The High North will be Norway’s most important strategic priority area in the years ahead.The Government is increasing the total allocation for a cohesive High North policy to approximately NOK 274 million, NOK 30 million of which is earmarked for continuing measures implemented in 2006. The Foreign Ministry’s allocation for High North measures will be increased to NOK 251 million.

“The Government considers the High North to be Norway’s most important strategic priority area in the years ahead, and we attach great importance to developing a cohesive policy. Therefore, our efforts in the North include measures in the three counties of northern Norway, in Svalbard and in the sea areas, and in cooperation with other countries in the region. The proposed allocations and measures will enable us better to safeguard and take a holistic approach to our economic, environmental and security policy interests in the High North, and thereby realise the aims of the Government’s High North policy,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The measures outlined in the budget proposal illustrate the Government’s broad approach to the opportunities and challenges in the North, where environmental protection, sustainable management of marine resources, efforts to prevent illegal fishing and unregistered transshipment of catches, and opportunities in the energy field have particular priority. Cooperation with Russia and other countries in the North will be considerably intensified. For example, people-to-people cooperation will be stepped up by means of allocations for the Barents Secretariat and for measures in the environmental and health fields. Geological surveys will be instituted in the areas Nordland VII and Troms II as part of the follow-up to the Integrated Management Plan for the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea, which is also being followed up by surveys of the seabed and resources. Seismic data will also be collected southeast of Kong Karls Land off Svalbard. Efforts to reduce the risk of maritime accidents and discharges to the marine environment, and strengthen Norway’s capacity to exercise sovereignty and its rescue and emergency preparedness are other important tasks outlined in the Government’s budget proposal.

The Government’s aim is that Norway should be at the forefront in terms of knowledge and expertise on the High North. The allocation for Barents 2020 is therefore being increased from NOK 10 million to NOK 20 million. Barents 2020 will finance projects that have a particular focus on resource use, environmental management and industrial development in the High North. It will also act as a link between centres of excellence, academic institutions and business and industry actors in countries with interests in the High North.

In the autumn of 2006 Norway will assume the chair of the Arctic Council. The Government will use the chairmanship to promote Norway’s priorities in the fields of resource management, environmental protection and climate change. It is therefore being proposed that the allocation for Arctic cooperation should be increased from NOK 5 million in 2006 to NOK 10 million in 2007.

The allocation for nuclear safety efforts in northwestern Russia will be maintained at the same high level as this year, i.e. NOK 110 million.