The Unity of the Realm

The Faroe Islands and Greenland are parts of the Danish Realm. Due to their special status nationally, historically and geographically, these parts of the realm have an extensive type of self-government.

The Self-Government Arrangements allows the Faroese and the Greenlandic political authorities to transfer political competence and responsibility from the Danish political authorities.. The Faroese and Greenlandic authorities administer the tasks taken over from the state, enact legislation in these specific fields and have the economic responsibility for these tasks. The Danish state provides an annual grant to the Faroese and the Greenlandic authorities.

The Faroe Islands’ Home Rule was established in 1948 and Greenland’s Home Rule was established in 1979. In 2005, the Faroe Islands’ options for assuming further fields of responsibilities expanded, and in 2009 a self-government arrangement for Greenland replaced the Greenland Home Rule Arrangement.

The Faroe Islands are not a member of the EU. Greenland joined the EC with Denmark on 1 January 1973, but resigned on 1 January 1985.

General questions about the Home Rule agreements are the responsibility of the Prime Minister’s Office. The High Commissioner of the Faroe Islands and the High Commissioner of Greenland belong under the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Prime Minister submits an annual report on the Danish Realm to Folketinget (the Danish Parliament).

The various cabinet ministers deal with matters concerning the Faroe Islands and Greenland that fall within their ministerial fields.

The Prime Minister’s Office publishes a register of legislation applying to Greenland (Grønlandsk Lovregister), which can be found under “Publications” of The
Prime Minister’s Office.

The High Commissioner of the Faroe Islands publishes an annual report and a register of legislation applying to the Faroe Islands (Færøsk Lovregister), which can be found at the homepage of the High Commissioners for the Faroe Islands.