Government apparently reached agreement with the opposition on a draft law with stricter environmental regulations.
In June, Norway, under Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, announced plans to possibly open its waters to deep-sea mining. A corresponding bill was submitted for debate in the fall. The Norwegian government has now agreed with two opposition parties on an adapted draft law that will further advance these plans, according to the news agency Reuters, citing government circles. The newly negotiated deal sets out stricter environmental regulations during the exploration phase than initially planned. It also includes a right of veto for the parliament, allowing it to stop deep-sea mining projects even after the exploration phase.
The draft law is set to be negotiated and voted on in the Norwegian parliament at the beginning of January.
While Norway is taking significant steps towards deep-sea mining, several other European countries, including France and Germany, have put such projects on hold due to unclear environmental impacts. The UK is another major economy that supports a moratorium on licensing deep-sea mining projects.
Photo: iStock/inusuke
