Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

The Arctic is rapidly becoming a strategic theatre of geopolitical competition, military build up, energy transformation, and global environmental change. This recommendation by the European Parliament underscores the urgent need for a robust, security-oriented EU strategy that ensures the Arctic remains governed by the principles of international law, sustainable principles, and peace.

Security concerns are intensifying. Russia’s continued military build-up, including the formation of a Maritime Collegium, has significantly escalated tensions. At the same time, China’s Polar Silk Road strategy increases its economic and technological footprint in the region. These developments call for stronger EU coordination with Member States and NATO allies to deter threats, defend common interests, and protect critical infrastructure—particularly submarine cables and pipelines essential for digital and energy connectivity. The EU must also enhance surveillance, resilience, and deterrence capabilities in close coordination with Arctic partners.

Sustainable energy policies are important to EU-Arctic cooperation. The region provides critical resources for Europe’s strategic autonomy, including Norwegian LNG, Icelandic and Greenlandic renewables, and vast potential for green hydrogen production. Projects such as Polar Connect and Vision 2030 envision a digitally and energetically connected Arctic, directly tied to EU security and sustainability goals. Strengthening partnerships in this domain is key to reducing reliance on external authoritarian powers.

The legal framework for Arctic governance must remain anchored in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The EU must resist unilateral claims, promote freedom of navigation, and support diplomatic engagement to uphold maritime law and environmental stewardship.

The Parliament also highlights the shifting political momentum toward deeper EU integration in the Arctic. The doors of the EU are open for Iceland, Norway and Greenland to join the EU. The expected referendum in Iceland on EU accession by 2027 and increasing support in Greenland for closer ties—potentially including EU membership—creates a momentum for renewed engagement. The EU should express readiness to support these aspirations, respecting democratic will and offering concrete benefits through deeper political, economic, and security cooperation. Norway, as a critical energy and defence partner, should also be engaged on long-term strategic alignment and even accession, should political conditions evolve.

The rights and knowledge of Arctic Indigenous Peoples must be protected and respected. They are essential stewards of the region’s ecosystems and must be fully included in decision-making processes. Their inclusion in international governance structures is not only a matter of justice, but also of policy effectiveness.

In conclusion, the EU must seize this moment to assert a clear, values-based, and security-conscious Arctic strategy—anchored in international law, guided by sustainability, and open to deepening partnerships, including eventual EU enlargement in the region.