Departments

Department of Media Policy and Copyright

Department of Culture

The main task of the Department of Culture is to develop and implement national cultural policy and administer and govern national cultural institutions. Another important task is to maintain and further develop knowledge of cultural life in Norway. The Department is responsible for general cultural issues, policy relating to artists, music, theatre and opera, pictorial art, applied art and design, language and literature, and archives, libraries and museums.

The Department is engaged in major planning, construction and development projects, including the new national opera house project. It is responsible for many national institutions, such as the Norwegian Council for Cultural Affairs, the Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority, the National Archives, the National Library, the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, the National Foundation for Art in Public Buildings, the Norwegian Concert Institute, the National Touring Theatre, the Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille, the Norwegian Language Council. The Department also administers state grants for a large number of theatres, orchestras and museums.

Department of Media Policy and Copyright

The Department of Media Policy and Copyright is responsible for media policy issues, broadcasting, newspapers, films and copyright. The goal of media policy is to ensure freedom of expression as a prerequisite for active popular government. The instruments used to regulate the media are legislation, regulations and grant schemes. The Department is responsible for the Broadcasting Act and associated regulations, and the Act relating to supervision of the acquisition of newspaper and broadcasting enterprises (the Media Ownership Act) and the Act relating to films and videograms.

The Department of Media Policy and Copyright is also responsible for regulations and international agreements relating to copyright. The regulations in this area are intended to promote the production and dissemination of intellectual property by safeguarding the interests of right-owners in a digital age. Press subsidies, in the form of official grants, are intended to help maintain a diversified newspaper market. To ensure good, all-round Norwegian audio-visual media, grants are also provided for the development and production of films, television drama and project development in new media. The Department is also responsible for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, and is engaged in far-reaching international cooperation.

Department of Administrative Affairs

The internal running of the Ministry lies with the Department of Administrative Affairs. The tasks of the department include matters relating to staff, pay, working conditions, etc., as well as information technology, accounts and budgetary affairs for the entire Ministry. Moreover, the department has a major role in coordinating the Ministry’s international affairs as well as having the coordinating responsibility for the annual budgetary proposition.
Having overarching responsibility for the state lotteries, run by Norsk Tipping (The National Lottery), the department also regulates gaming and lotteries run by private organisations.

Overseeing the grant scheme for religious and belief communities is another area of responsibility for the department.

Department of Sport Policy

The aim of all the activities of the Department of Sport Policy is to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to engage in sport and physical activity. Children and young people are the primary target groups. Disabled persons must also be given the opportunity to participate in physical activity in their local community. The Department contributes towards the planning, prioritizing, construction and rehabilitation of facilities for sport and outdoor activities.

The Department administers the part of the profit from Norsk Tipping AS that is allocated for sport. Most of these funds are allocated for municipal sports facilities and to the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF).

Department of Church Affairs

The work of the Department of Church Affairs is related to the Ministry's responsibility and authority arising from the fact that Norway has a state church. It includes providing an organizational and financial framework in which the Church of Norway can exist and act as a confessional, serving, missionary and open folk church. The Department is responsible for the administration of comprehensive church legislation and regulations, including the Church Act, the Funeral Act, the Act relating to the Church Property Fund and the Act relating to public holidays. The Department also has administrative responsibility for the clergy, bishops, diocesan councils, the Church of Norway National Council, the Restoration of Nidaros Cathedral, the Seminary for Practical Theology and the Church Property Fund. The Department is also responsible for foreign war graves in Norway and for Norwegian war graves abroad.