The European Union has unveiled a comprehensive strategy for managing the Arctic region in the years to come, covering security, climate and economic interests.
As part of the initiative, the EU will look to establish a Maritime Security Hub, which will help monitor and protect submarine cables in the North Atlantic-Arctic regions. The bloc also plans to grow its icebreaker vessel capacity, and strengthen its Arctic satellite monitoring and data sharing to improve climate predictions and boost maritime security.
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“The Arctic is Europe's Northern Neighborhood — close, connected and critical to our future, and it is changing," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in an October 20 release. "New shipping routes and resources are driving strategic competition. With our new strategy, we are investing in stronger security, resilient infrastructure and economic opportunities."
This is all in the context of larger concerns around climate change, melting sea ice and growing competition over the region’s shipping routes and natural resources. The European Commission warns that changes in the Arctic have consequences far beyond the region, as sea levels rise, and extreme weather events continue to escalate. To address those concerns, the strategy calls for binding limits on black carbon emissions from Arctic shipping, and would look to prevent oil and gas development projects that threaten the region’s delicate ecosystems.
