Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-08-Speech-3-262"
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"en.20081008.25.3-262"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this debate comes at a particularly propitious time. The Commission announced in its Communication of October 2007 on an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union that it would review EU interests in the Arctic region by the end of 2008. It is currently in the process of putting the finishing touches to this review in the form of a communication entitled ‘The European Union and the Arctic region’, which we plan to adopt in mid-November. The Arctic is increasingly important for the world and the European Union is inextricably linked with this region. EU policy in areas such as climate change, energy, transport and fisheries have a direct impact on the Arctic.
Three Member States have territories situated in the Arctic. The maritime and terrestrial areas of this region are vulnerable and represent the essential components of the terrestrial ecosystem. The effects of climate change are appearing more quickly and on a larger scale in the Arctic region than anywhere else in the world. Since the turn of the century, our external action in favour of the North has been successfully guided by our Northern Dimension policy
The Arctic, including the Barents Sea region, was recognised as a key area in the 2006 guidance document on the Northern Dimension, adopted in consultation with Russia, Norway and Iceland.
Nevertheless, the Northern Dimension policy has always been more focused on Europe, and particularly on north-west Russia. The future communication, which will be extensive, will propose that the European Union plays a more dynamic and coordinated role in the Arctic and that its action should be structured around three main objectives: to protect and preserve the Arctic in cooperation with its inhabitants; to promote the sustainable use of Arctic resources; and to improve multilateral governance of the Arctic.
Climate change is the result of a planetary process and the European Union must continue to play a leading role in tackling this phenomenon. The communication will make the protection and preservation of the environment an absolute priority, although this should not necessarily rule out the sustainable use of the Arctic’s resources.
The Commission also plans to increase, in close cooperation with countries in this region, our contribution to the Arctic and particularly its governance, as indicated by the Ilulissat declaration of the five Arctic States, from May 2008. It seems that the conditions are not yet in place for a binding legal framework specifically designed for this region. We should use the extended legal basis established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other interventional conventions.
Nevertheless, we can clearly see the need to fully implement the existing legal framework and to ensure that this is respected while fleshing it out and adapting it to new realities. Our aim is to help establish a system founded on cooperation, which will ensure the viability of this region, as well as freedom and fairness in terms of access. We recognise that it is essential to improve coordination and to provide more strategic guidance.
The Commission will put forward a series of proposals in this respect, specifically proposing the enlargement of the ‘Arctic window’ of its Northern Dimension policy. We want the communication to give rise to a detailed reflection on the various issues covered, laying the foundations for a future EU Arctic policy. The communication will encourage the adoption of a more coordinated approach to the Arctic and will be followed by a more detailed reflection on various themes. It could thus establish the basis for a global EU policy on this region.
There is no doubt that a stronger policy in this area will serve as a basis during future discussions on the future of the Arctic, enabling the European Union to make a strong contribution from the outset."@en1
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