La UE rechaza extraer gas y petróleo en el Ártico pese a la crisis energética

The European Union has firmly rejected the prospect of extracting gas and oil in the Arctic, despite the ongoing energy crisis. The bloc maintains that these efforts would take a decade to become operational, and that by that time, the EU's climate goals would have significantly reduced the need for fossil fuels. In a speech by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the Commission emphasized that the oil, coal, and gas industries should remain "on the ground" in the region due to the "enormous fragility of the Arctic ecosystem."

The EU's stance aligns with its previous 2021 strategy, even though the economic and geopolitical landscape has changed since then. This position emerged after months of internal debates, as the Commission had previously softened its stance after recognizing that it had not secured international support for a moratorium on new drilling.

However, community sources suggest that analyses indicate Brussels that even from an economic security perspective, it is not worth the effort. The EU plans to maintain this strategy and will not acquire any hydrocarbons from other countries if they originate from the Arctic. While the EU sees opportunities in extracting critical raw materials, it stresses that the Arctic's increasing accessibility also brings greater significance to Europe's economic security through new maritime routes, global trade reconfigurations, and connectivity infrastructures that will shape the region's future.

Although the EU is the world leader in icebreaker fleets, the warming of the region has led to significantly reduced costs for extracting critical raw materials, making their extraction competitive. Europe has been striving for a year to secure supplies of rare earths and critical materials, which are now largely controlled by China.

The Arctic's plans complement the EU's strategic projects, such as new operations in Galicia and Ciudad Real, and preferential access clauses included in new free trade agreements. However, the EU has once again confirmed that it will not extract these resources under any circumstances, insisting that operations must meet the highest environmental standards.

Consequently, for now, the Commission will not participate in deep-sea mining activities until the scientific community clarifies the potential impact of these measures.