This report concerns the Danish authorities’ effort in the Arctic parts of the Danish Realm, that is, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Climate change poses not only new opportunities but also challenges for the Arctic environment and navigation in the area. The Danish authorities are responsible for performing a number of essential tasks in the Arctic region, particularly tasks relating to the provision of marine navigation safety and the management of search and rescue response (hereinafter ‘SAR response’), marine environmental monitoring and marine environmental emergency response.
The purpose of the examination is to assess whether the Danish authorities’ responsibility for the effort in the Arctic parts of the Realm has been clearly divided and whether it matches the risk associated with the increase in marine traffic. Rigsrevisionen has examined this by addressing the following questions:
- Does the preventive action of the Danish authorities – aimed at enhancing marine navigation safety – match the risk?
- Has the Danish authorities’ responsibility for the SAR response been clearly divided and does the equipment match the risk, eg, in connection with major accidents?
- Do the Danish authorities monitor the marine environment and does their marine environmental emergency response match the risk of marine pollution?
Rigsrevisionen launched the examination at its own initiative in October 2012.
Read the 1st chapter of the report (PDF)