Motion for a resolution - B6-0163/2009Motion for a resolution
B6-0163/2009

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

25.3.2009

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Véronique De Keyser, Jan Marinus Wiersma and Hannes Swoboda
on behalf of the PSE Group
on the opening of international negotiations with a view to adopting an international treaty for the protection of the Arctic

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B6-0163/2009

Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
B6-0163/2009
Texts tabled :
B6-0163/2009
Texts adopted :

B6‑0163/2009

European Parliament resolution on the opening of international negotiations with a view to adopting an international treaty for the protection of the Arctic

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the International Polar Year,

–  having regard to the Commission communication on the European Union and the Arctic region (COM(2008)0763),

–  having regard to its resolution of 9 October 2008 on Arctic governance,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the territorial disputes in this area, where important economic interests may be at stake, could result in it becoming the scene of major conflict between countries wishing to protect what they deem to be their national interests, including by military means,

B.  whereas geopolitical neutralisation would enable cooperation between the European Union and the circumpolar nations to be extended,

C.  whereas security in the Arctic region is a matter for the European Union, and not just the coastal states,

D.  whereas the communication of 20 November 2008 from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the European Union and the Arctic region (COM(2008)0763) provides an excellent description of the problems involved in protecting and preserving the Arctic and promoting sustainable exploitation of its resources,

E.  whereas, as the Commission communication on the European Union and the Arctic region points out, 'there is no specific treaty regime for the Arctic' and 'no country or group of countries have sovereignty over the North Pole or the Arctic Ocean around it',

F.  having regard to the technological, environmental and legal developments which have occurred since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Montego Bay, 1982),

G.  whereas the threats facing the Arctic environment call for international legal responses commensurate with the stakes involved,

H.  whereas an international control system is the only means of ensuring that this unique environment is protected,

I.  whereas only a binding Arctic 'charter' comparable to the Antarctic Treaty, as suggested by Parliament in its resolution of 9 October 2008, could provide a solution to the problems set out by the Commission in its communication,

1.  Calls on the Council to take action with a view to making the Arctic a zone of peace and cooperation used exclusively for peaceful purposes and free of disputes over sovereignty, and to contribute to security cooperation in the Arctic;

2.  Calls on the Council to pursue the opening of international negotiations with a view to adopting an international charter for the protection of the Arctic modelled on the Antarctic Treaty, as suggested by Parliament in its resolution of 9 October 2008;

3.  Calls on the Council to include the Arctic on the agenda for the forthcoming EU-Russia summit;

4.  Calls on the Commission to put forward specific amendments to the International Maritime Organisation (OMI) regulations, with a view to tightening up international safety regulations for maritime traffic in the region, in particularly sensitive zones;

5.  Calls on the Commission to work towards the establishment of an 'Arctic Navigation Polar Code' that will ensure safe navigation in the region;

6.  Calls on the Commission to ensure freedom of navigation and the right of passage and make sure that there will be no discriminatory practices, in particular as regards fees, obligatory services and regulations;

7.  Calls on the Commission and Council to work towards the introduction of a 50-year moratorium on the exploitation of Arctic geological resources, pending fresh scientific studies;

8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments of the Member States, Norway, Iceland, Russia, Canada and the United States, and the international cooperation actors.