Joint motion for a resolution - RC-B6-0163/2009Joint motion for a resolution
RC-B6-0163/2009

JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

30.3.2009

pursuant to Rule 103(4) of the Rules of Procedure, by
replacing the motions by the following groups: on the international treaty for the protection of the Arctic

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

European Parliament resolution on the international treaty for the protection of the Arctic

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the International Polar Year (IPY), a joint initiative of the World Meteorological Organisation and the International Council for Science aimed at providing better observation and understanding of the Earth's polar regions,

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

–  having regard to the 'Arctic Transform' Conference held in Brussels on 5 March 2009,

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

–  having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the Arctic region is currently not protected by any multilateral norms and regulations, in particular because it was never expected to become a navigable waterway, much less an area open to commercial exploitation,

B.  whereas maritime traffic in Arctic waters has increased exponentially in recent years owing to increased interest in offshore drilling and the ever more frequent passage of cruise ships, as well as the prospects offered by the North-West Passage,

C.  whereas the Arctic region may contain some 20% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas reserves, with all that this implies for the unique Arctic environment should these reserves be commercially exploited,

D.  whereas the changes in climatic conditions in the Arctic are already such that the Inuit people, for example, can no longer hunt in the traditional manner, as the ice is too thin to hold their sleds, whilst wildlife such as polar bears, walruses and foxes are in danger of seeing much of their habitats disappear,

E.  whereas the existence of different jurisdictions in the Arctic region risks triggering major conflicts between countries wanting to protect, including by military means, what they consider to be their national interests,

F.  whereas the geopolitical neutralisation of the region would allow an increase in cooperation between the circumpolar nations,

G.  whereas EU Member States and EEA associated countries comprise more than half the membership of the Arctic Council,

1.  Calls on the Council and Commission to initiate international negotiations for the adoption of an international treaty for the protection of the Arctic, along the lines of the existing Antarctic Treaty, in order to make the Arctic a zone of peace and cooperation reserved solely for peaceful activities and free of disputes over sovereignty;

2.  Stresses that efforts must be made to avoid an increased military presence in the Arctic and to develop security cooperation in the area so as to maintain the Arctic as a region of low tension and to allow its potential as a future energy-supplier region to be fully developed within a sustainable environmental framework;

3.  Calls on the Commission and Council to work towards establishing a moratorium on the exploitation of geological resources in the Arctic for a period of 50 years pending fresh scientific studies;

4.  Urges the Commission to ensure that international rules on maritime traffic safety in the particularly sensitive parts of the region are tightened up, by making appropriate amendments to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations and working towards establishing an 'Arctic Navigation Polar Code', and calls for towing, rescue and accident- and disaster-response equipment to be deployed in the Arctic Ocean under the responsibility of an international authority;

5.  Calls on the Commission to initiate negotiations with the Russian authorities to guarantee freedom of navigation and right of passage and ensure that no discriminatory practices are followed, especially as regards charges, compulsory services and rules and regulations, so as to ensure the viability and environmental sustainability of new shipping routes;

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

7.  Is deeply concerned about the effects of climate change on the sustainability of the lives of the indigenous peoples in the region, in terms of both the general environment (melting icecap and permafrost, rising sea levels and flooding) and the natural habitat (the retreating icecap poses problems for polar bears' feeding habits), and stresses that any international decisions relating to these issues must fully involve and take account of all Arctic peoples and nations;

8.  Draws attention to the fact that changes in the Arctic ice sheets will have an impact on global sea levels, affecting coastal cities and low-lying areas, and thermal degradation of permafrost will release vast reserves of frozen carbon, some of which will, as methane, increase the global greenhouse-gas effect; calls therefore on the Commission and the Council to ensure that the Arctic region, by virtue of its impact on the world's climate and its unique natural environment, is given special consideration as the EU formulates its position for the COP 15 UN Climate Change Conference, due to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009;

9.  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 regional cooperation actors.