Minister does not rule out the Lofoten guidelines to their own party – NRK

Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) clarified Monday that the Conservatives still want to go in for oil exploration in the disputed waters off Senja, Lofoten and Vesterålen when the party goes to elections next fall.

What Labor would fall on under its national congress in April next year, is currently unclear. The party went on for an impact assessment of areas in 2013, but the case splitter party. Labor leader Jonas Gahr Støre will not suggest the party will continue its standpoint in the next parliamentary term.

– It is up to the program work and the Congress to decide, says Støre said.

Can set guidelines

Minister does not rule out that he will come with guidelines opposite party when approaching congress, as his predecessor Jens Stoltenberg did before the congress in 2013. Stoltenberg went then out and the flag is clear that he believed the party should go in for an impact assessment, despite considerable disagreement in the party.

– Now I think it is important that the party will discuss these questions. I will follow the debate, so we will see when approaching if I come with some restrictions. I exclude it not, says Støre.

– Have you already taken a personal standpoint?

– I stand well on the standpoint we have today, said Minister.

– High and predictable levels of activity

– Prime Minister Erna Solberg says oil exploration in Lofoten and Vesterålen is important for value creation in Norway, a time when the oil industry is struggling. Do you agree with her?

– Labor is too high and predictable level of activity on the Norwegian continental shelf, while we take our environmental and climate commitments seriously. Now we are heading towards the 24th licensing round, and there will be a continuation of the policy that has been in this area for now.

– So we have to take decisions on individual waters seriously, so we taking into account both environmental and potential new exploration areas. For Norwegian oil and gas industry has the opportunity to produce lower emissions than elsewhere in the world, and they have the opportunity to come with new technology, including in the capture and storage, which can be crucial to efforts to combat climate change, he said.