A new report conducted by Norwegian law professors Beate Sjåfjell and Anita Halvorssen concludes that Norway can not proceed with its plans for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic as their research of country’s national and international law revealed that these activities are illegal.
The report entitled ”Is oil and gas extraction in the Arctic legal?” is available in Norwegian and published by the Norwegian Climate Foundation, an information and research center.
Barents Observer reports that this report comes as Norway is doing last preparations for its 23rd License Round, a process which includes as many as 57 license blocks in the High North.
According to the authors of the study, Arctic drilling is in conflict with the Norwegian Constitution, which in an amendment from 2014 states that ”everyone has the right to live in an environment which provides good conditions for health and in nature which preserves productivity and diversity”
Arctic Drilling could be a violation of international agreements such as the UN Climate Convention (UNFCCC), the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the EU Sustainable Development Strategy.
