Terms / Laws / Guidelines
Administration of mineral licences is regulated with reference to different judicial documents.
On this page you will find the different terms, rules, laws and guidelines relevant for mineral prospecting and exploration in Greenland. This includes:
The application procedure and standard terms specified on this site have been approved by the Government of Greenland as the basis for granting prospecting, exploration and small scale licences for minerals (mineral resources other than hydrocarbons) in Greenland.
The application procedure and standard terms have been amended during 2010 and 2011. The application procedure and standard terms will be revised from time to time in the light of experience. Revisede application procedures will apply to all licences whereas revised standard terms, if any, will take effect only for licences granted after such a revision.
Social Impact Assessment
Greenland aims at developing the mineral resources industry to one of the country’s primary business sectors. To make this happen the development in the mineral resources sector has to take place in cooperation with the population of Greenland.
Mineral projects can have a great social and economic impact, both positive and negative. An understanding of the interaction between a mineral project and the local community is essential in order to increase the positive effects and reduce the negative effects of mineral project activities.
The following issues are essential in the Greenlandic context:
-
Recruiting Greenlandic labour;
-
Engaging Greenlandic enterprises;
-
Focusing on knowledge transfer (e.g. education programmes) in order to ensure long term capacity building of local competence within the mining industry and mining support industries;
-
Preserving socio-cultural values and traditions.
A way of managing the social effects from mining projects is to prepare a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in which it is important to identify and analyse potential impacts of a proposed action or development on the human environment, and to recommend initiatives to realize both direct and indirect sustainable development opportunities as well as mitigate negative impacts. The human environment includes aspects such as business and employment, income and other socio-economic aspects, use of land and resources, health, education, infrastructure and socio-cultural features.
In addition to mineral exploitation projects, these guidelines shall with relevant modifications serve as guidelines for mineral exploration projects and for petroleum projects when required by the BMP.
The rules of preparing a Social Impact Assessment do not apply to licences applied for and granted under Part 8 in the Mineral Resources Act.
BMP reserves the right to make and issue amendments to these guidelines at any time. The BMP website should therefore be accessed for the latest version.
Small Scale Mining
Small scale licences are granted only to local recidents in Greenland. Applicants having had permanent recidence in and full tax liability to Greenland for the recent 5 years are eligible to be granted up 5 small scale licences per person. There are two types of small scale licences:
-
Small Scale Licence to Mineral Exploration and Exploitation with exclusive rights to an area at 1 square kilometer
-
Small Scale Licence to Mineral Exploration and Exploitation by use of only non-mechanical tools within a municipality (non-exclusive)
Small scale licensees must respect other exclusive right licences as well as protected areas. Small scale licences with exclusive right enjoys the same level of legal protection as a mineral exploration licence.
Further information on small scale licences can be found in Greenlandic and Danish on the official Government site www.nanoq.gl