Trade Routes in the High North – The Arctic shortcut between Europe and Asia, by Steffen Weber and Andreas Raspotnik, European Parliament Magazine, April 30, 2012

Climate change and economic developments will lead to unprecedented changes in the Arctic region, posing significant economic, ecological and social challenges, but also open up increased potentials for shipping, fishing, offshore petroleum exploration, and maritime tourism. The Arctic has already become an area of serious economic opportunity, amidst of which the prospective establishment of new international maritime trade routes stands out.

Using the Arctic Ocean as a marine link, the two trans-Arctic shipping routes, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the Northwest Passage (NWP) have the potential to significantly influence global shipping.

Additionally a Transpolar Sea Route (TSR) may soon be considered an important option as well – alone or in combination with elements of the NSR and NWP. Annual variations in ice-conditions may change the most suitable route on a yearly basis and lead to a combination of all three routes. These navigation would considerably shorten trips from Europe to Asia, ensuring environmental and economic benefits. First transits of non-Russian flagged vessels i.e. from Germany and Norway, using the NSR, have generated considerable commercial interest, Arctic shipping has quadrupled in the last years. Maritime transport has long been a catalyst of European economic development and prosperity and is indeed vital for Europe’s international and domestic trade. The EU’s Member States collectively control the world largest merchant fleet.

Thus Trans-Arctic shipping will have significant advantages for the EU and its Member State’s economies, and should be developed in a careful yet strategic way. But also other international players are looking north, and in fact some do not only look north but go north. While Europe is discussing and planning for many years to built “Aurora Borealis” a European Icebreaker project, China acquired few years ago the “Snow Dragon” and recently announced to get 8 (!) new icebreakers.

The EU has on several occasions, latest in the European Parliaments Report on the Arctic, emphasised the importance of the existing international legal framework governing the Arctic. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including customary international law, balances the rights and responsibilities of states in their capacities as coastal, port and flag states. Consequently the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and specific binding and non-binding IMO instruments regulate matters concerning maritime safety, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of vessel-source pollution.

The EU and its Member States have a specific interest in defending its prominent flag states interests, namely the freedom of the seas and the subsequent right of free passage. In addition to the Union’s long-established leading role on climate change and environmental protection, the EU asserts itself as an essential Arctic actor with regard to the protection and preservation of the marine environment and its biodiversity. The Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) of the EU made an important step in recognising the causal correlation of the multiple activities related to Europe’s oceans and seas.

In the context of the Arctic, EU led research and infrastructure projects like ACCESS project or the EU-led initiative GMES highlight how EU’s capabilities could contribute to a sustainable development in the Arctic and thus help further EU and member states interests in the Arctic. There is considerable hope that the next step of the development of an EU Arctic policy, to be expected with the Commissions Communication under the Danish Presidency, will both answer to request made by the EP in its Arctic Report and pay attention to the strategic interests of the Union and its Member states in the Arctic. Europe cannot afford to neglect developments in the Arctic and not least the participation in the development of Trade Routes of tomorrow should be one focus for the EU.

Read online all articles in the EP Magazine.


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