No need for new international treaty on the Arctic

Both Norway and the European Union believe that the UN Sea Treaty, The Arctic Council, The International Maritime Organization and the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf are sufficient instruments for management of the Arctic and the waiting climate changes. At the international conference “Arctic Frontiers”, which was held in Tromsø, Norway January 19-20, European Union Commissioner Dr. Joe Borg presented the EU strategy for the Arctic. The strategy rejects a far-reaching preservation strategy when it comes to the Arctic. EU has applied for observer status in the Arctic Council, and wishes to contribute to a sustainable exploitation of Arctic resources. -The EU commission believes that our goals can only be reached in close cooperation with the Arctic countries, Dr. Borg said. But there is no use for any new treaty on the Arctic, he added. Norwegian State Secretary Elisabeth Walaas referred to a meeting held on Greenland in May 2008, where foreign ministers from Norway, Canada, Denmark, Russia and USA agreed that the problem is not lack of international rules, but lack of implementation of these rules. The Russian Deputy Minister for Resources Sergey Donskoy also emphasized the Arctic Council as an important instrument for Russia in securing a sustainable exploitation of resources.