Norwegian PM: Shares the Total Preparedness Commission’s Understanding of Severity

National action zone 

The Total Preparedness Commission also recommends that a national “action zone” be established in Finnmark and Northern Troms based on NATO’s seven Baseline Requirements for resilient critical societal functions.

Among other things, resilience is expected in health and other critical public services, energy supplies, food and water, as well as communication and transport systems.

“Such an action zone must include an economic action package to strengthen the public sector, infrastructure, research, education, and the business sector, in the region,” writes the commission.

What is the government’s response to this recommendation from the commission?

“The commission’s report has recently been on hearing, and there already exists an action zone in Finnmark and Northern Troms to better facilitate settlement and business activity in the region. Within this zone, we have done several things, such as ensuring free childcare and increasing deductions for student loans.We have also introduced a package to develop more energy and grid capacity in Finnmark. It is very important for all the issues we now are discussing that there is enough power for both existing and new business activity. This is again an illustration of the need to work systematically,” maintains Støre.

Here it can be added that, despite the existing action zone, the Total Preparedness Commission finds it “necessary to invest across sectors to stimulate activity and to strengthen preparedness in the area.”