European Arctic Policy: Interests of Non-Arctic States and the EU

Abstract

The European non-Arctic states - the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland - are mostly experienced Arctic explorers. From the very beginning their attention to the Arctic was driven, firstly, by an interest in finding the shortest trade routes from Europe to Asia and, secondly, by scientific research. At the end of the twentieth century, the participation of European non-Arctic countries in Arctic governance began to be institutionalized - this group of countries received the status of observers in the AC. The range of their interests in the region has expanded significantly: from scientific research to security issues. Most of these European countries are the members of the European Union (EU) and provide the idea of including the EU to the Arctic governance system. The national roadmaps of the EU Arctic member states and observers are mainly driven by the EU Arctic policy framework. This chapter provides an analysis of strategic documents and a summary of the main common interests of the non-Arctic European states and the EU in the region and their activities in the Arctic.