With an area of more than 500,000 km2, Avannaata and Sermersooq are the world’s largest municipalities by area. They are also the most ice-covered and among the most sparsely populated.
The huge municipalities came about as a result of the 2009 local government reform, which merged Greenland’s 18 municipalities into just 4. The largest of these, Qaasuitsup Kommunia, was split into two on 1 January 2018 – Avannaata in the north and Qeqertalik in the south.
Quite naturally, the reforms led to a number of very extensive organizational challenges, including the establishment of new administrative management units in both South Greenland and North Greenland. In North Greenland even in two rounds.
At Nuna Advokater, we have many years of experience with the municipal system – laws and regulations, land allocation for construction, planning and building law, social and health law, municipal law interpretation and not least the special conditions under which municipalities operate.
Therefore, we have been chosen to assist Avannaata Kommunia and Qeqertalik Kommunia to “settle in” after the reforms with, among other things, public, administrative and personal data legislation and interpretation of sector laws in the individual administrative areas.
Public law regulation in Greenland is extensive. There are many situations where our expertise in municipal law is of great help to clients who approach us with questions about legal authority, statutory interpretation or the understanding of the general rules of administrative law. Can they do that? Can they?
The municipalities are required by legislation through the Inatsisartut (Parliament) to perform a wide range of tasks within service and welfare legislation, as well as varied forms of regulatory tasks, including those of the municipalities’ own tasks that they can perform through the non-statutory municipal authority.
Nuna Advokater provides specialized advice to municipalities, and we also handle more complicated complaints about municipalities’ case processing, responses to other authorities and supervisory authorities, and litigation.
We also provide legal advice on the establishment and operation of municipal companies, as well as advice on the relationship between company and owner in a municipal context.
Contact attorney Charlotte Pedersen or attorney Peter Schriver for further information.
With deep local insight and extensive expertise, we are ready to guide you through every step – from planning and risk assessment to execution and conflict resolution. Let’s realize your vision together.
Contact Nuna Law Firm for local insights and global experience.
Qullilerfik 2, 6. 3900 Nuuk
Philip Heymans Allé 7 2900 Hellerup
+299 32 13 70
email@nuna-law.gl
