EU proposes permanent Northern Partnership with Iceland, Norway and Greenland

A new European Parliament-commissioned report proposes a permanent Northern Partnership linking the European Union with Iceland, Norway, and Greenland without requiring EU membership. The proposal covers maritime security, energy, emergency preparedness, transport and critical raw materials, with Canada and the United Kingdom also identified as possible participants. What’s the Story? The study proposes permanent EU cooperation with Iceland, Norway and Greenland. Its suggested fields include maritime security, energy, preparedness, transport and critical raw materials. The report was written before Iceland’s referendum and should not be presented as a response commissioned after the No vote. Another route after the referendum The 60-page study, prepared for the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, argues that the EU’s 2021 Arctic policy no longer reflects the security and economic environment in the north after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. One of eight recommendations is a permanent partnership with Iceland, Norway and Greenland. The authors also recommend a permanent Arctic hub inside the European Commission and closer coordination on threats to cables, digital networks and other critical infrastructure. The report was completed before Iceland voted against reopening EU accession talks. Andreas Raspotnik of Nord University’s High North Center nevertheless said when presenting it in Brussels that the result should encourage the EU to clarify what it can offer Iceland, particularly on fisheries. The proposal offers a distinct post-referendum angle from formal EU accession: closer structured cooperation without requiring Iceland to join the Union. Source: European Parliament study. Read more stories covering Icelandic society, politics, business, and culture at Iceland Review News. The post EU Report Proposes New Northern Partnership With Iceland After Referendum appeared first on Iceland Review.