Michael de Laine

New Arctic Treaty not needed, say Russia, Norway, EU

By Michael de Laine, Copenhagen 26^th January 2009

Russia, Norway and the EU see no need for a new international treaty on the Arctic – the existing instruments for managing the Arctic are ’sufficient’.

Russia, Norway and the European Union said at an international conference entitled Arctic Frontiers that there is no need for a new international treaty on the Arctic.

Both Norway and the EU believe that the UN Sea Treaty, the Arctic Council, the International Maritime Organization and the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf are ’sufficient’ instruments for managing the Arctic and the expected results of climate changes.

European Union Commissioner Joe Borg presented the EU’s strategy for the Arctic at the conference, which was held in Tromsø, Norway, on 19-20th January.

The EU strategy rejects a far-reaching preservation strategy when it comes to the Arctic. The European Union has applied for observer status in the Arctic Council, and wishes to contribute to a sustainable exploitation of Arctic resources.

“The EU commission believes that our goals can only be reached in close cooperation with the Arctic countries,” Borg said. “But there is no need for any new treaty on the Arctic.”

Sergey Donskoy, the Russian deputy minister for resources, also emphasized the Arctic Council as an important instrument for Russia in securing a sustainable exploitation of resources.

Last May, foreign ministers from Norway, Canada, Denmark, Russia and USA agreed at a meeting held on Greenland that the problem in the Arctic is not a lack of international rules, but a lack of implementation of these rules.