Policy Agenda of the Greenland Home Rule
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PROGRAMMING DOCUMENT FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF GREENLAND 2014-2020 (2014/137/EU) SIGNATURE OF THE PROGRAMMING DOCUMENT FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF GREENLAND The Government of Greenland and the European Commission hereby agree as follows: (1) The Government of Greenland and the European Commission held discussions in 2013 and 2014 with a view to determining the general orientations for cooperation for the sustainable development of Greenland from 2014 to 2020. In the course of these discussions, the Programming Document for the Sustainable Development of Greenland was drawn up in accordance with Council Decision 2014/137/EU of 14 March 2014 and Regulation (EU) 236/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council of the 11 March 2014 laying down the rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union’s instruments for financing external action. (2) The agreement of the Government of Greenland and the European Commission on the Programming Document for the Sustainable Development of Greenland completes the programming process referred to in Article 4 of Council Decision 2014/137/EU of 14 March 2014. Done at on the For the Government of Greenland, For the European Commission, 1 Executive summary Greenland is a self-governing territory in the Kingdom of Denmark ruled by the Government of Greenland, Naalakkersuisut (hereinafter “the Government”). The 21st of June 2009 the Act of Greenland Self-Government entered into force replacing the Greenland Home Rule Act of 1979. This changed the constitutional status of Greenland within the Kingdom of Denmark and inter alia defined the natural resources of Greenland as being the property of the Greenlandic people. Being a part of the European Community since 1973, through Danish Membership, Greenland formally withdrew from the European Community in 1985. Subsequently, a Treaty on Greenland’s withdrawal from the Community was made declaring Greenland as a “special case”, following which Greenland became associated to the Community as an Overseas Country1. Greenland is a territory remote from the EU, with a small population of 56,370 (2013) on the world’s largest island facing challenging climatic conditions and a particular social and economic situation, as well as a cultural mix resulting from its past and present relationship with Denmark. Greenland’s economy is characterised by a very large and predominant public sector. Fisheries and fishing industries dominate export, and there is a developing private sector which includes international mining- and oil companies. The public finances are highly dependent on the block grant allocated by Denmark as well as the association of Greenland with the EU. Following general elections in March 2013, a new government coalition was inaugurated in April 2013. Subsequently, the plan for the sustainable development of the economy and society along with specific sectoral strategies for the different underlying economic sectors are currently under revision by the Government. The Government has presented its Political Economic Report at the spring session of the Parliament in 2014. The long term economic policy is to have a self-sustained economy and to phase out the annual block grant from Denmark. This presupposes fiscal sustainability, diversification of the economy and real economic growth. There is broad political consensus that education and training is fundamental in achieving these long term sustainable economic developmental goals. From 2007 to 2013 the Government and the EU have gained valuable knowledge on the education and training sector, which was the focal sector for financial 1 At that time, the association was in accordance with Part IV of the Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community. Currently the legislative basis is Part IV of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 2 cooperation on the basis of the Programming Document for the Sustainable Development of Greenland, agreed upon between the EU, Greenland and Denmark. The Government has focused on education and training since 2004, which has been reflected in an increase in the budget for education and training from 14.8% of the Government budget in 2005 to 18.2% of the Government budget in 2013. Moreover, the Parliament in 2006 adopted the Greenland Education Programme which contained an overall education and training strategy covering the period until 2020. In 2013 a revised education strategy was adopted by the Government. The Education Strategy and the Education Plan II comprising the Greenland Education Programme phase 2 will be handed out at the spring session of the Parliament in 2014. There is a broad political consensus on the vital importance of education as being the most relevant growth parameter for any future prosperity in the societal development of the country. In general there is a need for an educated Greenlandic workforce in every economic sector. The focus on human capital is predominant and both the public and the private sector are devoting much attention to developing and maintaining its human resource capital. In view of the above, education and training is selected as the focal sector for financial cooperation between the EU and Greenland outside fisheries. According to the Council Decision on relations between the EU on the one hand and Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark on the other (2014/137/EU)2, EU financial assistance should be provided mainly through budget support, taking into account Greenland’s sound macroeconomic policy and public finance management. In the first phase of the Greenland Education Programme (2007-2013), emphasis was put on vocational training, the acquisition of real qualifications for jobs requiring skilled persons and real competence courses for unskilled persons. In the second phase (2014-2020) emphasis will be put on the pre-school and elementary school system besides a continuation of the support for vocational education and training and the post-elementary school system in general. 2 OJ L 76, 15.03.2014, p.1 3 Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................ 4 PART A. COOPERATION STRATEGY .............................................................................................................. 6 1. EU cooperation objectives ............................................................................................................... 6 2. Policy agenda of the Government ................................................................................................... 7 2.1. Overall policy ........................................................................................................................... 7 2.2. Arctic issues ............................................................................................................................. 8 2.3. Fisheries ................................................................................................................................... 9 2.4. Social sector ........................................................................................................................... 10 2.5. Labour Market ....................................................................................................................... 10 2.6. Mineral Resources ................................................................................................................. 11 2.7. Tourism .................................................................................................................................. 12 2.8. Climate and Energy ................................................................................................................ 13 2.9. Environment .......................................................................................................................... 15 2.10. Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................ 15 2.11. Food safety ........................................................................................................................ 17 2.12. Sustainable Development .................................................................................................. 17 2.13. Education ........................................................................................................................... 19 3. Assessment of the political, economic and social situation .......................................................... 22 3.1. Political situation ................................................................................................................... 22 3.2. Economic situation ................................................................................................................ 23 3.3. Social situation....................................................................................................................... 25 3.4. Environmental situation ........................................................................................................ 27 3.5. Public finance management .................................................................................................. 27 4. Lessons Learned ............................................................................................................................ 28 4.1. Financial cooperation 2007-2013 .........................................................................................