The Arctic

EU influence on the governance of the Arctic region is diverse and complex, mirroring the roles the EU performs across different sectors and geographical spaces. This chapter contrasts the EU's presence in the European Arctic and in the broader circumpolar region; it considers EU involvement in Arctic international cooperation and the Arctic dimension of the EU's raw materials strategy to illustrate these complexities. Although EU member states have naturally different levels and scopes of interest in the Arctic, they are generally supportive of EU engagement in Arctic affairs. However, the Nordic states’ desire to retain their autonomous status in the Arctic translates into scepticism that the EU can coordinate European voices in international Arctic fora. Member states agree that the EU should assume a subsidiary presence despite differences in approach to specific EU goals and ideas, including environmental priorities and the ascribed geopolitical role the EU assumes in the Arctic.