As the ice melts and the native Inuit people and polar bears retreat, more and more ships and commercial explorers are Arctic bound.
As the ice melts and the native Inuit people and polar bears retreat, more and more ships and commercial explorers are Arctic bound. With the dream of the Northwest passage opening up for sailors, an uncertain international legal status and vast oil and gas reserves the future could be bleak for the Arctic. Ahead of Wednesday's debate with the EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton, we spoke to British Liberal Diana Wallis who is active on this issue and sponsored a parliamentary resolution.
The Arctic is growing in international importance due to thinning ice which is leading to the opening of the sea lanes. With global temperatures rising 2 degrees over the last century and a 5 degree rise in air temperature in the Arctic, it is clear that the ice will continue to melt and fracture.
Arctic not governed by international legal norms
The consequences of this are more and more cruise ships, the possibility of offshore drilling and prospects for the Northwest passage, all of which are increasing sea traffic. This is not governed by existing maritime law on safety or pollution standards as the Arctic is not governed by international legal norms and regulations.
As Diana Wallis puts it “there are many changes taking places in the Arctic in terms of the opening of sea routes, availability of many different natural resources, citizens can travel up to the Arctic as tourists, there is no proper rescue facility in the Arctic and there are many issues with Arctic related that effect EU citizens”.
“18th century sovereignty, nationalistic type arguments”
On top of this is the fact that the arctic is thought to contain 20% of undiscovered oil and gas reserves.
The strategic importance of the Arctic was shown in 2007 when a Russian flag was planted on the seabed. Three EU states are Arctic nations - Sweden, Finland and Denmark and the EU has close ties with another two, Iceland and Norway.
Diana Wallis is aware of these political developments: “There are so many issues going on that show the retreat into what I would call 18th century sovereignty, nationalistic type arguments. There was always a concept that the Arctic could be an area that was treated differently. It can't be international in the sense of the Antarctic, because we have people and nation states in the Arctic.”
In particular she is referring to the native Inuit who are threatened as the ice is getting too thin for their sledges. Polar bears, walruses and foxes are also seeing habits vanishing.
“Arctic issues fall on environment, fisheries and research”
Ms Wallis wants a forthcoming European Commission communication to lay out ways the EU can develop its own standalone Arctic policy. “Some of us have argued for instance that it should be a specific commissioner that is able to pull together and have a responsibility for Arctic issues. Because the problem is that Arctic issues concern the environment, fisheries and research. Do you give it to the High Representative (for foreign affairs)? Because on the one hand it is external affairs, on the other level it clearly involves home issues. This is important to all EU citizens,” she told us.