Industrianställda i Norden
Pohjoismaiden Teollisuustyöntekijät
Nordic-IN
Stockholm 2 February 2017
To the members of the European Parliament Committees for Foreign Affairs (AFET) and
for Environment, Public Health and Food Security (ENVI)
Cc: The Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)
Regarding the European Parliament’s draft report on an integrated European
Union policy for the Arctic – Strong reservation from Nordic IN
The Nordic-IN is an federation of 20 trade unions in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and
Denmark, representing over 1 million employees in the metal, energy, chemical, paper,
mining and textile industries.
The Nordic-IN finds the paragraphs 13, 14 and 41 in the European Parliament draft report
on an integrated European Union policy for the Arctic to be highly problematic and not in
line with the usual practice of scientifically based decision-making in the European
institutions. The Nordic-IN will therefore urge the European Parliament not to adopt the
three paragraphs as they stand in the plenary vote on this report.
13.
Calls on the Member States to ban fossil fuel subsidies that lower the cost of fossil
fuel energy production, with a view to discouraging the exploitation and use of fossil
fuels; urges the Commission and the Member States to work in international
fora towards a future total ban on the extraction of Arctic oil and gas in order to
achieve the goal of a low-carbon economy;
14.
Calls on the EU to promote strict precautionary regulatory standards in the field of
environmental protection and safety for oil exploration, prospection and production
internationally; calls for a ban on oil drilling in the icy Arctic waters of the EU
and the EEA and for promotion by the EU of comparable precautionary
standards in the Arctic Council and for Arctic coastal states;
41.
Stresses that Arctic waters are vulnerable to the offshore drilling of fossil fuels, use
of which will contribute and accelerate the climate change threatening the region; is
of the view that the EU must cooperate with international partners to put an end
to offshore drilling in the Arctic waters;
We would like to take the opportunity to add some comments on these three paragraphs
and remain at your disposal if you should require any further information.
The Arctic is not a uniform Arctic
First of all, the geographical area of “Arctic” is not specifically defined in the Report. It is
therefore very difficult to determine the scope of the paragraphs.
Olof Palmes Gata 11 · SE-105-52 · STOCKHOLM – Sweden
Tel: +46-8 786 8000 E-mail: [email protected]
When addressing offshore economic activities in the Arctic, it is important to remember that
Norwegian waters in the Arctic are very different from most other places in the Arctic. The
Norwegian waters are because of the Gulf Stream to a large extent free of ice all year
round, while many other parts of the Arctic are covered by ice at certain times of the year.
As a result of these favourable conditions, the economic activities in Norwegian waters are
the highest in the Arctic. 80 % of all ships operating in the Arctic pass through Norwegian
waters.
The differences in conditions between the Arctic coast of Canada and the Arctic coast of
Norway call for different sets of regulations to address the right conditions. The Arctic is not
one similar place with uniform conditions throughout.
The Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea has a long history of industrial activity
1/3 of Norway's land area and 80 percent of Norway's sea areas lie north of the Arctic
Circle. Because of these favourable conditions a variety of industrial activities and fisheries
has a long history in the high north. Oil and gas production has taken place in the
Norwegian Sea since 1993 and in the Barents Sea since 2007. During this time the
Norwegian authorities have developed integrated ocean management plans that have
secured sustainable coexistence between inter alia the fishing industry, shipping and the oil
and gas sector. These plans are based on scientific research and are regularly revised to
take into account new developments and knowledge. When opening up areas for
petroleum activities the highest environmental standards are applied throughout the entire
process.
10 percent of Norway’s population live above the Arctic circle, and the economic growth in
Northern Norway during the last years have been higher and the unemployment rate lower
than in the rest of the country. The large oil and gas deposits that are assumed to exist in
the Barents Sea will bring significant investment and further economic development in the
region. The industry in the Norwegian Arctic has the potential for substantial value creation
and increased employment for the people of the Arctic, but also for value creation in the
Nordic region and the EU as such.
A ban on drilling in the Arctic could threaten the energy security in the EU
According to the International Energy Agency, IEA, approximately one third of the world's
energy demand must come from oil and gas in 2050. The EU has outlined energy security
as one of the cornerstones of the Energy Union strategy and as a key political priority.
Norway is the second largest supplier of gas to the EU, after Russia. Norwegian gas covers
more than 20 percent of the European gas consumption and as such makes an important
contribution to energy security in Europe.
More than half of the remaining oil and gas resources at the Norwegian continental shelf
are expected to be located north of the Arctic Circle. A ban on extraction of Arctic oil and
gas is therefore a threat to the continued supply of Norwegian gas to Europe and to the
Nordic IN is a federation of all the 20 Trade Unions organising employees in manufacturing industries
and mining in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Our affiliates have 1 million members
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European energy security. This was recognized by the European Parliament in 2014 when
it underlined that the EU will be a main consumer of Arctic natural gas, produced in a safe
and environmentally responsible manner, by reliable suppliers.
A ban of Arctic oil and gas will not solve the climate issue
Climate change is a fundamental threat to our global community. The implementation of the
Paris Agreement on the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases is of paramount
importance to the Arctic as well as the rest of the globe. Global warming is a global
challenge in need of global solutions. It cannot be solved by symbolic actions.
Oil and gas recovery in the Arctic has in principle the same effect on the climate as
recovery elsewhere. However, the Norwegian oil and gas industry has a progressive
climate agenda as demonstrated through its world leading carbon performance. Oil and
gas production in Norway has on average some of the lowest CO2 intensity in the world
including zero routine flaring. All production is included in the EU ETS carbon trading
system as well as subject to an additional Norwegian carbon tax. In the EU, gas is used to
serve as a back-up to the increasing share of renewable energy, and if Norwegian gas to
Europe were to be replaced by coal, EU emissions would increase by 300 million tons CO2.
The problems of climate change were not created in the Arctic and cannot be solved in the
Arctic alone. People living in the Arctic have the same rights and obligations as people
living elsewhere, including the right to sustainable resource development for value- and job
creation.
We urge you as members of the European Parliament to take these comments and
our Nordic perspective into consideration regarding the three paragraphs mentioned
above in the plenary vote on the Arctic report.
Yours sincerely,
Anders Ferbe
President
Jens Bundvad
General Secretary
Nordic IN is a federation of all the 20 Trade Unions organising employees in manufacturing industries
and mining in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Our affiliates have 1 million members
3
Nordic IN is a federation of all the 20 Trade Unions organising employees in manufacturing industries
and mining in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Our affiliates have 1 million members
4