About: Arctic Council
We don’t want to see any flash points in the Arctic, EU envoy says
The EU needs to adapt how it approaches the role of China and Russia in the region, Michael Mann, EU's Special Envoy for Arctic Matters, told EURACTIV.
US waives sanctions on Nord Stream 2 as Biden seeks to mend Europe ties
The Biden administration waived sanctions on the company behind Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday (19 May), a move decried by critics of the project in Congress.
Russia, US tout cooperation ahead of Arctic Council meeting
With a warming climate melting more Arctic ice cover and global industries eager to exploit the region for shipping, fishing, drilling and mining, the United States and Russia sounded a rare, cooperative note going into an Arctic meeting this week.
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.
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.
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).
Fault-lines surface in Arctic as region turns into geopolitical hotspot
As the ice melts, a new ocean with new trade routes and untapped natural resources opens up in Europe’s High North, leaving the Arctic region caught between cooperation and militarization.
Avoid politicising Arctic issues, expert warns
The Arctic has so far been largely conflict-free. If this ever changes, it will probably be the result of a spillover from other parts of the world, Arctic expert Svein Rottem told EURACTIV.com in an interview, in which he spoke about Arctic governance and the EU’s role in the region.
Arctic nations bet on ‘blue economy’ to reconcile climate, development goals
From global warming to over- and illegal fishing, the ocean on which Arctic communities are so heavily dependent is under threat like never before, delegates heard at the Arctic conference in Tromsø, Norway.
The Arctic: Rebooting the European software
After failing again to become a permanent observer to the Arctic Council, the European Union needs to rethink itself when it comes to the Arctic, write André Gattolin and Damien Degeorges.
Tillerson gives nod to Paris Agreement at Arctic Council meeting
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed an agreement recognising the landmark Paris climate accord at a meeting of Arctic nations in Alaska on Wednesday (10 May) but said President Trump was not rushing to decide whether to leave or weaken US commitments to the pact.
The omissions of the EU’s new Arctic policy
Nations both close and distant to the Arctic Circle are increasingly becoming engaged in the North, as the European Union’s new policy for the Arctic shows. The plan is a step forward, but it speaks volumes by what it leaves out, writes Antonia Sohns.
EU wants to boost Arctic ties with Russia despite Ukraine tensions
The EU is ready to step up cooperation with Russia on the future of the Arctic despite tensions between Brussels and Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine, foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Wednesday (27 April).
France wants to spearhead EU strategy on Arctic region
The Arctic’s melting ice caps do not just have serious environmental consequences, they also unearth economic opportunities. France wants Europe to secure a more important bargaining position, next to large northern countries like Russia and Canada. EURACTIV France reports.The Arctic Council needs to open up
Set up initially as an intergovernmental forum to promote cooperation among Arctic states, the Council is failing to adequately accommodate rising interest from outside the region and needs reform, argues, Roderick Kefferpütz.
EU hopes for Arctic observer status ‘around summer’
The European Union is intensifying its campaign to join the Arctic Council, hoping to wield greater influence over a region thought to hold huge undiscovered oil and gas reserves.
Lawmakers turn down EU Arctic drilling moratorium
The European Parliament’s industry committee has rejected attempts to introduce a moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic, overruling a contrary vote by its environment committee last month.