1 Background

Background

When the Storting dealt with Report No. 22 (1994-95) on environmental protection on Svalbard, it asked the Government to make an overall assessment of the Svalbard community, in which the environment, coal mining and other economic activity, foreign policy and other relevant factors wereviewed in connection with each other. In Document No. 8:85 (1994-95) the Government was also asked, in connection with this assessment, to develop a model for local government in Longyearbyen that would give the inhabitants a democratic influence on the workings of the local community.

In connection with the preparation of this report an interministerial steering committee was appointed, which was made up of representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Two working groups were also appointed to examine the question of local democracy more close-ly. A working group on Svalbard has consid-ered matters in which the Svalbard Council may be drawn into the decision-making process and ways in which the reform should be organized. Svalbard Samfunnsdrift AS, the Governor of Svalbard and the Svalbard Council were represented in this local working group. The second working group has considered the question of how local influence can be ensured, and has examined the relationship to Svalbard Samfunnsdrift AS in particular. This work-ing group comprised representatives from the board of Svalbard Samfunnsdrift AS, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and was chaired by an external adviser.

An interministerial group was also appointed to consider government support for Norwegian activities on Svalbard. The group, which was chaired by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, also comprised representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the Minis-try of the Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The texts of the Svalbard Treaty of 9 February 1920 with annexes (Appendix 1) and the Mining Code for Spitsbergen (Svalbard) of 7 August 1925 (Appendix 2) are appended.

 

Figure 1.1 Map of Svalbard

The land area of Svalbard totals approximately 62 700 km2. About 54 per cent of the archipelago is covered by glaciers. Spitsbergen, with a total area of 39 000 km2, is the largest of the islands. Long-yearbyen is the administrative centre of Svalbard.

---