Activities of Liisa JAAKONSAARI related to 2009/2214(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
A sustainable EU policy for the High North (debate)
A sustainable EU policy for the High North (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT Report on a sustainable EU policy for the High North PDF (316 KB) DOC (359 KB)
Amendments (23)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
– having regard to the Treaty on European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in particular to Part Four thereof and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to the Declaration on the Cooperation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, signed in Kirkenes on 11 January 1993,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
– having regard to the Resolution of the European Parliament of 9 October 2008 on Arctic governance1 1 OJ C 9 E, 15.1.2010, p. 41.
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas there is a high global interest also in other Arctic renewable and non- renewable resources such as minerals, forests, fish and pristine landscape for tourism,
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the effects of climate change mainly originating from outside the Arctic will impact the region; whereas in particular the retreat of the sea ice is likely to produce major effects, suchunforeseeable environmental effects and repercussions in other parts of the planet as well as an increase in shipping in particular between Europe, Asia and North America, in exploration and exploitation of natural resources, namely gas, oil and other minerals but also natural resources such as fish, and exploitation of marine genetic resources, increased mining and logging activities and increased tourism and research activities; whereas those effects will produce new challenges but also new opportunities in the Arctic and elsewhere,
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas climate change is managed by monitoring, mitigation and adaptation methods; whereas the promotion of sustainable development in using natural resources and in building new infrastructures is managed by strategic planning processes,
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that three EU Member States, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, are Arctic States,; acknowledges that the EU has no Arctic Ocean coastline, but it has large Arctic land areas in Finland and Sweden that are inhabited by the only indigenous peoples group of Europe, the Sami; reaffirms the legitimate interest of the EU as a stakeholder by virtue of its rights and obligations under international law, its commitment to environmental, climate and other policies and its funding, research activities and economic interests, including shipping;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that certain policies that are relevant to the Arctic are exclusive EUnion competences, such as the conservation of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy, others partly shared with Member States;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Conscious of the need to protect the fragile environment of the Arctic, underlines the importance of overall stability and peace in the region; stresses that the EU should pursue policies that ensure the compatibility of the environmental agenda and the interests of the inhabitants of the Arctic region, including its indigenous peoples, in protecting and developing the region; stresses the similarity in approach, analysis and priorities between the Commission Communication and policy documents in the Arctic States; stresses the need to engage in policies that respect the interest in sustainable management and use of the land based and marine, non-renewable and renewable natural resources of the Arctic region, which in turn provide important resources for Europe and are a major source of income to the inhabitants of the region;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasizes the importance of interacting with Arctic communities and supporting capacity building programs in order to improve the life quality of indigenous and local communities in the region, and gain more understanding of the living conditions and cultures of these communities; asks the EU to promote a stronger dialogue with the indigenous peoples and the Arctic local inhabitants;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the major importance of the safety and security of new world trade routes through the sea in the Arctic in particular for the EU and its Member States‘’ economies, these countries controlling 40% of world commercial shipping; welcomes the work in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on a mandatory Polar Code for shipping and the work in the Working Groups of the AC, particularly the Taskforce on Search and Rescue (SAR); underlines that the EU and its Member States should actively uphold the freedom of the seas and the right to free passage through international waterways;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses the importance of developing new railroad and transport corridors in the Barents Euro-Arctic Transport Area (Beata) to facilitate the growing need for international trade, mining and other economical development, as well as aviation connections in the High North; draws attention in this regard to the new Northern Dimension Partnership on Transport and Logistics;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is conscious of the need for resources for a growing world population and recognises the increase in interest in them as well as the sovereign rights under international law of the Arctic States; recommends any party involved to take steps to ensure the highest possible safety, social and environmental standards in exploration and exploitation of the natural resources; highlights that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as well as strategic and social impact assessment processes will be central tools in the Arctic management concerning concrete projects and programs in the Arctic; draws attention to the EU's Directive 2001/42/EC on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and to the fact that Finland, Sweden and Norway have ratified the UNECE Convention on EIA in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) that will give a good basis for the active promotion of impact assessment procedures in the Arctic; refers in this regard also to the Bergen Statement issued by the Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission of 23 and 24 September 2010;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the new delimitation agreement4 between Norway and Russia, in particular the will to engage in closer cooperation and the envisaged joint sustainable management of resources, particularly fish stocks, between the two countries in the Barents Sea, including in terms of sustainability; regards in particular the bilateral cooperation between Norway and Russia as a show case of joint application of the highest available technical standards in the field of environmental protection while prospecting for oil and gas in the Barents Sea;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls the position of the EU as a main consumer of Arctic natural resources, as well as the involvement of European industry and economic operators; requests the Commission to further engage in fostering cooperation and technology transfer to ensure the highest standards and adequate administrative procedures, to establish a sound scientific basis of future trends and governance needs for Arctic resources, such as fisheries, mining, forestry, tourism and to make full use of the EU competences to regulate in this regard; reminds that mining, forestry and other economic and industrial developments in the Arctic will increase and therefore, calls upon the EU to promote the principles of sustainable development in these activities, to advance local employment and to ensure the equitable distribution of revenues;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses the important role the EU has to play in the reduction of pollution which entersin the Arctic region throughcaused by long- range transport; highlights in this respect the importance of the implementation of European legislation such as Regulation (EC) No 1907/20065 ; points out that the climatic changes in the Arctic will have a major impact on coastal regions in Europe and elsewhere and on climate-dependent industriesectors in Europe such as agriculture and fisheries, renewable energy, fisheriesreindeer herding, hunting, tourism and transport;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recognises that the effects of the melting ice and milder temperatures are also creating opportunities for economic development in the Arctic region; acknowledges the wish of the inhabitants of the Arctic to continue to pursue sustainable economic development while at the same time protecting the very sensitive nature of the Arctic ecosystems, taking into account their experience in using and developing the resources of the region in a sustainable way; encourages to apply the ecosystem-based management to consolidate ecological scientific knowledge with social values and need;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the special position and recognises the rights of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic and points in particular to the legal and political situation of the indigenous peoples in the Arctic States; reminds all the EU institutions to take socio-economic and cultural factors into account in their policy making processes, seeking an open dialogue with the communities concerned; calls on the EU to take into account the special needs of sparsely populated peripheral areas in terms of regional development, livelihoods and education in order to ensure that the new economical and industrial development happens in a sustainable way;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recognises the important role of the AC as the foremost regional body for cooperation for the whole Arctic region; acknowledges the concrete work done in the Working Groups of the AC with the involvement of the observers and asks the Commission and EU agencies to continue to actively engage in all relevant Working Groups whenever possible; encourages to strengthen the legal and economic base of the AC;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. ISupports the efforts to establish a permanent secretariat for the Arctic Council and is of the opinion that a strengthened AC should both play a leading role in international cooperation on the Arctic and be sure to include relevant active non-Arctic players and stakeholders; wishes the AC to maintain its open and inclusive approach and thus to remain open to all stakeholders; encourages the Commission to do its utmost to strengthen the Arctic Council through all the means available; maintains that a strengthened AC status as a key cooperative forum of and for international cooperation would be the best place to safeguard the inclusion of the expertise and know-how of the indigenous and local peoples and the protection of their interests, rights and status;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Is of the opinion that the Northern Dimension should be further developed in conjunction with and as a tool for the EU Arctic policy and in particular, emphasises in this regard the new Northern Dimension Partnership on Transport and Logistics and its benefits for cooperation in the Arctic;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the fact that the EU and its Member States are the main contributors to Arctic-relevant research, regional cooperation and the development of technology relevant to the region and beyond, and requests the Commission to examine the possibilities of developing circumpolar co-funding and co- programming initiatives to enable smoother and more effective cooperation between experts from the nationcountries involved; requests the EU to promote co- operation activities with USA, Canada and Russia in the field of multidisciplinary research of the Arctic establishing thereby co-ordinated funding mechanisms;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Is of the opinion that the EU should develop further its capacities and calls on the Commission to explore and report on the establishment oras well as on the continuation of EU activities in the Arctic such as a circumpolar joint multilateral research funding programme providing for easier and less bureaucratic cooperation, and joint projects of the research community, and an EU Arctic Information Centre that; requests the Commission to proceed as a key priority on the establishment of an EU Arctic Information Centre as a joint, networked undertaking, keeping in mind the Finnish proposal of setting up the hub of the Centre at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, based on the Commission Arctic Communication and Council Arctic Conclusions, and that the EU Arctic Information Centre should be capable of organising permanent EU outreach to the major actors and stakeholders in the Arctic and globally, as well as of channelling information and services on the Arctic towards the EuropeanU's Institutions; and stakeholders;