Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja to participate in the EU Arctic Dialogue in Brussels

Greenpeace together with the independent meeting organiser QED are arranging the high-level EU Arctic Dialogue, to take place near Brussels on 4 March. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland is the official patron of the event.

The aim of the Dialogue is to serve as a platform for debate about environmental governance solutions for the Arctic region as well as to bring out environmental points of view as the EU begins to prepare its next Communication on EU Arctic policy.

Two high-level panels will be held during the afternoon. The first panel focuses on environmental threats for Arctic regions, global measures the impacts of which are felt above all in Arctic regions, and on consideration of the kinds of governance structures that would be needed for the protection of Arctic issues. The second panel discusses the protection of Arctic regions and the role of the EU in this. The panel also explores the situation of international waters in the vicinity of the North Pole. The EU will publish its revised Arctic policy at the end of the year, and the European Parliament has also taken an active role in Arctic policy.

The seminar participants are European decision-makers, ministers as well as representatives of enterprises and organisations. The keynote speech is presented by Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, from Malta. Alongside Foreign Minister Tuomioja, the panellists are, among others, Foreign Minister Sveisson of Iceland and, via video link, Richard Branson, Chairman of the Board of Virgin Group, and the American environmental activist Al Gore.

Additional information: Special Adviser Tarja Kantola, mobile +358 40 590 4119.