This is the first time the Centre Party clearly states its opinion against an environmental impact assessment study on the consequences of opening of the resource-rich Lofoten area for oil drilling, Teknisk Ukeblad writes. Until now, the party has had a wait-and see attitude on the issue.
- As long as the available technology is inadequate, we do not see the point in implementing a consequence study, head of the Centre Party Liv Inger Navarsete said. But this does not mean that we reject oil and gas activity in the area for all future, she added.
After the government was re-elected in September 2009, it said in a declaration there will be no opening of Lofoten and Vesteraalen for oil and gas exploration in the current governmental period lasting till 2013, BarentsObserver reported. However, the government said it will continue to gather data from the coastal areas outside Northern Norway as a part of the government’s environmental impact assessment studies for the potential oil-drilling areas in Norway’s northern waters.
Among the three parties in the government, the Socialist Left is the strongest opponents against opening of the Lofoten area for oil drilling. The biggest of the three, the Labour Party is split between oil drilling and protecting the environment.
