Storting wants Norwegian film support rules to cover Svalbard

The Storting asked the government in 2025 to extend the Norwegian Film Institute's support regulations for film and series production to Svalbard, so that costs incurred on Svalbard count as costs incurred in Norway (Vedtak 862). The proposal came from Svein Harberg, Tage Pettersen and Turid Kristensen of Høyre, according to the Storting's case page. In the committee recommendation of 20 May 2025, the members from Høyre, Senterpartiet, Fremskrittspartiet and Venstre backed it. The family and culture committee said in that recommendation that the regulations of the Norwegian Film Institute (Norsk filminstitutt) do not apply on Svalbard because the Svalbard Act section 2 says they do not apply unless specified.

The committee recommendation says the members from Høyre, Senterpartiet, Fremskrittspartiet and Venstre wrote that more than 450 films have been shot on Svalbard in 30 years, and that funding is not the same as permission to film. Høyre, Senterpartiet and Venstre pointed to Mission: Impossible, The Final Reckoning. The committee recommendation says the production of Mission: Impossible, The Final Reckoning first wanted to use a helicopter, and solved it another way when the restrictions prevented it.

The committee recommendation says Culture minister Lubna Jaffery advised against the change in a letter of 29 April 2025, citing the risk of more traffic and strain on nature.

Correction, 27 October 2026: an earlier version gave only the arguments of the 2025 Storting majority. It now gives the government's reasons from its 2027 budget proposal, the position of Arbeiderpartiet and SV, and the date the Storting adopted the decision, 3 June 2025.