Activities of Sabine LÖSING 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 (17)
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)
Citation 25 a (new)
– having regard to the US Navy Arctic Roadmap of 10 November 2009,
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the effects of climate change mainly originating from outside the Arctic willare already impacting the region massively and will continue to do so; whereas in particular the retreat of the sea ice is likely to produce major effects, such 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 Arctice industrial use of the Arctic Ocean, which has previously been protected by ice, will have a serious impact on the highly sensitive Arctic ecosystem and on global climate,
Amendment 45 #
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 in an environmentally sound manner; 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 natural resources of the Arctic region, which in turn provide important resources for Europeassign the highest priority of all to protecting the Arctic region, which in turn is one of the principal global climate regulators and areis a major source of income to the inhabitants of the region;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes other cooperation initiatives on secure and safe shipping in the Arctic and on better access to the Northern Sea Route;
Amendment 63 #
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 inteat sufficient resources are available for the curresnt in them as well as the sovereign rights of the Arctic States; recommends any party involved to take stepsworld population, particularly if a far-reaching switch is made to the use of renewable energy sources and energy- saving technologies, but that unjust distribution of the exploitation of resources creates extremely poor and extremely rich regions in the world, and therefore calls for political, economic and social measures and a far-reaching switch to rensure the highest possible safety andewable energy sources and energy- saving technologies in order to remedy this imbalance; does not regard the environmental standards ly damaging exploritation and exploitation of the natural resourcesof the oil and gas reserves and fish stocks believed to exist in the Arctic as a solution but calls for unlimited protection of this highly sensitive ecosystem;
Amendment 74 #
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; requests the Commission to further engage in fostering cooperation and technology transfer to ensure the highest standards and adequate administrative procedures, and to establish a sound scientific basis of future trends and governance needs for Arctic resources, such as fisheries, and to make full use of the EU competences to regulate in this regardakes the view that the best way of protecting natural resources would be by means of a moratorium on industrial exploitation of the Arctic Ocean region, which has hitherto been covered in ice, and that this moratorium must remain in force until a legally binding, superordinate framework has been adopted to provide full protection for the ecosystem and people in the Arctic;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Acknowledges that the EU, like other developed areas of the world, contributes substantially to climate change and hence bears special responsibility;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regards the Arctic as a highly sensitive regionecosystem where the effects of climate change are especially visible, having seriouscatastrophic and irreparable repercussions on other regions in the world; supports therefore the Council Conclusions on increased cooperation with the UNFCCC and the Sustaining Arctic Observation Networks (SAON);
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses the importantleading role the EU has to play in the reduction of pollution which enters the Arctic region through long-range transport; highlights in this respect the importance of the implementation of European legislation such as Regulation (EC) No 1907/20065; 1907/20065(INI)) points out that the climatic changes in the Arctic will have a majorcatastrophic and irreparable impact on coastal regions in Europe and elsewhere and on climate- dependent industries in Europe such as agriculture, renewable energy, fisheries and transport;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. RecogniStresses that the effects of the melting ice are also chave only minor, short-term positive aspects for economic development in relating opportunities for economicon to the far greater long-term environmentally destructive developments in the Arctic region; acknowledges nonetheless 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;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recognises the institutions and the broad framework of international law and agreements that govern areas of importance to the Arctic such as UNCLOS, the IMO, the OSPAR Convention, the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), CITES and the Stockholm Convention as well as the existing numerous bilateral agreements and frameworks, in addition to the national regulations in place in the Arctic states; thus concludes that the Arctic region is not to be regarded as a legal vacuum, but as an area with well developed tools for governance; nevertheless points out that, due to the challenges of climate change and increasing economic development, those existing rules need to be further developed, strengthened and implemented by all parties concernedstrengthened by all parties concerned in such a way as to institute an immediate moratorium on the industrial exploitation of the Arctic Ocean region, which has hitherto been covered in ice the whole year round, until a legally binding, superordinate framework has been devised and adopted to provide full protection for the ecosystem and people in the Arctic;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Believes that the impression given by some observers of a so-called scramble for the Arctic, often symbolised by the planting of a Russian flag on the sea floor at the NNotes with concern the increasing militarisation of the Arctic region by the Arctic States Russia and the NATO States the USA, Canada, Denmark and Norway, and does not consider that the Arctic Roadmap of the US Navy, the increase in the number of Canada’s Arctic Rangers to 5 000, the military exercises carried out in August 2010 or th Pole, does note planned Russian troop deployment by 2020 contribute to fostering a constructive understanding and cooperation in the region; stresses that the Arctic States have on several occasions declared their commitment to resolve possible conflicts of interests according to the principles of international law;
Amendment 127 #
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 and particularly to support protection of the Arctic ecosystem and an immediate moratorium on industrial exploitation of the Arctic Ocean region, which has hitherto been covered in ice the whole year round, until a legally binding, superordinate framework has been devised and adopted to provide full protection for the ecosystem and people in the Arctic;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Expresses its hope that the AC will further develop its important work and broaden the basis for decision-shaping processes to include non-Arctic actors who are upgrading their presence in the Arctic region, and thus involve their knowledge and capacities and take into account their legitimate interests under international law; welcomes the internal procedure within the AC regarding a review of the status of observers and of the possible future scope of the tasks of the AC;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Is of the opinion that a strengthened AC should both play a leading role in cooperation on the Arctic and be sure to includvolve relevant non-Arctic players in supporting protection of the highly sensitive, climate-regulating ecosystem;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Requests the Commission to set up a permanent inter-service structure to ensure a coherent, coordinated and integrated policy approach across key policy areas relevant to the Arctic, such as the environment,environmental protection, sustainable environmentally sound forms of energy, transport and, fisheries and demilitarisation; recommends integrating the Arctic Service working in DG MARE into this structure; further recommends creating a coordinating unit in the EEAS accordingly;
Amendment 154 #
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 in the fields of environmental protection, the promotion of sustainable, renewable energies and demilitarisation, to enable smoother and more effective cooperation between experts from the nations involved;