RE: Redeye article...13 Feb 2019 11:00
Part 2
Beowulf submitted the first application for processing concession as early as 2013. In a very tough process where the case was balled between the county administrative board, the Bergsstate and the government, no final decisions on processing concession are still taken. The mountain state has dealt with the case three times and advocated that the application be granted. The county administrative board in Norrbotten has also made three decisions in the case; the first time in 2014 when the permit was not granted. The case then ended up with the government, which was referred back to the county administrative board. The County Administrative Board re-examined the matter and decided to grant the application in 2015. Due to a precedent judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court in 2016 regarding Norra Kärr, the case is again returned to the county administrative board and the Bergstaten, and as a result of the precedent, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the National Heritage Board were also asked to submit an opinion. The county administrative board decides not to grant permission, since the Bergsstaten approved the application at an earlier stage and did not have more to add, the matter was referred to the government December 2017. Thus, the government has now had the case for over a year without making a decision. The reason for the decision being delayed is stated to be the 2018 election, but that decisions are taken as soon as a new government is in place.
Heavy criticism has been directed against the government from IF Metall, LKAB, Svemin and local politicians in Norrbotten, but also from the Sami Parliament and the Sami villages concerned. The criticism has among other things concerned long processing time and difficulty in predicting the direction of the decisions. The criticism applies in addition to Kallak also four other cases that lie with the government for final decision.
Bergsstaten and Copenhagen Economics make the assessment that a mine in Kallak can generate 550 jobs and give Jokkmokk's municipality 1-2 billion SEK in revenues over 14 + 25 years. Which corresponds to approximately SEK 44 million per year for 39 years or for a municipality of Jokkmokk's size an increase of about 20% of the municipality's income per year.
Policy. After the 2018 elections, the political landscape in Sweden has changed, which has led to new conditions for licensing. The Green Party, which is part of the current government, saw its mandates in the Riksdag halved. The general view is that the environmental party actively slowed down decisions regarding mines, which is also confirmed by politicians in the government. Gustav Fridolin and Alice B Kuhnke have expressed themselves clearly negative about the mine in Kallak. Damberg, as Minister of Trade and Industry, however, expressed herself positively.
We believe that the environmental party, with only 4% of the electorate behind it, has reduced its opportunities to ga