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Euro Council backs IMO on Arctic issues |
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Wednesday, 09 December 2009 |
 The Council adopted the following conclusions: “The Council recalls its conclusions of 8 December, 2008, that welcomed the Commission Communication of 20 November, 2008, on the European Union and the Arctic region.
The Council welcomes the gradual formulation of a policy on Arctic
issues to address EU interests and responsibilities, while recognising
Member States’ legitimate interests and rights in the Arctic.
The Council considers that an EU policy on Arctic issues should be based on:
– Effective implementation by the international community of adequate
measures to mitigate climate change that are required to preserve the
unique characteristics of the Arctic region;
– Reinforced multilateral governance through strengthening and
consistent implementation of relevant international, regional and
bilateral agreements, frameworks and arrangements;
– The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other relevant international instruments;
– Formulating and implementing EU actions and policies that impact on
the Arctic with respect for its unique characteristics, in particular
the sensitivities of ecosystems and their biodiversity as well as the
needs and rights of Arctic residents, including the indigenous peoples;
– Maintaining the Arctic as an area of peace and stability and
highlighting the need for responsible, sustainable and cautious action
in view of new possibilities for transport, natural resource extraction
and other entrepreneurial activities linked to melting sea ice and
other climate change effects.
Conscious of the need for further work, the Council approves the three main policy objectives proposed by the Commission:
− Protecting and preserving the Arctic in unison with its population;
− Promoting sustainable use of natural resources;
− Contributing to enhanced governance in the Arctic through
implementation of relevant agreements, frameworks and arrangements, and
their further development.
In order to take a next step towards the formulation of an overarching approach to EU policy on Arctic issues:
1. The Council recognises the particular vulnerability of the Arctic
region and its crucial importance to the world climate system. The
Council sees a need to give increased attention to the impact of
climate change in the Arctic within the framework of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations. It also
supports action by appropriate international bodies, such as the Arctic
Council, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), to enhance observation,
monitoring and research, as well as to reduce the effects of emissions
of green house gases, black carbon and other short lived climate
forcers in the Arctic.
2. The Council recognises that EU policies on natural resource
management that impact on the Arctic should be formulated in close
dialogue with Arctic states and local communities and take into account
the importance of sustainable management of all natural resources in
that region.
3. The Council underlines the importance of supporting sustainable
development for indigenous peoples, including on the basis of their
traditional means of livelihood, and welcomes the Commission proposal
to engage in a broad dialogue with Arctic indigenous peoples on the
basis of respect for the rights of the indigenous peoples.
4. The Council supports expanded use of strategic environmental impact
assessments, as well as improved monitoring and planning of proposed
activities in order to protect sensitive Arctic areas. The Council
welcomes commitments and efforts of the Arctic states to develop joint
approaches and best practices for minimising negative environmental
impacts of exploitation
and use of natural resources in the Arctic as well as promotion of
energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Council invites the
Commission and Member States to examine the possibilities to endorse
the revised Arctic Council Offshore Oil and Gas Guidelines of 2009.
5. In connection with the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, the
Council invites Member States and the Commission to support efforts to
protect Arctic ecosystems and their biodiversity, particularly by
considering measures for protection of biodiversity in the high seas
and by encouraging Arctic states to develop marine protected areas
(MPAs) on an individual or a cooperative basis. The Council encourages
Member States and the Commission together with the European Environment
Agency (EEA) to contribute to the Arctic Council work on conducting an
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment.
6. The Council calls for increased support for research on Arctic
related issues, in particular to secure the legacy of the International
Polar Year 2007-2008, and agrees that this should be adequately
reflected in the work programmes of the Seventh Community Framework
Programme for Scientific Research and in other community research and
innovation activities. A systemic approach to Arctic research should
cover aspects ranging from protecting the environment, including the
role of the Arctic region as an important part of the Earth ecosystem,
to the effects of climate change and natural resource exploitation on
biodiversity, long range transport of hazardous chemicals, local
communities and the sustained livelihood of indigenous peoples.
7. The Council realises that enhanced monitoring and surveillance
capabilities together with the appropriate research infrastructure
could contribute significantly to Arctic research. The EU should make
best use of its existing research infrastructure and be open to the
need to enhance and support these capabilities, which may include
multifunctional research platforms including satellite based ones.
Member States and the Commission are invited to provide appropriate
resources, including research infrastructure, in a more coordinated way
by jointly supporting monitoring of the effects of Arctic climate
change and development of technologies that meet Arctic requirements.
Access to research sites in the Arctic, as well as open access to
reliable and coherent data and research results, should also be
facilitated and further promoted, e.g. according to the guiding
principles of the Shared Information and Observation System for Europe
(SEIS) and the European Environment Information and Observation Network
(EIONET).
8. The Council invites the Commission together with the EEA and with
Member States to contribute towards assessing the state and outlook for
the Arctic environment and to put forward possible initiatives to
contribute to the “Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks” (SAON) process
with a view to expand the scope and improve the coordination of
observation and monitoring throughout the circumpolar Arctic.
9. The Council notes that the EU can play an important role in
contributing to the reduction of hazardous pollution in the Arctic and
invites the Commission to present a work plan for continued monitoring,
research, restriction of use and destruction of hazardous chemicals
released into and inside the Arctic or through long range transport.
Member States and the Commission can reduce the EU share of persistent
chemicals in the Arctic by making the use of such substances subject to
restriction or authorisation pursuant to the EU chemicals
legislation. According to the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization
of chemicals (REACH) regulatory regime, priority of the authorization
procedure should be given to substances with persistent,
bioaccumulative and toxic properties.
10. The Council notes that in the implementation of the Integrated
Maritime Policy special attention will be paid to the Arctic and
underlines that harvesting of Arctic marine living resources should be
managed on the basis of scientific advice as part of an ecosystem
perspective. It stresses the need to promote a precautionary approach
to new fishing activity in Arctic high seas, as well as measures for
protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
The Council expresses its readiness to consider a proposal to put in
place a regulatory framework for the part of the seas not yet covered
by an international conservation system by extending the mandate of
relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organisations or any other
proposal to that effect agreed by the relevant parties. Until such a
framework is in place, the Council favours a temporary ban on new
fisheries in those waters.
11. Recalling the fundamental principle of the Integrated Maritime
Policy that each sea region is unique and needs individual attention in
balancing its uses in a sustainable manner, Member States are
encouraged to contribute to strengthening the protection of the Arctic
marine environment through their support for initiatives in the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and in other relevant
organisations having an influence in the Arctic area, including
those related to the management of fisheries as well as to the
conservation and sustainable use of other marine living resources.
12. The Council welcomes and encourages the progress being made within
IMO, in particular the amendment of the existing guidelines for ships
operating in polar waters and the agreement to develop a new mandatory
instrument for ships operating in polar waters. The Council recognises
the important work on Arctic marine issues carried out by the Arctic
Council, including the recent Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment (AMSA),
and its recommendations on enhancing marine safety.
13. The Council stresses the importance that Member States in their
capacity as flag, port and coastal states should continuously promote
and monitor the full implementation and further improvement of existing
rules on navigation, maritime safety and security, vessel routing
systems and environmental standards derived from the applicable
international conventions in the Arctic, in particular within the IMO
framework. On matters of vessel traffic monitoring,
the Council notes the usefulness of including the Arctic as far as
possible in relevant international monitoring systems and in present
and future navigation and communication satellite systems.
14. The Council underlines the need to further explore the options and
consequences of exchanging Automatic Identification System (AIS)
information with non-EU/Europeans Economic Area Arctic states and to
assess to what extent operational assistance in the field of pollution
prevention and response can be extended to the Arctic area. To this
end, the Council invites the Commission to examine, with the full
support of the SafeSeaNet High Level
Steering Group, the possible development of a policy of access rights
to define the relations of SafeSeaNet with other information systems
used by third countries.
15. The Council also invites Member States and the Commission to offer
to work closely together with the Arctic states in order to reinforce
the assistance that may be provided for search and rescue purposes and
other emergencies and needs in the Arctic.
16. With respect to the gradual opening, in the years to come, of
trans-oceanic Arctic routes for shipping and navigation, the Council
reiterates the rights and obligations for flag, port and coastal states
provided for in international law, including UNCLOS, in relation to
freedom of navigation, the right of innocent passage and transit
passage, and will monitor their observance.
17. The Council recognises the Arctic Council as the primary competent
body for circumpolar regional cooperation and expresses its continued
support for the applications by Italy and the Commission to become
permanent observers in that body. The Council encourages Member States,
and the Commission together with the EEA to continue to contribute to
the work of relevant Arctic Council working groups.
18. The Council believes that the EU should actively seek consensus
approaches to relevant Arctic issues through cooperation also with
Arctic states and/or territories outside the EU, Canada, Greenland,
Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation and the United States, as well
as with other relevant actors with Arctic interests.
19. The Council attaches great importance to the strong links between
the EU and Greenland as well as the Arctic European Economic Area/EFTA
countries, Iceland and Norway. Greenland has close historical and
constitutional ties to Denmark and is part of the Overseas Countries
and Territories (OCT) association. The Council welcomes that a broader
and more structured relationship with Greenland is being developed
within the bilateral EU-Greenland Partnership, to further mutual
interest and concrete areas of cooperation.
20. The Council notes that the Arctic is also one of the priority areas
of the revised Northern Dimension policy, a common policy between the
EU, Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation. It encourages
development of the ND Arctic Window without duplicating work within the
mandates of the Arctic Council or the Barents Euro-Arctic Council. In
particular, the Council notes that further consideration would be
needed on how indigenous peoples could be included in the deliberations
on the ND Arctic Window.
21. The Council supports the Barents cooperation as the suitable
framework for cross-border cooperation in the High North of the
European continent, and values the work of the Barents Euro-Arctic
Council (BEAC), in which Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian
Federation, Sweden and the Commission are members. It also welcomes
follow-up on the conference “Common Concern for the Arctic” by the
Nordic Council of Ministers.
22. The Council invites the Commission together with Member States to
examine the merits of establishing an information centre on Arctic
issues in the EU. The Council also agrees that the Commission should
promote a permanent dialogue with NGOs on the state of the environment
in the Arctic.
23. The Council requests the Commission to present a report on progress made in these areas by the end of June 2011.”
Source: Council of the European Union
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