FAOLEX Database

Greenland (Denmark) - Country Profiles

Policies

Agriculture Strategy 2021-2030.
Date of text: 2020
Waste Action Plan 2020-2031.
Date of text: 2020
White Paper on Management and Utilization of Large Whales in Greenland.
Date of text: 01 June 2018
Sectorial Plan for Energy and Water Supply.
Date of text: 2018

Legislation

Agricultural and rural development

Act No. 28 on promotion of agriculture.
Date of text: 22 May 2024
Act on the promotion of agribusiness (No. 6 of 2009).
Date of text: 02 December 2009
Act No. 3 on restoring funding to commercial fishermen, commercial hunters and providers of commercial farming.
Date of text: 21 May 2004
Act No. 3 on re-establishment support for professional fishermen, hunters, and practitioners of commercial agriculture.
Date of text: 21 May 2004 (01 January 2025)
Farming Act (No. 5 of 1996).
Date of text: 02 May 1996

Cultivated plants

Act on the utilization of genetic resources and related activities (No. 3 of 2016).
Date of text: 03 June 2016

Environment

Environment Protection Act (No. 9 of 2011).
Date of text: 22 November 2011 (01 December 2021)
Regulation No. 3 on waste.
Date of text: 07 January 2021
Act on the Environmental Fund (No. 9 of 2018).
Date of text: 27 November 2018
Act for Greenland on the Control of the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Material (No. 621 of 2016).
Date of text: 08 June 2016
Act on the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (No. 6 of 1994).
Date of text: 08 June 1994

Fisheries and aquaculture

Fisheries Act (No. 29 of 2024).
Date of text: 22 May 2025
Act on commercial fishing (No. 17 of 1990).
Date of text: 22 October 1990
Act on commercial fishing and hunting ( No. 4 of 1980).
Date of text: 13 October 1980
Order No. 524 on the entry into force for Greenland of the Act on Animal Diseases and Infections.
Date of text: 08 June 2004
Act No. 46 on resource tax on Greenlandic fisheries.
Date of text: 23 November 2017

Food and nutrition

Food Act (No. 24 of 2019).
Date of text: 28 November 2019
Act No. 35 on alcohol.
Date of text: 23 November 2017
Order No. 523 on the entry into force in Greenland of the Food Act, etc.
Date of text: 08 June 2004
Act no. 20 on taxation of ethanol-containing beverages produced in Greenland.
Date of text: 11 December 2003 (01 January 2024)
Executive Order No. 1005 on the tasks and powers of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Government of Greenland in Greenland within the areas of food and veterinary affairs administered by the Minister for Environment and Food.
Date of text: 25 August 2017

Land and soil

Act on land use and urban planning and housing (No. 1 of 1981).
Date of text: 23 December 1980 (02 February 1981)
Act on Planning and Land Use (No. 17 of 2010).
Date of text: 17 November 2010
Act No. 16 on land development, public sewerage systems and public roads.
Date of text: 17 November 2010
Act No. 25 on expropriation.
Date of text: 30 October 1992
Regulation No. 9 on the procedure for establishing zoning.
Date of text: 03 February 2025

Livestock

Act on Animal Welfare (No. 25 of 2003).
Date of text: 18 December 2003
Order No. 1578 on the entry into force in Greenland of the Act on Feedstuffs.
Date of text: 21 December 2022
Order No. 524 on the entry into force for Greenland of the Act on Animal Diseases and Infections.
Date of text: 08 June 2004
Act on the control of zoonoses and zoonotic agents (No. 12 of 2016).
Date of text: 06 June 2016
Act on the utilization of genetic resources and related activities (No. 3 of 2016).
Date of text: 03 June 2016

Mineral resources and energy

Greenland Parliamentary Act No. 49 on mineral activities.
Date of text: 13 June 2023
Act No. 5 on the exploitation of hydropower resources for energy production.
Date of text: 27 November 2018
Act on the exploitation of hydropower resources for the production of energy (No. 11 of 2014).
Date of text: 08 June 2014
Act on environmental tax on energy producing products (No. 21 of 2010).
Date of text: 18 November 2010
Act No. 6 on the Greenland Resource Fund.
Date of text: 05 December 2008

Sea

Order No. 8 on the entry into force in Greenland of the Maritime Act.
Date of text: 15 August 2019 (01 July 2018)
Act No. 9 on Harbours.
Date of text: 03 June 2015
Act on the Protection of the Marine Environment in Greenland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (No. 1534 of 2017).
Date of text: 19 December 2017
Act No. 15 on the Protection of the Marine Environment.
Date of text: 01 August 2017
Act No. 43 on the removal of ships and wrecks in harbors.
Date of text: 23 November 2017

Social protection

Order No. 259 on the entry into force in greenland of the Act on the maintenance of children.
Date of text: 15 March 2024
Act No. 6 on public assistance.
Date of text: 20 June 2022 (13 June 2023)
Act No. 13 on support for persons with disabilities.
Date of text: 01 January 2020 (01 January 2022)
Act No. 20 on old-age pensions.
Date of text: 23 November 2015 (17 May 2024)
Act No. 9 on child benefits.
Date of text: 07 December 2009 (01 January 2019)

Water

Act No. 11 on commercial exploitation of ice and water.
Date of text: 27 November 2018
Regulation No. 63 on water quality and supervision of water supply systems
Date of text: 03 November 2021
Regulation No. 11 on special rules for the Water Protection Zone at Qaqortoq.
Date of text: 01 June 2016
Order No. 10 on disposal of latrine and sewage.
Date of text: 12 June 2015
Order No. 9 on water protection zone near Sisimiut.
Date of text: 30 April 2015

Wild species and ecosystems

Act on Hunting and Catching (No. 34 of 2023).
Date of text: 13 June 2023 (01 January 2025)
Act on Nature Conservation (No. 29 of 2003).
Date of text: 18 December 2003
Act on commercial hunting (No. 12 of 1984).
Date of text: 22 November 1984
Act No. 67 on concessions for tourism services in selected areas.
Date of text: 06 December 2024
Act No. 62 on tourism activities and on zoning etc. for commercial activities.
Date of text: 25 November 2024

Miscellaneous

Act No. 20 on Greenland’s Human Rights Council.
Date of text: 27 November 2018 (13 June 2023)
Act No. 26 on the Parliament and the Government of Greenland.
Date of text: 18 November 2010 (25 November 2022)
Act No. 36 on equality and non-discrimination.
Date of text: 03 June 2024
Act No. 32 on the protection of whistleblowers in Greenland.
Date of text: 03 June 2024
Act No. 31 on registered social enterprises.
Date of text: 28 November 2019

International Agreements

Protocol (2024/3203) on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part (2025–2030).
Date of text: 2024
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part.
Date of text: 18 May 2021
Agreement to prevent unregulated high seas fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean.
Date of text: 03 October 2018