Arctic Agenda

With geopolitics in mind, EU opens consultation on future Arctic strategy

Four years after the EU adopted its Arctic Policy, it is preparing work on a new strategy document. In the meantime, the race for the Arctic accelerates. The EU’s new Arctic Ambassador, Michael Mann, appointed in April, told EURACTIV earlier...

A year after diplomatic tussle over Greenland, Pompeo visits Denmark

A year after the US and Denmark butted heads over President Donald Trump's offer to buy Greenland, his secretary of state is visiting the Nordic country on Wednesday (22 July), with Arctic issues at the top of the agenda.

Siberian temperatures hit June record, fires spread

Temperatures in Arctic Siberia soared to a record average for June amid a heat wave that is stoking some of the worst wildfires the region has ever known, fresh EU data showed on Tuesday (7 July).

UN says seeking to verify Arctic heat record

The United Nations said Tuesday (23 June) it was working to verify reports of a new Arctic record temperature of 38 degrees Celsius in a Siberian town over the weekend. The suspected record temperature was measured in the Russian town...

EU’s new Arctic policy still work in progress, ambassador admits

Under the helm of the Finnish presidency last autumn, the EU's new maritime and space policies made special reference to the Arctic region, and ministers agreed to update the EU’s Arctic policy strategy drafted in 2016.

Scientists warn of ‘zombie fires’ in the Arctic

Dormant "zombie fires" scattered across the Arctic region – remnants of record blazes last year – may be coming to life after an unusually warm and dry Spring, scientists warned Wednesday (27 May).

Forget Europe: Scots scout warmer Arctic connections

Amidst Brexit rubble, Scotland is sporting a newfangled cosmopolitan coat up north, writes Antonio Alcazar. Antonio Alcazar is a researcher at the Central European University’s School of Public Policy. In 2016, Scottish voters decided overwhelmingly to remain in the EU....

Russia significantly steps up Arctic engagement with new strategy

Thirteen years after a Russian-led polar expedition planted the country’s flag on the Arctic Ocean sea bed directly under the North Pole, Moscow published its 15-year Arctic masterplan on Thursday (5 March), confirming its growing appetite for the polar region.

Norway’s ‘northernmost Chinatown’ eyes Beijing’s Arctic investments

Each year, during the Lunar New Year celebrations, a small Arctic Chinatown takes shape near Norway's border with Russia and Finland. It's an indication of how China, though a non-Arctic state, is increasingly eyeing opportunities in the region.

Arctic countries puzzled about EU’s engagement in the region

Three years after the EU adopted its Arctic Policy, it is preparing work on a new strategy document. But countries in the region are confused about what the bloc really wants. Last December, the Council of Ministers under Finnish leadership,...

New ‘Arctic paradox’ emerges, as economy and ecology seek balance

As the world pushes for stronger climate measures to stop the destruction of the Arctic, many countries are also keen to take advantage of the region's new opportunities in shipping, mining, drilling and security.

High geopolitics in the High North: A call for a deeper EU engagement

The Von der Leyen Commission begins its mandate at a time when Arctic geopolitics are at their most important since the Cold War. The EU needs to deepen its engagement in its own Arctic backyard, argue André Gattolin and Damien...

Vella: EU leadership on oceans governance is a priority for my successor

The EU's outgoing Fisheries Commissioner, Karmenu Vella, warned that climate change and biodiversity loss were putting the earth's ecosystems dangerously close to a tipping point, and pleaded for his successor to carry on the International Ocean Governance (IOG) put in place during his five-year mandate.

China vs. USA in Greenland: The EU needs to step up its engagement

US President Donald Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland was primarily treated as a joke. In fact, the US is right to see the strategic importance of Greenland and the Arctic. The EU should be no less serious about this vital geostrategic space, write André Gattolin and Damien Degeorges.

Trump cancels Denmark visit after PM refuses to sell Greenland to US

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (20 August) called off a visit to Denmark scheduled for early September after the country’s prime minister rebuffed his idea of purchasing Greenland.

‘Precipitous’ fall in Antarctic sea ice since 2014 revealed

The vast expanse of sea ice around Antarctica has suffered a “precipitous” fall since 2014, satellite data shows, and fell at a faster rate than seen in the Arctic, EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.

US breaks from Arctic consensus on climate change

At a meeting of the Arctic Council, secretary of state Mike Pompeo refused to identify global warming as a threat, instead hailing an oil rush as sea ice melts. EURACTIV's media partner Climate Home News reports.

Pompeo: Russia is ‘aggressive’ in Arctic, China’s work there also needs watching

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday (6 May) that Russia is behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China’s actions there had to be watched closely as well, amid growing divisions in the polar region over global warming and access to minerals.

Pentagon warns on risk of Chinese submarines in Arctic

Deepening Chinese activities in the Arctic region could pave the way for a strengthened military presence, including the deployment of submarines to act as deterrents against nuclear attack, the Pentagon said in a report released on Thursday (2 May).

Pompeo on EU tour with Arctic stopover

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet the German and British leaders this month facing a raft of trans-Atlantic disputes, on a trip that will also affirm US interests in the Arctic.

EU’s Arctic Ambassador: Arctic security can’t be taken for granted

Risk of conflict in the Arctic is low but cannot be entirely excluded, which is why Europe and others need to continue dialogue and confidence-building measures, the EU's Arctic ambassador told EURACTIV in an interview, stressing also the need to strike a balance between economic opportunities and environmental degradation.

Arctic black carbon work hampered by US and Russia, says Finland

The Arctic region’s co-operation in the battle against global warming by reducing black carbon emissions is being hampered by the United States and Russia, the Finnish foreign ministry said on Wednesday (20 March).

Cruise ships chief: ‘The goal is zero impact, just fun’

More gigantic cruise ships will take to the high seas in the coming years, according to industry CEO Michael Thamm. In an interview with EURACTIV, he revealed how cruising intends to embrace low-carbon technologies in an effort to reduce its environmental impact and keep its customers satisfied.

Climate change – A people’s case

A Saami reindeer herder in Sweden's Arctic Circle and a livestock farmer in the Romanian Carpathians are both living proof that climate change is impacting Europe's water resources and endangering our fundamental rights, write a cross-party group of MEPs.