Euroviews. Norway made a mistake in its decision to move towards deep-sea mining

Has Norway paved the way for deep-seabed mining following the Storting's vote on 9 January? The opening up 281,000 square kilometres (the equivalent of half of France's land area) to mineral prospecting, with a view to future exploitation, raises numerous concerns, such as the environmental impact on these unique ecosystems that are still so poorly understood.

We would like to express, on behalf of the European Parliament, our deep concern to Norwegian decision-makers and citizens about this decision, which comes at a time when an increasing number of countries, scientists, associations, as well as manufacturers such as Volvo, Northvolt and Samsung, are calling for a moratorium on seabed mining, or, like Equinor, a precautionary approach. 

The Norwegian Environmental Agency — the government body in charge of Strategic Environmental Impact Assessments — has deemed the environmental impact assessment insufficient to open both for exploration and exploitation. 

Moreover, the scientific community worldwide has stated that knowledge and technology are not sufficiently advanced to ensure "sustainable" extraction of minerals from the seabed.

The Arctic region targeted by Norway is home to exceptional biodiversity and plays a crucial role in climate regulation.

It is covered by a legal framework that Norway could breach: the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. 

What is more, the Svalbard Treaty guarantees equal access to this region, which includes fishing quotas for European vessels, quotas that could be called into question just as much as Norway's compliance with this treaty. 

Similarly, the compatibility of the Norwegian decision with the new United Nations treaty on the High