Arctic policy of the European Union

The Arctic policy of the European Union (EU) refers to the EU's approach to foreign relations with Arctic states, as well as its involvement in international and ocean governance frameworks affecting the Arctic region.  

With territories located within the Arctic Circle, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland (EU member states), as well as Norway and Iceland (EEA states), are members of the Arctic Council. The European Union, together with France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, and Spain, participates as an observer. The EU is not a member or the Arctic Council (AC) nor the International Maritime Organization (IMO). However, it engages in Arctic governance through regulatory measures, research funding, trade relations with Arctic states, and participation in regional and multilateral cooperation frameworks that impact the region. Among these, the EU is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Long underemphasized, the EU's interest in the Arctic has become increasingly visible over the past two decades. The EU was traditionally engaged in the areas of climate change mitigation, biodiversity and conservation, oil and gas exploitation, fisheries, tourism, and shipping. Since 2008, it has developed its Arctic policy mainly through a series of European Commission communications outlining its priorities and approach to the region. It has been updated in 2012, 2016, and 2021 (the latter three as Joint Communications between the Commission and the High Representative). The EU's Arctic policy is expressed through Joint Communications, which set out policy priorities and general directions for EU action in the region. Instead of forming a single, comprehensive strategy, the policy brings together and coordinates existing EU policies as they relate to the Arctic.