On Friday morning, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland and Agriculture and Food Minister Sandra Borch met the reindeer herders at Fosen for a breakfast meeting. Following the meeting, the Prime Minister met the press. Here he is asked, among other things, whether he believes that human rights have been violated during the wind power development at Fosen. – The Sami young people are very concerned about the government saying that this is an ongoing human rights violation. Will they say it now? – Yes, this judgment establishes that the concession, as it has been granted, violates the rights that the Sama have according to the conventions we must follow, Støre replies. – And if it is a violation of human rights, the answer is yes, the Prime Minister continues. Will consider mitigating measures On 11 October, the Supreme Court ruled that the concession and expropriation decision on wind power development at Fosen was invalid. The Supreme Court believed that the decision violated the reindeer herders’ right to cultural practice. The shareholders object to the fact that more than 500 days have now passed since the Supreme Court judgment, but that no measures have yet been taken to enforce the judgment. Demonstrations against the wind turbines at Fosen. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB Støre further says that the judgment says that mitigation measures must be considered in order not to be in such a situation. – That is what we now have to keep a close eye on, if we can find them. I have said that I do not rule out any measures in that context, says Støre. Mitigation measures exist to reduce, compensate or remove unwanted effects of interventions in nature. Leader in the Fosen reindeer herding district: – Has come one step further Leader in the Fosen reindeer herding district Terje Haugen also met the press after the breakfast meeting. Terje Haugen was interviewed in the government quarter yesterday. Photo: Bethel Britto / news He says that the Supreme Court judgment is the basis for the demands they want to make. – We use the Supreme Court’s judgment as a basis. There is no doubt that we mean it. The Supreme Court has taken a decision on what is to be taken up. We don’t have any other requirements than that, apart from the fact that they have to listen to what we have to say, says Haugen. When asked what such a meeting means for the reindeer herders at Fosen, Haugen replies that they have come one step further. – You feel that you have come one step further when you talk to ministers and not least the prime minister, says Haugen. – What do you think of the fact that it has taken so long before you have received an apology from the Prime Minister and the government? – I think it could have come earlier. At the same time, it is good to get an apology, but an apology does not mean that there will be more grazing area for our reindeer, Haugen replies. – It was good to get an apology, and it was about time, he adds. Fosen reindeer herders on their way out of the breakfast meeting. Photo: Inga Máret Solberg Åhrén / news Haugen does not want to say too much about how the road will continue. – But we reckon there will be a lot of meetings, he concludes.
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Støre admits ongoing human rights violations at Fosen – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
