Arctic Forum Foundation

– Arctic Shipping, Resources, Indigenous People, Fishing –

“The European Union will have clear benefits of participating and engaging in the development of the Barents region.” This was stated by Mrs. Pia Svendsgaard, Chair of the Barents Regional Council,  and Birgit Schnieber-Jastram,  EU ARCTIC FORUM Brussels in a seminar in the European Parliament on 13 April arranged by the EU ARCTIC FORUM and the Barents Regional Council together with the North Norway Office.

“The Barents region holds a specific value for Europe. Due to both the existing and the developing resource extraction in the region, and the examples to follow with regards to international and regional cooperation, the Barents region is becoming increasingly significant for Europe as a whole”, both Pia Svendsgaard and Birgit Schnieber-Jastram MEP stated . This was the main theme for the “Experiences from Cooperation in the European Arctic”- seminar held in the European Parliament on 13 April.

With the commercialisation of the Northern Sea Route and the increased focus on the supply of raw materials to Europe, the Barents region has rapidly been put on the European political agenda. Following the recent debates in both the region and in the European Union, this seminar was arranged to highlight how the Barents cooperation has developed in the specific fields of shipping, forestry and mining, fisheries and the indigenous population.

An added value for Europe

Birgit Schnieber-Jastram (MEP), Chair of the EU ARCTIC FORUM, hosted the event alongside Pia Svendsgaard, Chair of the Barents Regional Council and Troms County President.

Both politicians emphasized how the region, despite its distance from the centre of Europe, brings an added value for the EU.

All the speakers highlighted this in their respective fields of competence, varying from fisheries to shipping. As mentioned by the regional mayor of North Karelia, Mr. Pentti Hyttinen, investments in infrastructure and research will provide benefits to more than just the Barents countries. The President of the Swedish Sami Parliament, Mr. Stefan Mikaelsson, focused on how the EU’s support and interaction with the indigenous people is both needed and beneficial for all the involved parts. This was followed up by a discussion between the former prime minister of Finland, Mrs. Anneli Jäätteenmäki (MEP) and Mr. Mikaelsson. Mr. Mikaelsson’s main point was a demand for the ratification of ILO convention nr 169.

Lessons from the Barents cooperation

Another important dimension of particular relevance in the developments in the High North, is a good and fruitful cooperation amongst the Barents member states. As pointed out by Mr. Svein-Ove Haugland, assistant director of the Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation, “the cooperation between Norway and Russia, with emphasis on fisheries, has proven invaluable for the development of sustainable business along the coast of North Norway”.

The Barents cooperation has several times been described as one of the most successful political interactions between Russia and Western Europe, something that several of the speakers also deliberated on. From Russia, the CEO of Rosatomflot Mr. Vyacheslav V. Ruksha, presented the Russian view on how the Northern Sea Route would be developed in the future. Mr. Ruksha showed how there are numerous projects taking place to develop the feasibility of using this shipping route for commercial transport, along with the construction of new atomic ice-breakers.

The seminar was closed by Steffen Weber, Secretary General of the EU ARCTIC FORUM. His message was that as economical activities and interests gather in the High North, the importance of cooperation and discussion amongst the partners increase. And as highlighted by this event in the European Parliament, the interest for the region is increasing accordingly. Thus the EU ARCTIC FORUM confirmed its interest to reach out in particular also to partners in the European Arctic.