EU Arctic policy
EP calls for freeze on exploitation of Arctic resources
The European Parliament today adopted a report (Gahler) on a sustainable EU policy for the High North. The Greens welcomed the report, which calls for a de facto moratorium on the exploitation of Arctic resources for the time being. After the vote, Greens/EFA shadow draftsperson Indrek Tarand (Estonia) said:
"The EP has today sent a clear message that there should be a freeze on the exploitation of Arctic resources. MEPs have called for no further resource extraction before comprehensive scientific research has been carried out on the potential risks. This de facto moratorium should be incorporated into an international treaty on the Arctic and the EU should prioritise this.
"The Greens are concerned about the lack of any coherent EU policy on the Arctic. This policy void is allowing EU actors to rush blindly into exploiting Arctic resources in an attempt to maximise short-term profits without addressing long-term environmental concerns. The recent deal between BP and Russia on Arctic oil extraction is a case in point (1). We hope the message sent by the EP today will be heeded."
(1) Last week BP signed an agreement with Russian oil company Rosneft to exploit future oil and gas fields in Russia's Arctic shelf.
