No deep-sea mining in Norway ! 119 Parliamentarians from all around Europe write to the Norwegian Parliament

Thursday 9th November 2023,

To: Members of the Norwegian Parliament - Stortinget,

Subject: Act to prevent Deep Sea Mining from happening in Norwegian waters

Dear Members of the Norwegian Parliament,

We, undersigned members of the European Parliament as well as national and regional parliaments, call on you to oppose the Norwegian government's plans for deep sea mining in the Norwegian Sea.

On Tuesday the 20th of June, the Norwegian Government proposed opening up 281,200-square-kilometer of the Norwegian Sea[1] to deep-sea mining, an area nearly the size of Italy.

Scientists, activists, as well as parliamentarians and politicians from all around the world have been warning for years about the risk such activity will cause to marine biodiversity and the acceleration of climate change. Over 700 science and policy experts have warned that deep-sea mining would result in the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning that would be irreversible on multi-generational timescales and could risk disturbing carbon sequestered deep in the ocean. 262 Parliamentarians from 52 countries signed the Global Parliamentary Declaration Calling for a Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining. Indigenous Peoples from 34 countries and 54 indigenous groups called for total ban on deep sea mining. The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council also highlighted the disastrous environmental consequences of seabed mining and called the narrative that it is needed for the green transition “misleading”. Following these warnings and a growing citizen mobilization from all around the world, 22 States have already committed to support a moratorium, a  precautionary pause or a ban on deep-sea mining at international level. The Ocean is a critical ally in the fight against climate change and its biodiversity must be protected.

On top of these international warnings, many objections were raised against the Norwegian opening decision specifically. Among them, the Norway Environment Agency itself released a statement explaining that the impact assessment conducted has so many knowledge gaps that it does not suffice as a legal basis for decision making. They further stated that the assessment does not provide adequate information on whether this activity can be carried out in a safe or responsible manner. Moreover, some parts of the area designated by the Norwegian Government have been identified as vulnerable or valuable by Norwegian research institutes and government agencies. Recently, the European Commission officials expressed serious concerns on the opening of Norwegian waters to deep-sea mining’s (potential) impact on fish stocks, fisheries and more generally marine ecosystems which do not know borders. EU cod fishing fleets are active in the area around the archipelago of Svalbard, in line with international law and their historic fishing rights. We would also like to point out that to-date, there is no international legal framework for this potential activity, therefore no common standards. In the midst of the environmental and climate crisis, the Norwegian Government’s decision to start mining in the Ocean’s fragile ecosystems would be reckless.

As European parliamentarians we are deeply concerned by our close ally pushing forward this destructive industry, rather than joining the EU in the transition to a circular economy. The green transition cannot be used as a justification for harming biodiversity and the world’s largest natural carbon sink, especially since alternatives exist. The demand for minerals can be reduced by 58% through innovation in renewable technology and circular economy measures[2]. Instead of plunging into high-risk deep-sea activities before having full understanding of their consequences, we must reduce our dependence on these materials.

Finally, Norway’s decision to allow exploration and extraction of deep-sea minerals, which would make it the first nation in the world to do so, would also create a precedent in the ongoing negotiations on deep-sea mining in international waters. We cannot take the risk to precipitate the opening of all of the world’s oceans to the mining industry. Last month, Norway signed the High Seas Treaty at the United Nations and is co-chair of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, which has committed to 100% sustainable ocean management by 2025. The Government must follow-up on its international commitments with cohesive national policies.

For all the above reasons, we, as European parliamentarians committed to ocean protection, urge you to vote against the Government’s proposal and to support the adoption of an international moratorium on deep-sea mining.

Yours sincerely,

Marie Toussaint, European Parliament, France

Caroline Roose, European Parliament, France

Alexandra Manes, Assembleia Legislativa da Região Autónoma dos Açores, Portugal

Alfons Röblom, Ålands lagting, Åland, Finland

Aline Trede, National Council, Switzerland

Alma Dufour, Assemblée nationale, France

Ana Miranda, European Parliament, Spain

Andreas Jerusalem, Parlament der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft, Belgium

Andrés Ingi Jónsson, Alþingi, Iceland

Anja Hazekamp, European Parliament, The Netherlands

Anne Stambach-Terrenoir, Assemblée nationale, France

Annika Hirvonen, Sveriges riksdag, Sweden

Antoine Léaument, Assemblée nationale, France

António Manuel Raposo Lima, Assembleia Legislativa da Região Autónoma dos Açores, Portugal

Arndis Anna Kristinardottir Gunnarsdottir, Althingi, Iceland

Aurore Lalucq, European Parliament, France

Bastien Lachaud, Assemblée nationale, France

Bertrand Petit, Assemblée nationale, France

Björn Leví Gunnarsson, Althingi, Iceland

Caroline Lucas, House of Commons, United Kingdom

Catherine Chabaud, European Parliament, France

Charles Fournier, Assemblée nationale, France

Christine Badertscher, National Council, Switzerland

Christophe Clivaz, National Council, Switzerland

Cornelia Ernst, European Parliament, Germany

Damien Carême, European Parliament, France

Danièle Obono, Assemblée nationale, France

David Cormand, European Parliament, France

Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini, National Council, Switzerland

Diogo Rocha Cunha, Assembleia da República de Portugal, Portugal

Dominique Potier, Assemblée nationale, France

Esther Ouwehand, Dutch House of Representatives, The Netherlands

Eva Akerboom, Dutch House of Representatives, The Netherlands

Eva Marie van Esch, Dutch House of Representatives, The Netherlands

Fabien Fivaz, National Council, Switzerland

Francisco Guerreiro, European Parliament, Portugal

Gisli Rafn Olafsson, Althingi, Iceland

Greet Daems, Federal Parliament, Belgium

Halldóra Mogensen, Althingi, Iceland

Helena Marttila, Parliament of Finland, Finland

Helmut Scholz, European Parliament, Germany

Hervé Saulignac, Assemblée nationale, France

Hopsu Inka, Parliament of Finland, Finland

Ignazio Corrao, European Parliament, Italy

Inês Sousa Real, Assembleia da República, Portugal

Ingrid Parmentier, Brussels Régional Parliament, Belgium

Isabel Pires, Assembleia da República, Portugal

Jan Riise, Sveriges Riksdag, Sweden

Jean-Claude Raux, Assemblée nationale, France

Jean-Pierre Cubertafon, Assemblée nationale, France

Jenni Pitko, Parliament of Finland, Finland

Joana Rodrigues Mortágua, Assembleia da República, Portugal

José Gusmão, European Parliament, Portugal

José Pedro Ferreira, Assembleia da República, Portugal

José Soeiro, Assembleia da República, Portugal

Julien Bayou, Assemblée nationale, France

Jutta Paulus, European Parliament, Germany

Karen Erodi, Assemblée nationale, France

Katarina Luhr, Sveriges riksdag, Sweden

Katharina Prelicz-Huber, National Council, Switzerland

Katrin Langensiepen, European Parliaemnt, Germany

Krista Mikkonen, The Finnish Parliament, Finland

Lammert van Raan, Tweede Kamer der Staten Generaal, The Netherlands

Leïla Chaibi, European Parliament, France

Léo Walter, Assemblée nationale, France

Linus Lakso, Sveriges riksdag, Sweden

Lisa Belluco, Assemblée nationale, France

Lisa Mazzone, National Council, Switzerland

Loïc Prud’homme, Assemblée nationale, France

Malte Gallée, European Parliament, Germany

Manon Aubry, European Parliament, France

Manuel Bompard, Assemblée nationale, France

Manuela Ripa, European Parliament, Germany,

María Eugenia Rodríguez Palop, European Parliament, Spain

Mariana Mortágua, Assembleia da República, Portugal

Mariane Paviasen, Inatsisartut, Greenland

Marianne Bigum, Folketing, Denmark

Marie Pochon, Assemblée nationale, France

Marie-Charlotte Garin, Assemblée nationale, France

Marina Mesure, European Parliament, France

Marisa Matias, European Parliament, Portugal

Martin Häusling, European Parliament, Germany

Maxime Laisney, Assemblée nationale, France

Michael Bernhard, Parlament Österreich, Austria

Michal Wiezik, European Parliament, Slovakia

Michele Rivasi, European Parliament, France

Mickäel Bouloux, Assemblée nationale, France

Miguel Costa Matos, Assembleia da República, Portugal

Miguel Urban Crespo, European Parliament, Spain

Mogens Lindén, Ålands lagting, Åland Finland

Mounir Satouri, European Parliament, France

Nicolas Thierry, Assemblée nationale, France

Nicolas Walder, National Council, Switzerland

Nicole Dubre Chirat, Assemblée nationale, France

Olivier Falorni, Assemblée nationale, France

Oras Tynkkynen, Parliament of Finland, Finland

Pär Holmgren, European Parliament, Sweden

Pascal Durand, European Parliament, Belgium

Paul Christophe, Assemblée nationale, France

Pedro Filipe Soares, Assembleia da República, Portugal

Pedro Miguel Vicente Neves, Região Autónoma dos Açores, Portugal

Philippe Fait, Assemblée nationale, France

Pierre Larrouturou, European Parliament, France

Rachael Maskell, UK Parliament, United Kingdom

Raphaël Mahaim, National Council, Switzerland

Rebecka Le Moine, Sveriges Riksdag, Sweden

René Pilato, Assemblée nationale, France

Rosa d’Amato, European Parliament, Italy

Sandra Regol, Assemblée nationale, France

Sandrine Rousseau, Assemblée nationale, France

Saskia Bricmont, European Parliament, Belgium

Ségolène Amiot, Assemblée nationale, France

Séverine de Laveleye, Federal parliament, Belgium

Stefanie Prezioso Batou, National Council, Switzerland

Sylvie Ferrer, Assemblée nationale, France

Tony Lloyd, Houses of Parliament, United Kingdom

Valentine Python, National Council, Switzerland

Vesa Kallio, Finnish Parliament, Finland

Yuliia Ovchynnykova, Verkhovna Rada - Parliament of Ukraine, Ukraine

[1] The area is located in Norway’s extended continental shelf, and not in Norway’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

[2] Report The Future is Circular - Circular Economy and Critical Minerals for the Green Transition (3.201Mb)