently being given to decidewhich of these regulations, including thoserelated to fishing, should be made applicable. TheNorwegian Food Safety Authority holds supervi-sory authority under the Svalbard Act.

The Marine Resources Act’s scope of applica-tion was extended in January 2016 to include theland territory of Svalbard. The Directorate ofFisheries is the competent supervisory authorityunder the act. Previously, the act was applicable inall Norwegian maritime zones, on Norwegianland territory with the exceptions of Svalbard andJan Mayen, on the Norwegian Continental Shelf,and on all Norwegian fishing vessels whereverthey happen to be. The act provides for, inter alia,regulations on purchase registration and regula-

tions on landing and sales notes that impose obli-gations upon landing of catches, as well as forrequirements applicable to those who operate fishprocessing plants. The regulations to date havenot been made applicable in Svalbard. If a fish pro-cessing plant is established in Svalbard, these reg-ulations may be defined more precisely by issuingregulations for this purpose. The Directorate ofFisheries is the competent supervisory authorityunder the act. Regulations outside the fisheriesregulations may also have a bearing on the estab-lishment of fish processing plants.

The third main act of relevance to the topic,the Fishermen’s Sales Organisation Act, requiresfirst-hand sales through fish sales organisationsby all who land fish in Mainland-Norway and byNorwegian fishermen wherever they land theirraw catch. It is forbidden to sell, export or processfish except through or with the approval of a com-petent sales organisation. As of today, the act isapplicable in the marine areas around Svalbard,but not on the land territory. No requirements aretherefore imposed under the Fishermen’s SalesOrganisation Act with regard to the establishmentof fish processing plants in Svalbard today.Whether it will be necessary to extend the applica-bility of parts of the act to the land territory ofSvalbard will be assessed on an ongoing basis aswarranted by developments involving new activity.

Reference is made to the Storting’s resolutionfrom its consideration of a white paper on seafoodindustry competitiveness (Meld. St. 10 (2015–2016), see Recommendation No. 215 S (2015–2016)), the recommendation’s resolution I, whichreads as follows: ‘The Storting requests the Gov-ernment to make proposals in the upcoming Sval-bard white paper regarding how increased fishingand other harvesting of marine resources canhave positive ripple effects for Svalbard.’ Thewhite paper was processed by the Storting on 5April of this year, so it has not been possible in thetime since then to prepare such proposals. TheGovernment will return to the Storting on thismatter.

The Government will:– Facilitate conditions for the seafood industry in

connection with local food and tourism.

9.4.8 Air transport activity

Svalbard Airport, Longyear, is owned and oper-ated by Avinor and was officially opened in 1975.In 2007, the airport was expanded with a new ter-minal. As a result of the highly seasonal influx oftourists, Svalbard Airport’s traffic patterns vary. It


is nevertheless organised and operated in thesame manner as Avinor’s airports on the main-land. It has also been upgraded in recent years,including with the creation of expanded securityareas both alongside and at the ends of the run-way, in accordance with regulatory requirements.The new terminal building that opened in 2007 isalso dimensioned with a view to expected growthin air traffic.

The general increase in activity in Svalbard isalso evident in the increase in the number of pas-sengers at the airport. The trend in air traffic ispresented in Table 9.2. Avinor expects stable andmoderate growth ahead. In recent years there hasbeen a steady increase in the number of passen-gers, particularly since Norwegian began regularflights in 2013. According to Avinor, the numberof passengers is rising because aircraft passengercounts are higher, and because the types of air-craft deployed on some flights have more capacitythan before.

There are also airports in Ny-Ålesund andSvea, and a heliport at Kapp Heer, Barentsburg.The airport at Ny-Ålesund, Hamnerabben, isowned and operated by Kings Bay AS. Flights areoperated between Ny-Ålesund and Longyearbyenonce or twice weekly in winter and two or threetimes weekly in summer. The flights carry scien-tists and employees to and from Ny-Ålesund. SveaAirport is situated at the inner reach of Van Mijen-fjorden. The airport is owned by the Ministry ofTrade, Industry and Fisheries and operated byStore Norske Spitsbergen Grubekompani AS.

All flights to and from Svalbard, according tothe regulations on aviation in Svalbard, must govia Svalbard Airport, Longyear, so this airportreceives all direct flights to the archipelago. BothSAS and Norwegian operate scheduled servicesto Svalbard from the mainland. In addition, WestAir flies regular cargo flights on contract withNorway Post. Beyond this, in recent years therehas been a slight increase in charter flights fortourists to Svalbard.

The use of unmanned aircraft has increasedrapidly and sharply, and such craft are thought tobe of potential use in Svalbard, for research pur-poses in particular. Norway takes part in interna-tional cooperation on unmanned aircraft use forscientific purposes through the Arctic Monitoringand Assessment Program (AMAP) in connectionwith the Arctic Council. The Civil Aviation Author-ity of Norway has issued regulations specificallyon the use of unmanned aircraft. The regulationscame into force on 1 January 2016, and are appli-cable in Svalbard. The European Commission isworking to develop common European rules inthis area.

Regulation of air traffic

All air traffic in Svalbard is subject to the provi-sions of the Aviation Act and the Regulations of 23November 1973 concerning aviation in Svalbard.

Large parts of Norway’s aviation legislationimplement into Norwegian law EU legislative actsthat have been incorporated into the EEA Agree-ment. Since Svalbard is not covered by the EEAAgreement, the question of whether EU aviationprovisions should be made applicable in the archi-pelago is subject to special consideration. Regula-tions implementing EU legislative acts are appliedto Svalbard where relevant. This ensures that reg-ulations exist for all forms of aviation in Svalbard.

There is no scheduled air service to Svalbardfrom abroad. As mentioned, the archipelago is notcovered by the EEA Agreement, and according tothe regulations on aviation in Svalbard, everyoneconducting flights to Svalbard must have permis-sion from the Civil Aviation Authority. It followsfrom these regulations that permission may begranted on set conditions, including time period,aircraft type to be employed, and limitations onuse. Applications for the establishment of routesto Svalbard from abroad are given thorough andconsistent consideration, and the Norwegianauthorities so far not have not given consent forsuch routes.

Source: Avinor

Table 9.2 Aircraft movements and passengers at Svalbard Airport, Longyear.

Year Aircraft movements Passengers

2006 6521 128067

2007 7064 129317

2008 8911 138934

2009 6609 129336

2010 6490 125781

2011 6350 126350

2012 6626 133481

2013 6943 151651

2014 6745 161223

2015 6453 166477


Helicopter traffic

Helicopter traffic represents a significant part ofthe air traffic in Svalbard. Lufttransport AS pro-vides helicopter services for the Governor of Sval-bard in accordance with the agreement of 1 April2014. The service is carried out using two SuperPuma helicopters. The helicopters may also behired by others when the Governor’s needs poseno hindrance. During the summer months, Luft-transport AS also operates other helicopters forclients in Svalbard.

Commercial aviation is not covered by theequal-treatment obligation under the SvalbardTreaty. This is reflected in Norwegian legislationas well as in long-term, consistent practice. Underthe Aviation Act, only aircraft with Norwegiannationality can engage in air transport in Norwe-gian territory. The Civil Aviation Authority maygrant dispensation from the nationality require-ment, however, if there are special reasons fordoing so. For years, Russian helicopter operatorshave been granted dispensation to conduct heli-copter flights in association with the mining opera-tion in Barentsburg. For other missions, permis-sion must be applied for in each individual case.The outcome of such applications is determinedby the aviation authorities on the basis of a spe-cific assessment.

Passenger lists for flights to and from Svalbard

Passenger lists for all flights to and from Svalbardshall be delivered to the Governor of Svalbard.This follows from the regulations on aviation inSvalbard. The provision was incorporated into theregulations in 1996, but was not followed up for allflights. On 3 July 2015, therefore, the Civil Avia-tion Authority issued an announcement (Aeronau-tical Information Circular – AIC) amending theadministrative practice and ensuring that the pro-visions of the regulations are complied with, sothat the passenger lists are routinely submitted tothe Governor. The passenger lists are to be sent tothe Civil Aviation Authority together with applica-tions for permission to fly to and from Svalbard,and the authority forwards the passenger lists tothe Governor. The amendment entered into forceon 4 July 2015 for charter flights and on 25 Octo-ber 2015 for scheduled air services.

9.4.9 Petroleum activity

The marine areas surrounding Svalbard have notbeen opened for petroleum activity. There has

been drilling for petroleum on land in Svalbard,but without any commercially recoverable discov-eries. Permission has not been granted for explor-atory drilling in the territorial sea surround Sval-bard. Nor has permission been granted to drill onland since the Svalbard Environmental ProtectionAct came into force in 2002. In the vicinity of theisland of Hopen and along the west coast of Spits-bergen, certain claims have been granted on thebasis of indications of petroleum deposits. A claimis a preferential right to exploit the naturalresources within a specifically defined area, butprovides no right to begin activity unless permis-sion is granted in accordance with the SvalbardEnvironmental Protection Act and other regula-tions that apply to Svalbard. The Governmentexpects that current policies will be continuedwith regard to petroleum activity in the territorialsea of Svalbard.

9.5 Summary

The Government will:– Facilitate the development of existing and new

businesses within the overriding objectives ofthe Svalbard policy.

– Strengthen economic development effortsunder the auspices of the Longyearbyen Com-munity Council and relevant national policyinstruments in cooperation with existing busi-ness interests in Longyearbyen, using fundsprovided in the estimated accounts for the 2015central government budget.


– Facilitate development of a new, forward-lookingbusiness and innovation strategy for Svalbard.


– Ensure sound, predictable framework condi-tions that provide a basis for growth in the tour-ism industry, by facilitating the development oftourism products.

– Facilitate the development of tourism productsin Management Area 10.

– Further develop Visit Svalbard as a developerof tourism in Svalbard, and Visit Svalbard’scoordinating role in the tourism industry.

– Assess the situation for continued SNSK oper-ations in light of developments in the price andmarket outlook for coal.


– Administer ownership in SNSK so that it con-tributes to the Longyearbyen community in away that supports the overriding objectives ofthe Svalbard policy.


– Facilitate space activity as part of the futureeconomic base in Svalbard.

– Assess the need and possibility of a satellite-based communications system in the HighNorth.

– Revise the regulations governing the establish-ment and operation of satellite ground stationsin Svalbard.


– Facilitate conditions for the seafood industry inconnection with local food and tourism.


10 Civil protection, rescue and emergency preparedness

10.1 Introduction

Society faces a variety of challenges in the area ofcivil protection and emergency preparedness.Preventing and reducing vulnerability, so thatsociety can better handle incidents and crises andquickly restore societal functions if an undesira-ble incident occurs, is a priority. The Governmentwill continue to intensify its efforts to strengthencivil protection and emergency preparedness; seethe budget proposal for 2016 for the Ministry ofJustice and Public Security (Prop. 1 S (2015–2016)).

This chapter describes the organisation, rolesand responsibilities of civil protection and emer-gency preparedness work in Svalbard. It also pre-sents a discussion of available resources and spe-cific challenges that require attention.

As in the rest of Norway, the job of civil protec-tion and emergency preparedness in Svalbard hasbeen intensified, including both the preventionand response aspects. Svalbard’s geographic loca-tion poses particular challenges in respect of civilprotection and emergency preparedness forwhich planning is needed.

Prevention has been particularly important,and each sector is responsible for identifying theassets that need attention, the risks that keyassets face, and how vulnerable they are. Basedon such analyses, individual enterprises mustimplement preventive measures.

Previous white papers on Svalbard havefocused attention on security and emergency pre-paredness challenges posed by increasing mari-time traffic in the waters surrounding Svalbardand in the High North generally. One objectivehas been to reduce the risk of undesirable inci-dents involving maritime transport in Svalbard inorder to protect human life, health and the envi-ronment, and over the years several measureshave been implemented to ensure that the qualityof security and rescue services at sea, on land andin the air is proportionate to the activity level.However, other areas also demand attention interms of mapping and assessing risk and vulnera-bility.

Long distances and a demanding climate poseadditional challenges. Local emergency prepared-ness, moreover, is not of a scale to deal with majoror simultaneous incidents. Preventive measuresare therefore critical. It is also extremely impor-tant that the various agencies cooperate and coor-dinate, and that they plan and prepare forresources to be provided from the mainland in theevent of major incidents.

Should incidents nonetheless occur, it isimportant to be well drilled and prepared to man-age them. Historically, there have been a numberof challenging operations and missions in Sval-bard. The avalanche in Longyearbyen in Decem-ber 2015 showed how a whole community wasmobilised and a major, vital effort was undertakento save lives and care for those affected. Thisundesirable incident also illustrated the need forassistance from the mainland.

10.2 Key actors

10.2.1 Governor of Svalbard

The Governor of Svalbard is the Norwegian Gov-ernment’s highest-ranking representative in thearchipelago, and acts in the capacities of bothchief of police and county governor, and is theprincipal authority with regard to both planningand crisis management in the area of civil protec-tion and emergency preparedness. The Governorplays a vital role both in preventing undesirableincidents and in managing them when they occur.The Governor emphasises cooperation with thelocal emergency preparedness actors and supe-rior authorities. The objective is a state of readi-ness that ensures the safety and security of thepopulation of Svalbard.

By virtue of being county governor, the Gover-nor of Svalbard is responsible for civil protectionin the archipelago; see the Royal Decree of 19June 2015 Instructions for the county governors’and Governor of Svalbard’s work relating to civilprotection, emergency preparedness and crisismanagement. These instructions set guidelinesfor the duties of the Governor of Svalbard relating


to civil protection and emergency preparednessand for coordinating crisis management in theevent of undesirable incidents.

In line with the instructions, a dedicated emer-gency preparedness council has been appointedin Svalbard and is chaired by the Governor ofSvalbard, as is also the case with county gover-nors on the mainland. The council consists of rep-resentatives from large research institutions andcompanies in Svalbard, the Longyearbyen RedCross, Svalbard Church, and Longyearbyen Hos-pital. The council discusses relevant civil protec-tion and emergency preparedness issues andserves as an arena for oversight and exchange ofinformation. The council contributes to a joint riskand vulnerability assessment and a common plat-form for planning civil protection and emergencypreparedness in Svalbard, and must also be pre-pared to assist the Governor of Svalbard in crisismanagement. In coordinating with the emergencypreparedness council, the Governor of Svalbardobtains a good overview of available capacitiesand expertise in the archipelago.

A key element in the civil protection duties ofthe Governor of Svalbard is the preparation of arisk and vulnerability (RAV) analysis for Svalbard.In 2013 the Governor prepared an RAV analysisfor Svalbard covering the following main catego-ries: natural incidents, major accidents, and seri-ous intentional incidents. It was based in part onthe Directorate for Civil Protection and Emer-gency Planning’s national risk assessment. TheRAV analysis was prepared in cooperation withlocal emergency preparedness actors and adoptedby the emergency preparedness council for Sval-bard, and provides a basis for revising and furtherdeveloping an integrated set of emergency prepar-edness plans. An updated RAV analysis is due tobe completed in 2016.

By area, Svalbard is Norway’s largest policedistrict, and the Governor has the same authorityas a chief of police on the mainland. The policemanpower was expanded with three new positionsfrom 1 July 2014, and a new operations room wasopened when construction of the Governor’sadministration building was completed in theautumn of 2014. This will improve the Governor’sability to address new and major challenges in theareas of rescue and emergency preparedness.

Svalbard local rescue coordination centre

As chief of police, the Governor of Svalbard alsoheads the rescue management team in the localrescue centre in Svalbard. In addition to the Gov-

ernor of Svalbard, the rescue management teamconsists of representatives from the Longyear-byen Community Council, Longyearbyen Fire andRescue Service, Telenor Svalbard, LongyearbyenHospital, Store Norske Spitsbergen KulkompaniAS, Avinor/Svalbard Airport, the Governor ofSvalbard’s helicopter operator SAR, Lufttransportand the Longyearbyen Red Cross Search and Res-cue Corps. External advisers may be called onwhen necessary.

The rescue plan of the Governor of Svalbard isbased on the model plan for rescue services inNorway and is regularly updated in line with newexperience and societal changes. The plan coversincidents and accidents at sea, on land and in theair. The Governor has also established a set ofplans for dealing with acute pollution, nuclearaccidents and pandemics, as well as a general cri-sis management plan and other emergency pre-paredness plans.

When an incident occurs, managing it dependson the efforts of volunteers and the provision ofresources from the mainland when necessary. In2015 the local rescue coordination centre in Sval-bard coordinated 80 rescue missions. This num-ber has remained relatively stable over time, withan annual average of 71 over the past five years.

10.2.2 Longyearbyen Community Council

Within its geographic area of responsibility, whichcorresponds to the Longyearbyen land-use plan-ning area, the Longyearbyen Community Council(LCC) is an important actor in civil protection andemergency preparedness in Svalbard.

Since 2011 the municipalities have had a gen-eral emergency preparedness duty under the Actrelating to the municipal preparedness duty, civilprotection measures and the Norwegian civildefence (Civil Protection Act). The purpose of ageneral preparedness duty is to ensure that themunicipalities view preparedness activities in con-text and plan accordingly. On 18 December 2012 asimilar duty was imposed on the LCC throughregulations authorised by the Civil Protection Actthat make parts of the act applicable to Svalbard.

The regulations exist to ensure that the LCCattends to the safety and security of the popula-tion. The LCC must work systematically and cohe-sively on civil protection across sectors, with aview to reducing the risk of loss of life or damageto health, the environment or material assets.

The LCC is required to undertake a generalrisk and vulnerability (RAV) analysis that includesmapping, systemising and assessing the likeli-


hood of undesirable incidents that could occur inthe Longyearbyen land-use planning and howthey could affect the planning area and the LCC.The LCC prepared a RAV analysis in 2014 whichforms the basis for agency-specific emergencypreparedness plans.

The local government must be prepared tomanage undesirable incidents and, based on thegeneral RAV analysis, develop a general prepared-ness plan. The preparedness plan must coordinateand integrate other preparedness plans for theplanning area, and must be coordinated with other

Box 10.1 Strengthened cooperation in the Arctic

Increased activity and traffic in the Arctic regioncall for a strengthening of rescue service coop-eration between countries with search and res-cue responsibilities in Arctic waters. In 2011Norway concluded a treaty with Canada, Den-mark, Finland, Iceland, Russia, Sweden and theUnited States to cooperate on search and rescuecoverage in connection with air and sea traffic inthe Arctic.

Norway’s area of responsibility for searchand rescue was expanded when Norwayassumed responsibility further east towards theRussian area of responsibility and north of Sval-

bard to the North Pole. The agreement estab-lished a more binding rescue service coopera-tion, including enhanced regional organisationof search and rescue operations in the Arctic.The agreement was signed at the Arctic Coun-cil’s ministerial meeting in Nuuk, Greenland,and is being followed up by the Emergency Pre-vention, Preparedness and Response WorkingGroup (EPPR).

This reinforced search and rescue coopera-tion is important for optimising the resourcesavailable in the region and for being able torespond promptly to persons in distress.

Figure 10.1 Map of ‘rescue sectors’.

Map design: Arctic Portal Source: Arctic Council


relevant public and private crisis and prepared-ness plans. The regulations set out the minimumrequirements for what preparedness plans mustcover.

The LCC provides the fire and emergency pre-paredness service, fire prevention activity and thealarm service, and operates the ambulance ser-vice on behalf of Longyearbyen Hospital.

The Longyearbyen Fire and Rescue Servicehas a duty to protect and save human life, prop-erty and the environment. The emergencyresponse service is organised as an emergencystandby service staffed by part-time personnel.

The Fire and Rescue Service has a technicallyadvanced alarm centre for receiving emergencycalls via the 110 emergency number. The centrealso monitors external fire alarms and technicalalarms in Longyearbyen. The centre is based inthe premises of Energiverket and is manned bypersonnel on a round-the-clock duty rota.

Activities are also conducted to raise aware-ness about fire prevention. This is done by inform-ing inhabitants, supervising special fire objects,assisting with training activity and conducting firedrills. The Longyearbyen Fire and Rescue Servicealso assists the Governor of Svalbard with firesafety supervision in the inhabited locations out-side Longyearbyen.

Fire protection legislation in Svalbard

The following laws apply to Svalbard: the Act relat-ing to flammable liquids and gases under pressure(Act of 21 May 1971 No. 47) and the Act relatingto explosive goods (Act of 14 June 1974 No. 39). Inaddition, regulations relating specifically to fireprotection apply to Svalbard, with legal basis inthe Svalbard Act (Regulations of 20 August 1993No. 815). The Ministry of Justice and Public Secu-rity is working to make the Act relating to the pre-vention of fire and explosion (Act of 14 June 2002No. 20) applicable in Svalbard. The Directorate forCivil Protection and Emergency Planning, theGovernor of Svalbard and the Longyearbyen Com-munity Council contribute to this activity.

10.2.3 Longyearbyen Hospital

Longyearbyen Hospital is a key actor in Svalbard’semergency health preparedness, and supplieshealth services to the population and others visit-ing and travelling around Svalbard. The hospital ispart of University Hospital of North Norway(UNN) and provides primary health services, pre-ventive health services, infection control and pre-

hospital medical and nursing care. Health and wel-fare services are discussed in more detail in sec-tion 6.3.3.

The hospital is an acute-care hospital withround-the-clock emergency preparedness, and isinvolved in all types of incidents that may lead tohealth problems. As well as acute illness or injury,these may involve contamination of drinkingwater, power outages, food shortages, animalpests and contagious diseases.

Important elements of health preparedness foracutely sick and injured persons in Svalbard andthe surrounding waters are the manpower andexpertise at Longyearbyen Hospital, close com-munication with UNN Tromsø, and fast evacua-tion/transport to the mainland. Svalbard’s healthservice will always have to deal with much of theinitial phase of an emergency. Longyearbyen Hos-pital is not adequately equipped to deal with majorincidents single-handedly. This heightens thenecessity of coordination with UNN Tromsø andefficient transportation to and from the mainlandin cases of severe, acute illness or injury. A sum-mary report on of the avalanche of 19 December2015, prepared by the Northern Norway RegionalHealth Authority (RHA), UNN Tromsø and Long-yearbyen Hospital, identified many areas forimprovement. The Northern Norway RHA will fol-low this matter up in cooperation with the Gover-nor of Svalbard.

Through their duty of care, the Northern Nor-way RHA and the University Hospital of NorthNorway have responsibility for all health servicesin Svalbard. Experience from incidents such asthe avalanche in Longyearbyen in December 2015shows that the psychosocial aspects of emergencypreparedness are important. A process will be ini-tiated to review the status of psychosocial emer-gency preparedness and follow-up in Svalbard.

Based on the Governor of Svalbard’s workupdating the RAV analysis for Svalbard, which isdue to be completed in 2016, it is natural that theNorthern Norway Regional Health Authorityassess whether its overall resource capability issufficient for fulfilling its duty of care in respect ofemergency medical preparedness in Svalbard.

10.2.4 Svalbard Church

Svalbard Church is formally integrated in rescueservice cooperation with the Governor of Sval-bard, and is prepared to take part in this work byproviding support to those involved. The churchis also an important resource in the work thatgoes on during and after incidents. The church is


part of the Governor of Svalbard’s advisory staff,and assists in the task of notifying next of kin.With a capacity of approximately 60, the churchcommunity room could be suitable as a centre forevacuees and relatives.

10.3 Resources

10.3.1 Helicopter

Since 1 April 2014, the Governor of Svalbard hashad two large rescue helicopters. A contract hasbeen signed with Lufttransport AS for the hiringof two Super Puma helicopters, complete withadvanced equipment. This arrangement wasreached as a result of both the expanded area ofresponsibility resulting from the Arctic search andrescue agreement and the added significanceLongyearbyen will gain as a base for search andrescue operations and pollution preparedness inthe northern waters.

These long-range helicopters can rescue up to18 people in distress within a radius of 120 nauti-cal miles. They have modern search equipment aswell as greater load capacity and better communi-cations and safety equipment than previous mod-els. Response time has been reduced from twohours during normal office hours and 12 hoursotherwise to two hours around the clock. Con-struction of a new, modern hangar was completedon 1 April 2014 to provide appropriate hangar con-ditions for the new helicopters. The result is a sig-nificant increase in emergency preparedness andsafety for permanent residents of Svalbard, tour-ists, and the search and rescue helicopter crews.During the summer months, Lufttransport ASalso operates other helicopters for clients in Sval-bard, such as Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkom-pani AS and the Norwegian Polar Institute.

The new long-range search and rescue heli-copters to be introduced on the mainland in 2020have greater capacity than today’s Sea King heli-copters and will therefore further strengthen Sval-bard’s helicopter preparedness.

10.3.2 Air ambulance

Geographic conditions and community patternsmake the air ambulance a vital service for effec-tive treatment, transport and preparedness in theevent of acute illness or injury. The service con-tributes to the provision of equitable health care,and is a necessity if patients are to benefit frommodern treatments of time-critical conditionswhen distances to relevant hospitals are long.

The emergency medical services outside hos-pitals are discussed in an Official NorwegianReport (NOU 2015: 17 Først og fremst). Accord-ing to the report, today’s air ambulances arepoorly suited for longer missions and the loadconstraints for missions to Svalbard and JanMayen are considerable. The regional healthauthorities’ national air ambulance service(Luftambulansetjenesten ANS) will enter into anagreement to procure air ambulance services foremergency preparedness and for planned mis-sions on behalf of the four regional health authori-ties. The new agreement will run from July 2019to 2030.

10.3.3 Service vessels

The Governor of Svalbard’s service vessel,Polarsyssel, is a key resource in rescue and emer-gency preparedness missions involving ship-wrecks, groundings, oil spills, personal injuries,etc. To strengthen and adapt the Governor of Sval-bard’s rescue and emergency preparednessduties and to conduct necessary inspections andsupervision of the growing traffic at sea andaround the archipelago, NOK 18 million was allo-cated in 2016 to extend the length of the vessel’sservice season by about three months; see Rec-ommendation No. 17 S (2015–2016). It is vital thathelicopters and vessels can coordinate success-fully, and the service vessel is therefore equippedwith a helipad big enough to accommodate theGovernor of Svalbard’s helicopters.

The year 2015 was the first year the vesselsailed the entire season (180 days). The experi-ences were generally positive, and an agreementwas reached in March 2016 to extend the seasonto 270 days.

10.3.4 Norwegian Coast Guard

The Norwegian Coast Guard is a vital resource inrescue operations in Svalbard. The NorwegianCoast Guard cooperates closely with the Gover-nor of Svalbard. The Governor of Svalbard hasentered into a cooperation agreement with theNorwegian Coast Guard specifying guidelines forthe support to be provided. Furthermore, theCoast Guard vessel KV Svalbard is approved forcoordinated actions with the Governor of Sval-bard’s helicopters, such as helicopter landings onthe vessel. This strengthens civil emergency pre-paredness in the areas around Svalbard.


10.3.5 Longyearbyen Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps

The Longyearbyen Red Cross Search and RescueCorps has 60 active volunteers and is organisedinto avalanche, glacier, vehicle and markinggroups. A training programme developed formembers lasts two years and consists of a 40-hourcompulsory first-aid course and considerable fieldtraining. A duty phone has also been set up thatcan issue a mass alert when the Governor of Sval-bard reports a need for assistance. The Searchand Rescue Corps has considerable materialresources, including a mobile field hospital.

In cooperation with other emergency prepar-edness actors, including the Governor of Svalbardand the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre North-ern Norway, the Longyearbyen Red Cross Searchand Rescue Corps has developed an Arctic Sur-vival Kit concept. The concept consists of 30 bagsthat can be dropped from an airplane or helicop-ter, with a capacity for 240 persons. Each bag con-tains equipment for eight people: four mountaintarps, two ground sheets, eight bottles of water,eight heat packs, one rescue blanket, splints, anda first-aid kit. This concept makes up part of therescue preparedness in and around Svalbard.

The Governor of Svalbard cooperates closelywith the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on plan-ning and carrying out joint exercises, and theexpertise and capacity of the rescue corps consti-tutes a vital part of Svalbard’s emergency prepared-ness and rescue resources. The Longyearbyen RedCross Search and Rescue Corps is a key resourcein Svalbard’s local rescue coordination centre.

10.4 Exercises

Exercises are an important way of strengtheningcoordination between different actors. A highlevel of exercise activity was maintained again in2015. In addition to individual training activity andexercises, most exercises have been carried out incooperation with one or more of the cooperatingemergency preparedness actors.

Exercise Svalbard

Exercise Svalbard was a national emergencyhealth preparedness exercise that was carried outon 4 and 5 November 2014. The main scenariowas an explosion and fire on board a cruise ship.The exercise involved evacuating passengers to

Figure 10.2 The Governor of Svalbard’s service vessel and helicopter.

Photo: Per Andreassen, Office of the Governor of Svalbard


the mainland and evacuating casualties to the Uni-versity Hospital of North Norway in Tromsø withthe help of resources from the Norwegian ArmedForces and the Swedish authorities. Emphasiswas also given to lessons learned from 22 July2011.

The purpose of the exercise was to manage alarge-scale incident, find weaknesses, and con-sider improvements. The exercise involved allstages and levels in the rescue, evacuation andtreatment chain, from the accident scene in Sval-bard to the local hospital, and evacuation fromSvalbard to the mainland. A wide variety of officesand organisations took part, among them: theGovernor of Svalbard, the Longyearbyen Commu-nity Council, the Northern Norway RegionalHealth Authority, the County Governor of Troms,the University Hospital of North Norway, the Nor-wegian Armed Forces, the Joint Rescue Coordina-

tion Centre, the Longyearbyen Red Cross, theMinistry of Health and Care Services, the Norwe-gian Directorate of Health and a number of otherdirectorates and ministries. An evaluation confer-ence was held and an evaluation report written,and areas for improvement will be followed up.

The exercise showed that Svalbard has is welltrained in emergency preparedness. However,emergency medical personnel are an extremelyvulnerable resource. The same applies to emer-gency medical equipment. It is therefore neces-sary to have access to prompt and comprehensivemedical assistance from the mainland.

In 2015 the National Police Directorate, theNorwegian Directorate of Health and the Directo-rate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planningestablished national procedures for cooperationbetween the emergency services in situations ofacute and life-threatening violence (pågående livs-

Figure 10.3 Exercise Svalbard. Passengers from the accident vessel jumped or were thrown into the water in Billefjorden. The Governor of Svalbard’s helicopters evacuated passengers to land (Brucebyen), where a temporary reception centre was set up and manned by the police, medical personnel and volunteers from the Longyearbyen Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps. Equipment consisted of a field hospital with multi-fuel heaters, rescue blankets, etc., which the Red Cross stores. This material was flown out along with emergency response personnel. Life-saving first aid was administered on site, and medical personnel prioritised the patients by condition before airlifting them to Longyearbyen and the hospital.

Photo: Stefan Claes, UNIS


truende vold (PLIVO)). The Governor of Svalbard,Longyearbyen Hospital and the LongyearbyenFire and Rescue Service carried out a joint exer-cise in PLIVO procedures in 2015. This will be fol-lowed up with annual exercises.

In the autumn of 2016 the Norwegian CoastalAdministration will carry out a full-scale joint

exercise in managing acute pollution in the waterssurrounding Svalbard. The exercise is a direct fol-low-up of the Norwegian Coastal Administration’semergency preparedness analysis for maritimetraffic in the areas around Svalbard and JanMayen (2014); the purpose of the exercise ispartly to verify some of the issues that came tolight in the analysis and partly to accumulateexperience relating to Arctic maritime pollutionresponses.

10.5 Specific issues

10.5.1 Flooding and avalanches

The Norwegian Water Resources and EnergyDirectorate (NVE) has overall responsibility forpublic administration tasks related to the preven-tion of flood and avalanche damage. This involvesassisting municipalities and society at large withexpertise and resources for mapping, land-useplanning, securing, monitoring, alerting andemergency preparedness. In 2013 Svalbard wasincluded, on par with mainland municipalities, inthe assistance NVE provides to prevent flood andavalanche damage. This followed Meld. St. 15(2011–2012) Hvordan leve med farene, a whitepaper on living with flood and avalanche hazards.

Flood and avalanche warnings

Monitoring and warning about floods and ava-lanches help mitigate the consequences of theseincidents and enhance safety for people living andtravelling in exposed areas. Time spent inexposed areas can be limited, and damage to mov-able assets avoided.

On the mainland, NVE issues regional warn-ings for floods, landslides and snow avalanches.Local authorities must decide how to respond tothe regional warnings.

Since the winter of 2014/2015, NVE has beenconducting a pilot project for regional avalanchewarnings, with main target group consisting ofpeople travelling in avalanche terrain and partiesresponsible for closing and opening transportarteries and evacuating buildings. The plannedtime period for the pilot project in 2015/2016 wasextended as a consequence of the avalanche inDecember 2015 (see Box 10.3). In addition, a sys-tem of local avalanche risk assessments wasestablished for avalanche-prone buildings in Long-yearbyen. Local avalanche warnings and ava-lanche risk assessments for avalanche-pronebuildings are normally covered by local actors.

Box 10.2 Rescue service

‘Norwegian rescue service’ refers to the pub-licly organised emergency response from mul-tiple cooperating partners to rescue peoplefrom death or injury resulting from acute acci-dents or dangerous situations that are not spe-cifically dealt with by established bodies orspecial measures. The rescue service is a col-laboration of public bodies, volunteer organi-sations and private enterprises and individualsunder the leadership and coordination of twoJoint Rescue Coordination Centres and subor-dinate local rescue coordination centres. Sval-bard is an important element in the Norwe-gian rescue service, and has its own local res-cue coordination centre.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centreleads and coordinates all types of rescue mis-sions (land, sea and air rescue services). Thisis done either directly from the Joint RescueCoordination Centre Northern Norway or theJoint Rescue Coordination Centre SouthernNorway, or via missions assigned to subordi-nate local rescue coordination centres. TheJoint Rescue Coordination Centre also hasleadership responsibility for maintaining andfurther developing cooperation within the res-cue service between incidents. Each coordina-tion centre consists of a rescue managementteam composed of the main cooperation part-ners, and is headed by the chief of police forBodø or Sola.

A new organisational plan for the rescueservice was adopted by Royal Decree on19 June 2015. The resolution entered intoforce on 2 November 2015. The supportinginstructions give a mandate and directions forthe composition of the local rescue coordina-tion centres. For Svalbard’s local rescue coor-dination centre, the mandate applies with nec-essary adaptations. See section 10.2.1 for amore detailed discussion of Svalbard’s localrescue coordination centre.


The pilot project will be evaluated and followed upin consultation with the Longyearbyen Commu-nity Council. NVE plans to continue issuing itsavalanche warnings in Svalbard during the winterof 2016/2017, using much the same format aswhen the service was launched in January 2016.

Safety measures

‘Safety measures’ refers to various physical meas-ures to reduce the damaging effects of floods andavalanches on buildings and infrastructure. Everyyear NVE sets priorities as to which safety meas-ures can be funded on the basis of social cost-ben-efit analyses. NVE can provide funding for safetymeasures of up to 80 per cent of the developmentcosts. The assistance programme for funding andcarrying out safety measures is not rights-based;instead, funds are allocated from the nationalbudget on a priority basis.

Potential safety measures in Svalbard must beevaluated in the same manner as on the mainland.In cooperation with the authorities in Longyear-byen, NVE has so far focused on floods and slushavalanches in Longyearelva and Vannlednings-dalen. Together with the authorities in Longyear-byen, NVE will assess the need for safety meas-ures. This need must be seen in the context offuture land use in Longyearbyen. See also the dis-cussion of land-use development in Chapter 6.

Mapping of floods and avalanches

Hazard and risk mapping provides knowledgeabout which areas are prone to flood and ava-lanche and about the potential consequences.Such knowledge is needed for methodical, effec-tive risk management of floods and avalanches.

The mapping of flood and avalanche hazardsin Svalbard will be given priority in NVE’s nationalmapping programme in 2016. This will provide abetter basis for the Longyearbyen CommunityCouncil when reviewing land-use plans. The newmapping is also important for emergency prepar-edness management and for gaining an overviewof where the need for safety measures is mostpressing.

10.5.2 Preparedness against acute pollution

Preparedness against acute pollution is an impor-tant damage mitigation measure. The formal basisfor preparedness and response to acute oil pollutionis enshrined in the Svalbard Environmental Protec-tion Act. The act imposes a duty on anyone engaged

in an activity in Svalbard to prevent acute pollutionand ensure that measures be taken should pollutionoccur, including measures to mitigate the damageto nature. The preparedness requirements imposedon enterprises in Svalbard are laid down by the Nor-wegian Environment Agency.

In the event of an acute oil spill in Svalbard,the party responsible for the spill will be responsi-ble for cleaning it up. This is done under thesupervision of the Norwegian Coastal Administra-tion, which can delegate its authority to the Gover-nor of Svalbard.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration andthe Governor of Svalbard have an agreement tocoordinate oil spill contingency operations forSvalbard, including Bjørnøya. The agreement alsoapplies to other sources of pollution. The agree-ment is based on the assumption that emergencypreparedness organisations are familiar with theirrespective responsibilities and tasks in connectionwith oil spill contingency operations in this area.In the agreement, responsibilities related to theduty to respond are divided between the Norwe-gian Coastal Administration and the Governor ofSvalbard, based on geographic zones.

An oil spill contingency depot has been estab-lished in Longyearbyen, and a smaller amount ofequipment is stored at Ny-Ålesund. Oil spillresponse equipment is also available in Barents-burg and Svea. Depot equipment is primarilyintended to deal with spills of heavy fuel oil. TheGovernor of Svalbard’s service vessel, Polarsyssel,is the most important resource in oil spill prepar-edness in Svalbard, and is equipped with oil spillresponse equipment when at sea.

In 2014 the Norwegian Coastal Administrationconducted an environmental risk and prepared-ness analysis for Svalbard. One of the findings ofthe analysis was the need for access to more localequipment and personnel. A more detailedaccount of the analysis will be presented in theplanned white paper to the Storting on maritimesafety and emergency preparedness in 2016.

10.5.3 Shipping and maritime safety

More than 80 per cent of maritime traffic in theArctic passes through Norwegian waters. Thelevel of maritime traffic in the waters surroundingSvalbard has increased in recent years, and newareas have become accessible for longer periodsin the year as a result of retreating sea ice. It isimportant to be able to manage this increasedactivity in ways that are safe, environmentallyfriendly and effective.


Accidents involving vessels can lead to loss oflife and environmental or material damage. Themeasures to prevent accidents include require-ments for ships and crews, maritime infrastruc-ture, traffic monitoring, and services such as pilot-age services. Emergency preparedness for casesin which accidents occur is also important.

There are special challenges associated withmaritime traffic in the waters surrounding Sval-bard, in addition to which this area contains vastnatural assets that are vulnerable to the effects ofincidents such as acute oil spills. The archipelago’sgeographic and climatic conditions, in combinationwith deficient navigational charts and limited accessto communication systems, pose constant chal-lenges to maritime safety around the archipelago.

In addition, more extreme weather couldaffect maritime traffic in the waters surroundingSvalbard and exacerbate the consequences of

engine breakdowns or other incidents at sea. Cli-matic conditions, long distances, and relativelyfew local resources make search and rescue oper-ations, preparedness against acute pollution andclean-up operations in Svalbard particularly chal-lenging tasks. To ensure sustainable developmentand prevent accidents and harmful spills, it isimportant that the industry set high safety andenvironmental standards.

Report No. 22 (2008–2009) to the StortingSvalbard placed decisive emphasis on preventivemeasures in the work of reinforcing maritimesafety in Svalbard, and underlined the need formonitoring and for further development of mari-time safety regulations. In the period since thewhite paper was published, the focus on maritimesafety and preventive measures for ships andcrews operating in polar waters has increased,both nationally and internationally.

Box 10.3 The avalanche in Longyearbyen

The avalanche on 19 December 2015 demon-strated that the community in Longyearbyen isable and willing to step up when incidents occur.The accident resulted in two fatalities and sev-eral injured. A number of houses were heavilydamaged, and almost two hundred people wereevacuated. The avalanche from Sukkertoppenwas approximately 200 metres wide. The Nor-wegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) estimatesthat 20,000 m3 of snow was released. This isequivalent to approximately 5,000 tonnes ofsnow. The size of the avalanche was classified aslarge (Class 4 of a possible 5). The cause of theavalanche was a combination of old snow coverwith persistent weak layers at ground level,snow precipitation, a temperature rise andstrong easterly winds that carried extremelylarge amounts of snow onto the leeward sideabove the affected buildings.

A rescue mission was immediately launchedby the Governor of Svalbard, LongyearbyenHospital and the Longyearbyen Fire Service.Crews from the Longyearbyen Red CrossSearch and Rescue Corps and many volunteersfrom Longyearbyen also took part.

The avalanche created a critical need forassistance from the mainland. This assistanceconsisted of air ambulances, medical personnel,police officers, NGI and NVE representatives,search and rescue dogs from Norwegian Peo-

ple’s Aid, and other volunteers. These were alltransported to Svalbard.There was also a needfor emergency response personnel to quicklyreturn to the mainland once their mission wascompleted. The same applied to volunteers andothers who wanted to leave Svalbard in light ofthe uncertain situation in and around Longyear-byen. The Ministry of Justice and Public Secu-rity therefore commissioned a plane to transportthese people to the mainland.

The accident mobilised an entire community.The rescue services performed a major and vitaltask. What is more, the entire communitystepped up to save lives and care for thosedirectly affected. The way in which the accidentwas managed demonstrated the Svalbard com-munity’s strong collective commitment to emer-gency response. All the same, it is importantthat the incident be reviewed. The Ministry ofJustice and Public Security has charged theDirectorate for Civil Protection and EmergencyPlanning with the task of evaluating the incident,with the assistance of the Joint Rescue Coordi-nation Centre Southern Norway and the Norwe-gian Police University College. Both preventiveefforts and management of the actual incidentwill be evaluated with a view to making potentialimprovements. The evaluation is to be submit-ted to the ministry by 1 September 2016.


A number of measures have been introducedto improve maritime safety in the waters sur-rounding Svalbard. The state pilotage service waslaunched in 2012. Transitional schemes ensured agradual introduction, and the first season withcompulsory pilotage in the archipelago waslaunched in 2015. More effective monitoring toolshave been introduced, and although large areasstill remain uncharted, extensive work has beendone on charting the waters surrounding Sval-bard. Moreover, international efforts on the PolarCode, behind which Norway has been a drivingforce, are now complete. The Polar Code also cov-ers the waters surrounding Svalbard, and willenter into force in 2017.

Future challenges relate to a number of fac-tors. Both weather and ice conditions can changequickly, causing changes to the water itself alongthe coast. Correspondingly, increased activity inthe High North, Svalbard included, will createnew challenges to preventive maritime safety.Other developments in Svalbard and in the HighNorth call for a thorough assessment of maritimesafety in the archipelago, and for the implementa-tion of measures wherever necessary.

The objective is to reduce the risk of undesira-ble incidents in maritime transport in Svalbard, sothat damage to life, health and the environmentcan be avoided. Preventive measures are crucialto Svalbard. The Government will ensure thatmaritime activity sets high standards of safety andemergency preparedness in the north.

The following sections present a description ofthe risk situation, as well as a discussion of the dif-ferent elements which, combined, contribute tomaritime safety in Svalbard.

Risk situation

Surveillance data show that there is maritime traf-fic around the whole of Svalbard. Passenger shipsin particular navigate close to the coastline andaround the whole of Svalbard when ice conditionspermit. The west side of Spitsbergen, particularlyIsfjorden and Van Mijenfjord, has the most traffic.Moreover, maritime traffic in the waters sur-rounding Svalbard is seasonal. The extent ofsailed distance from January to April is relativelysmall. Thereafter it increases, peaking in themonths from July to October. The traffic leveldecreases from November.

Maritime traffic around Svalbard differs frommaritime traffic in marine areas such as the NorthSea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea inthat traffic density is far lower and fishing vessels

account for a very large proportion of the traffic(close to 70 per cent). The amount of traffic in theform of cargo ships and tank ships is less aroundSvalbard than along the mainland. Cruise traffichas increased in recent years, and today accountsfor almost 20 per cent of the total cruise traffic inNorwegian waters.

Because there is markedly less maritime traf-fic in the waters surrounding Svalbard, theexpected frequency of maritime accidents is lowerin the areas around the archipelago than along themainland coastline. Nevertheless, a shipping acci-dent near Svalbard could have serious conse-quences for life, health and the environment.

Svalbard consists to a large degree of espe-cially vulnerable and protected natural areas. Theoverall potential for damage in Svalbard is there-fore large, while the acceptance of risk of environ-mental damage is proportionately low. Acute oilspills from shipping are among the incidents withthe most potential to cause significant and long-term damage to the natural environment. Thegreatest risk of environmental damage from acci-dents is to coastal waters.

Response times for action after an acute oilspill will be long in most places in Svalbard,depending on the distance to local oil spillresponse equipment and vessels with oil spillresponse equipment permanently on board. Oilspills can therefore spread over large areas beforeoil spill response measures can be implemented.Moreover, availability of infrastructure for opera-tions in the event of accidents and challenges islimited, due to the long distances in the archipel-ago. This applies to factors such as the number ofdepots, suitable emergency ports and availabletowing vessels. Such accidents may thereforeaffect human life and the environment moreadversely than similar situations on the mainland.

To avoid acute spillage of heavy fuel oil in con-nection with shipping accidents, fuel qualityrequirements have been set to the equivalent oflight marine diesel fuel for ships sailing in thenature reserves on the east side and in the largenational parks on the west side. The bans in theseareas were introduced in 2007 and 2009 respec-tively. This means that heavy fuel oil is prohibitedin most parts of Svalbard’s territorial sea.

Regulations

The International Maritime Organization (IMO),a UN agency, develops international rules forshipping. This international regulatory frameworkestablishes important parameters for Norway’s


regulation of maritime transport. The trend ismoving towards increasingly stringent environ-mental and safety regulations. Regardless ofwhere a vessel is located, it is subject to generalrequirements for ships and crews that follow frominternational regulations. Flag states are obligedto conduct inspections and supervision to ensurethat their ships comply with the regulations. Inaddition, foreign ships calling at Norwegian portsare subject to inspection.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of1982 provides the legal framework for use of thesea. Like maritime traffic in other waters, mari-time traffic in polar waters is subject to interna-tional conventions adopted in the IMO. So far, theregulatory framework has not been adapted toaccount for conditions in polar waters. Norwayhas therefore been a driving force in calling forthe implementation of binding global regulationsfor ships operating in polar waters (the PolarCode); see Box 10.5, ‘The Polar Code’.

An important contribution to enhance mari-time safety in Svalbard is the Ship Safety andSecurity Act, which entered into force in 2007.This act applies to Norwegian ships regardless oftheir location, including in Svalbard. The ShipSafety and Security Act has been made applicableto Norwegian as well as foreign ships operatinginside the Norwegian territorial sea of Svalbard,with certain adaptations. Under the act, the Nor-wegian Maritime Authority has the authority tocarry out port state inspections of foreign ships.The Ship Labour Act, which entered into force on20 August 2013, applies to employees who workon board Norwegian ships, regardless of wherethey sail, including around Svalbard.

One important contribution towards regulat-ing and facilitating safe maritime traffic in Sval-bard has been the introduction of a maritimesafety system and legal framework similar themainland’s. Harbour and fairway legislation wasmade to apply to Svalbard in 2008 and extended inthe new Harbour and Fairways Act through regu-lations relating to harbours and fairways in Sval-bard, with certain adaptations. Correspondingly,the Pilotage Act was made applicable to Svalbardin 2012 through regulations relating to pilotageservices in Svalbard. The Ministry of Transportand Communications, through the NorwegianCoastal Administration, is responsible for water-ways management and has the authority toimpose specific fairway measures including trafficand speed restrictions and tugboat requirements.

10.5.4 Maritime safety measures in Svalbard

Safe navigation in the Arctic is contingent on relia-ble maritime navigation charts and ice data, and isa key part of the infrastructure needed to securelife, health, the environment and assets. Mappingof the Arctic marine areas in general is inade-quate, while the need for good charts is height-ened by the increase in traffic density and theappearance of larger, more deep-drafting vesselsand higher-speed vessels. The work begun oncharting important maritime areas around Sval-bard will continue.

Well-functioning communications systems area prerequisite for safe navigation and for effective,reliable rescue services and emergency communi-cations. However, existing satellite communica-tions systems offer little or no coverage north of75° N. The Government wants to have good com-munication systems in place for the marine areasin the north. Furthermore, effective emergencypreparedness is dependent on land-based commu-nications working optimally. It is therefore desira-ble to assess the need to expand the maritimecoastal radio service (HF radio) to provide bettercoverage in the High North than is the case today.

Box 10.4 Maritime strategy

In 2015 the Government launched its maritimestrategy, entitled ‘Maritime Opportunities –Blue Growth for a Green Future’. This strat-egy covers the High North, and contains sev-eral measures of significance for maritimeactivity and maritime safety in Svalbard:– Ensure high standards of safety and emer-

gency preparedness for maritime activity inthe north.

– Contribute to stronger global marketing ofNorway’s unique Arctic maritime expertiseand favourable geographic position for Arc-tic maritime activity, research and compe-tence building.

– Ensure a good level of emergency prepar-edness in search and rescue and oil spillcontingency planning in the High North.

– Ensure effective implementation of thePolar Code.

– Consider further operationalisation of theAgreement on Cooperation on Aeronauti-cal and Maritime Search and Rescue in theArctic (SAR-Arctic)


Another key requirement for sound maritimesafety is good surveillance, communications andinformation systems. This is particularly impor-tant for Svalbard because of the relatively long dis-tances, and because access to emergency prepar-edness resources is extremely limited comparedto areas close to the mainland. The waters aroundSvalbard are monitored by the Vardø Vessel Traf-fic Service. Over the past 10 years, traffic monitor-ing in Norwegian coastal and marine areas hasbeen significantly improved, and situationalawareness today is far more detailed than everbefore. The development of infrastructure forreceiving signals from the Automatic Identifica-tion System (AIS), used in collision avoidance andtracking, has been important to improved moni-toring. AIS signals can be detected by radio fromother ships, and also from land-based base sta-tions and satellites.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration devel-ops technical solutions for land-based AIS basestations in Svalbard. The development of the land-based AIS base stations was discussed in ReportNo. 22 (2008–2009) to the Storting Svalbard andfirmly embedded in Report No. 26 (2012–2013) tothe Storting National Transport Plan 2014–2023.The Government will build land-based AIS basestations in the areas in Svalbard with heaviest traf-fic in order to reinforce maritime traffic monitor-ing and provide the Vardø Vessel Traffic Serviceand other agencies with continually updated mari-time situation reports. This will provide a betterbasis for following up accidents and mountingeffective rescue operations.

The pilotage scheme should make maritimetraffic safer and protect the environment by ensur-ing that vessels operating in Norwegian coastalwaters have navigators with good knowledge ofthe waterways and competence to sail safely.Compulsory pilotage was introduced gradually,and was fully enforced in Svalbard in 2015. Thismeans that the state pilotage service, the pilotageobligation and the pilot exemption certificationscheme also apply to Svalbard. Introduction of thepilotage service is an important measure forincreasing maritime safety in Svalbard.

Lighthouses and beacons

Lighthouses and beacons are visual or radar-based devices used for position tracking and safenavigation along coastlines. In Svalbard the Nor-wegian Polar Institute is responsible for operatingand maintaining the navigational devices, on com-mission from the Norwegian Coastal Administra-

tion. The objective is that the devices themselvesand their operation should leave the smallest pos-sible footprint in Svalbard’s vulnerable environ-ment. The extent of marking is assessed in light oftraffic trends around the archipelago.

In Vestpynten near Longyearbyen, successfultests have been conducted of navigational devicespowered on energy from solar panels. The exist-ing navigational infrastructure in Svalbard will befurther developed and modernised to optimiserisk reduction and lower operating and mainte-nance costs. This can include systematic rebuild-ing of the lighthouse lights to operate on the basisof LED light sources and solar cells. This upgrade

Box 10.5 The Polar Code

Like maritime traffic in other waters, shippingin polar waters is subject to international con-ventions adopted by the UN’s InternationalMaritime Organization (IMO). The regulatoryframework so far has not been adapted toaccount for the special conditions in polarwaters. Development of global, binding regu-lations for ships that operate in the Arctic andAntarctic was put on the IMO’s agenda in 2009at the suggestion of Denmark, Norway andthe United States. The Polar Code has nowbeen adopted, and will enter into force on1 January 2017. Norway has been a centralactor in the development of the Polar Code,and has led the work in IMO.

The Polar Code is a binding global regula-tory framework for ships operating in polarwaters, meaning the Arctic and Antarctic. ThePolar Code comes in addition to the regula-tory framework already present in applicableconventions and codes (SOLAS, MARPOL,the STCW Convention, etc.).

The Polar Code consists of two parts, onedealing with safety and the other with the envi-ronment. The code sets specific requirementsfor ships operating in these waters regardingconstruction, equipment, operation, protec-tion of the marine environment, navigationand crew training. The Polar Code representssome of the most important work that hasbeen done to ensure sustainable shipping inpolar waters. The Government intends toensure effective implementation of the regula-tions.


would reduce maintenance needs, improve relia-bility and provide better navigational guidance.

Virtual navigation devices may prove useful inSvalbard because of the climatic conditions there.With such devices, chart symbols with navigationguidance are communicated to vessels via AISbase stations. Virtual navigation devices are notyet used in Norwegian waters, but are used tosome degree in other countries, including Arcticareas. An example of their use is the marking ofopen channels in ice. Consideration will be givento whether these navigation devices should beused where physical marking is impossible. How-ever, this measure will depend on the AIS basestations in Svalbard being expanded. The estab-lishment of virtual navigation devices will there-fore be considered, and will be viewed in connec-tion with the development of other maritimesafety measures in Svalbard.

10.5.5 Aviation safety level

Svalbard has an Arctic climate, and a number ofweather-related incidents occur in connectionwith flights landing at and departing from Sval-bard Airport, Longyearbyen, such as wind shearand turbulence. All the same, the Civil AviationAuthority believes on the basis of experience thataviation safety in Svalbard is at about the samelevel as elsewhere in Norway where similar flyingtakes place in uncontrolled airspace. Compared

with the mainland, there are no special aviationsafety challenges in Svalbard beyond those associ-ated with the topographical and climate conditionsthat prevail there. After reviewing reported acci-dents and incidents in Svalbard, the Civil AviationAuthority found no reason to conclude that flightsto and from the archipelago involve special safetyproblems.

In the autumn of 2010 Avinor commissionedthree new navigational systems (distance-meas-urement equipment) to ensure safer approachesto Svalbard Airport, Longyear, and the airport inSvea. This has led to significant improvements insafety during approaches. Avinor has found theresults so far to be positive. However, it has takentime to develop procedures, and the potential inthe systems has not yet been fully tapped.

At present Svalbard Airport has a local aero-drome flight information service (AFIS officers)and no air traffic control service (air traffic con-trollers). According to regulations, air traffic con-trol services in the form of tower control must beestablished when the number of flight movementsexceeds 15,000 in the two preceding years, and atleast 7,500 of these flight movements are instru-ment flights. An annual growth rate of 7–8 percent in the number of flights at Svalbard Airportcould trigger such a requirement in the course ofa 10-year perspective. Moreover, the regulationspermit the Civil Aviation Authority to demandestablishment of an air traffic control serviceunder other circumstances following a discretion-ary assessment of traffic and other conditions atthe airport. However, the Civil Aviation Authorityhas concluded that the current traffic situationdoes not warrant the need to require establish-ment of an air traffic control service at SvalbardAirport.

10.6 Summary

Recent years have seen a significant strengthen-ing of rescue preparedness in Svalbard, in respectof resources such as new helicopters, a new ser-vice vessel with extended sailing season, and theintroduction of preventive measures such as thestate pilotage service and the Harbour and Fair-ways Act. Measures have been introduced to miti-gate the risk of incidents and environmental dam-age and to enhance safety both on land and at sea.

The avalanche in December 2015 served as adramatic reminder of the importance of havingthe best possible local system that can immedi-ately be coordinated and deployed to manage

Box 10.6 BarentsWatch

BarentsWatch is a comprehensive monitoringand information system that secures access toquality-assured information about the north-ern marine and coastal areas. This systemmakes it easer for various administrative bod-ies to exchange information and data. Barents-Watch consists of two main parts: an open(public) part and a closed (restricted access)part. The open part is a publicly accessibleweb portal for Norwegian and internationalusers, and offers usefully organised and pro-cessed information covering topics such as cli-mate, the environment and maritime trans-port. The closed part is a system for authori-ties with operative responsibility at sea, and isintended to enhance common, quality-con-trolled situational awareness as a basis forimproved operational management.


emergency, extraordinary incidents and crises.The accident also showed the necessity for goodcooperation between the Governor of Svalbard,the Longyearbyen Community Council, Longyear-byen Hospital, Svalbard Church, the Longyear-byen Red Cross and other local cooperating part-ners. The rescue operation was extensive, andthere was a shortage of human resources at sev-eral junctures.

It is also important to acknowledge that Long-yearbyen is and will remain dependent onresources from the mainland. The dimensions ofSvalbard’s emergency preparedness level will becontinually assessed in the dialogue between thecentral authorities, the Governor of Svalbard andother key actors in Svalbard. Forming the basis ofthis work will be the experiences gained from theavalanche, the evaluation report, and the generalincrease in activity in the area.

The Government will:– Continuously assess emergency preparedness

in Svalbard in light of the activities carried outin the archipelago and changes in risk level.

– Respond appropriately to any findings by theDirectorate for Civil Protection and Emer-

gency Planning in its assessment following theavalanche on 19 December 2015.

– Survey flood and avalanche risks in Longyear-byen in 2016, through the Norwegian WaterResources and Energy Directorate.

– Work nationally and internationally to ensureeffective implementation of the regulations onsailing in polar regions (the Polar Code).

– Continually assess measures to reduce the riskof undesirable maritime transport incidents inSvalbard.

– Continue the work of charting important mari-time areas around Svalbard.

– Work towards establishing good communica-tion systems for the northern marine areas.

– Further develop and modernise Svalbard’sexisting navigation infrastructure to optimiserisk reduction and lower operating and mainte-nance costs.

– Develop land-based AIS base stations in thebusiest areas of Svalbard to strengthen mari-time traffic monitoring.


11 Economic and administrative consequences

Three comprehensive white papers on Svalbardhave previously been presented to the Storting atapproximately 10-year intervals. The white papershave each helped guide the archipelago’s develop-ment for a number of years, and the comprehen-sive review process has encouraged balanceddevelopment within the framework established bythe Svalbard policy objectives.

The objectives of Norwegian Svalbard policyhave remained the same for a long time and areset out in Report No. 40 (1985–1986) to the Stort-ing Svalbard, Report No. 9 (1999–2000) to theStorting Svalbard, and Report No. 22 (2008–2009)to the Storting Svalbard. These objectives havebeen reiterated in subsequent Storting documentsrelating to Svalbard and are reaffirmed annuallywhen the Svalbard budget is approved.

With this white paper, the Government con-firms that the overriding objectives of the Sval-bard policy remain unchanged. Continued predict-ability in the administration of Svalbard in linewith these objectives provides security for thepopulation of Longyearbyen while enhancing sta-bility and predictability in the region.

This white paper describes challenges andpossible measures for Svalbard. The Governmentwill continually assess the need for measures toensure that further development of the Longyear-byen community aligns with the Svalbard policy.The avalanche disaster has also demonstrated thenecessity of ensuring that Svalbard’s infrastruc-ture can accommodate the present level of activ-ity, as opposed to introducing new activities thatmight trigger a need for heavy investment. Withinthese parameters, further development inselected areas is being facilitated.

It has been decided to suspend operations atthe Lunckefjell mine in Svea, and the company’sworkforce has been heavily reduced. The work-force reduction has so far not led to a correspond-ing reduction in the number of inhabitants inLongyearbyen. This is partly because of the highlevel of commuting by the company’s employees.It must nonetheless be acknowledged that theconsequences could have additional effect infuture.

11.1 Measures with limited or no budgetary consequences

In this white paper the Government stakes out acourse for development of Longyearbyen andmanagement of the archipelago, in accordancewith the overriding objectives of the Svalbard pol-icy and in line with our long-term interests.Account is given of measures which contribute toachieving these objectives in different areas.

To ensure that Longyearbyen maintains abreadth and quality that coincides with Norwe-gian interests, this white paper outlines furtherdevelopment in selected areas. Tourism is animportant industry, and since the 1990s hasbecome highly significant for Longyearbyen. Thiswhite paper signals the authorities’ intention tonow take coordinated action to better facilitatetourism in the areas surrounding Longyearbyenby allowing, for example, for the establishment ofnew commercial tourist cabins and facilitating dis-embarkation at selected locations in the Isfjordenarea. It also issues signals about facilitating thelanding of fish for commercial use in the localhotel and tourism industry.

Another key topic in this white paper isresearch. Svalbard has been developed as a suc-cessful platform for Norwegian and internationalresearch. It is important for Norway to be in thedriver’s seat, visibly and clearly hosting activities.

11.2 Measures proposed in the Revised National Budget for 2016

Longyearbyen was struck by a major avalancheon 19 December 2015, and several houses weredestroyed. These houses cannot be rebuilt in thesame area. The Government has therefore pro-posed increasing the allocation to the Longyear-byen Community by NOK 10 million for housingand land development in Longyearbyen.


11.3 Major measures already begun

In the estimated accounts for the 2015 central gov-ernment budget, NOK 50 million was allocated forrestructuring measures to develop Longyearbyenand pave the way for new economic activity andnew jobs.

The Longyearbyen Community Council wasallocated NOK 4.5 million of these funds forrestructuring and economic development effortsin Longyearbyen.

There is currently a maintenance backlog forinfrastructure measures in Longyearbyen. Toreduce this maintenance backlog and simultane-ously contribute to new jobs in the constructionsector, NOK 22 million of the NOK 50 million totalwas allotted to infrastructure projects in Long-yearbyen.

The Svalbard Business Council representslocal business and industry, and works to promoteeconomic interests in the archipelago. The coun-cil was allocated NOK 0.5 million in restructuringfunds to facilitate restructuring and economicdevelopment efforts in Longyearbyen. Thesefunds are intended to generate cooperationbetween local business and industry and localauthorities. Innovation Norway was allocatedNOK 20 million in restructuring funds towardsestablishing a stronger presence in Longyearbyenand towards developing and funding projects.

New business and innovation expertise will bebrought to strengthen opportunities for generat-ing a new economic boost in Svalbard. NOK 3 mil-lion has been allocated to develop a business andinnovation strategy specifically for Svalbard.

11.4 Other measures

The current capacity of Longyearbyen’s port facil-ity is limited. New port infrastructure is high-lighted locally as an important measure for fur-ther development. In the National Transport Planfor 2014–2023, up to NOK 200 million in govern-ment funds was set aside for harbour infrastruc-ture. The Norwegian Coastal Administration isalready examining various solutions, and thiswork is expected to be completed in October2016. The Government will then decide on theway forward.

With this white paper, the Government pre-sents an account of various measures that helpreinforce the work involving Svalbard. Most of themeasures described in this white paper can becovered by the relevant ministries’ existing budg-etary frameworks. Beyond these measures, thewhite paper also discusses other measures thatcould lead to spending increases within thenational budget. Measures discussed in this whitepaper will be considered in connection with theGovernment’s further work related to Svalbard.The Government will return to proposals for spec-ifying and implementing the measures mentionedin the white paper in connection with the annualbudget proposals.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security

r e c o m m e n d s :

that the recommendation from the Ministry ofJustice and Public Security concerning Svalbarddated 11 May 2016 should be submitted to theStorting.

Published by: Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

Public institutions may order additional copies from: Norwegian Government Security and Service OrganisationE-mail: [email protected]: www.publikasjoner.dep.noTelephone: + 47 222 40 000Photo: Longyearbyen, Tommy Dahl MarkussenPrint: 07 PrintMedia AS08/2017 – Impression 1000 Svalbard


Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

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