Iceland: Assessment of the status of EU accession negotiations
Hvítserkur, Iceland (source: Getty Image) Having been tasked by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in October last year to produce a report on the assessment of the status of accession negotiations between Iceland and the European Union and developments within the EU, the Institute of Economic Studies at the University of Iceland has now delivered its findings. In the Institute‘s report the main emphasis is on the period since the summer of 2009, when Iceland applied to become a candidate for EU membership, and it focuses on legal, instutitional and economic developments in the European Union.
The report is organsied in four main parts and in each of these highlight future prospects in each area, especially with regard to fisheries policy and agriculture policies. The parts are as follows:
A. The status of the accession negotiations between Iceland and the EU
B. Legal and institutional developments within the EU
C. State of play and future prospects in the EU‘s economy
D. Summary findings
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has had the Summary Findings translated (read here). The main report is currently being translated in English and will be made available as soon as possible. Original versions (in Icelandic) can be downloaded here.
Source: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland
Read more here.
Sami National Day
Saami Flag (source:wikipedia)Today, 6th February, is a very special day for all Sami, today is Sami National day.
The Sami national day was jointly established in 1992, during the 15th Sami conference in Helsinki, to mark and celebrate a crucial event for Sami history. Indeed, on February 6th of 1917, northern and southern Sámi crossed their National borders to come together for their first meeting in Trondheim, Norway. For the first time, they could share and discuss common concerns and work together to find mutual solutions.
The first National day was celebrated on 6th February 1993, in conjunction with the proclamation of the opening of the International Year of Indigenous People in Jokkmokk (Sweden) by the United Nation. Since then, during this important day, Sami flag flies and the Sami national anthem is sung in the local Sámi language, while all Sami, regardless of where they live, celebrate together the event.
Nowadays around 40,000 Sami live in Norway, with 20,000 in Sweden and some 7,000 in Finland. In addition there are an estimated 2,000 Sami in Russia.
Today, in remembering this crucial date, we celebrate and wish you a happy Sámi National Day! Follow the celebration in Finland at: http://www.sogku.fi/live/
EU Arctic Impact Assessment Consultations to be held Tomorrow!
UiT campus map for EUAIC network (Map: University of Tromsø)Tomorrow, Wednesday 22th, the EU Arctic Impact Assessment Consultations will take place at Linken Conference Centre (Forskningparken, Sykehusvegen 23, Tromso). All stakeholders and parteners are warmly welcomed to participate (registration for Arctic Frontiers Conference is NOT required in order to participate in the EUAIA consultations).
The meeting will be open by a Plenary Session (9.00 a.m.) during which the particpants will be offered an overview on the project. Paula Kankaanpää (Director of the Arctic Centre,University of Lapland and project leader) andJamie Reynolds (DG Environment, European Commission) will address few wecloming words to the partners.
During the afternoon session, the different Workshops will collect inputs from stakehoplders, addressing specifc topics and trends in the Arctic (Climate change; Oil and gas developments; Maritime transport; Fisheries). The particpants will work on:
- identifying critical factors for EU decision-making;
- discussing the content of factsheets and themes of particular interest for report authors;
- brainstorming ideas for recommendations for the EU.
The recommendations – developed by experts, based on the stakeholder inputs – will be submitted for feedback and comments to all those who participated in the stakeholder meetings and filled out the online questionnaires.
CONTACTS:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.arcticinfo.eu
Direct contact: Researcher Adam Stepien, Assessment Expert, Arctic Centre: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; +358 404844298
Main Outcomes of January Stakeholder Consultations in Tromsø
Plenary session during EUAIA stakeholder consultations in Tromso (Photo: Jenni Lintula Arctic Centre)On 22 January 2014, back-to-back with Arctic Frontiers Conference, the project team organized second stakeholder consultations, which constitute a critical element of the EU Arctic Impact Assessment process.
The consultations were attended by more than 60 Arctic stakeholders and about 30 project network partners. The meeting, similarly to the one organized in Rovaniemi in October 2013, was divided into a plenary meeting and structured thematic workshops.
During the plenary, participants were informed of the project objectives and process, the methodology of the assessment work and the role of consultations in the EU Arctic Impact Assessment report.
Questions during plenary session of the EUAIA stakeholder consultations in Tromso.(Photo:Jenni Lintula Arctic Centre) Jamie Reynolds (European Commission’s DG Environment) and the senior expert in the project, Prof. Timo Koivurova (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland), gave an overview of the European Union’s competences and role in the Arctic, as well as talked on the process of shaping EU’s Arctic policy. Prof. Oran Young (Bren School, University of California), the day’s keynote speaker, provided an overview of changing perception of the Arctic over last decades and challenged the notions of Arctic boom and scramble for Arctic resources. Martin Sommerkorn (WWF Global Arctic Programme) presented recent assessment activities of the Arctic Council and underlined the importance of stakeholder engagement in projects such as Adaptation Actions in Changing Arctic report and Arctic Resilience Report, showing how the EUAIA process fits into the current forefront of bridging science and policy in the Arctic.
Workshop on the Arctic maritime transport during the EUAIA stakeholder consultations in Tromso (Photo: Ilona Mettiäinen)The workshops had been designed to allow stakeholders to comment on accuracy of factsheets and the direction of assessment work as well as to help assessment team to identify critical issues and develop recommendations for EU policy-makers. While workshops in Rovaniemi discussed primarily on terrestrial issues and more local perspectives, workshops in Tromsø had clearly maritime and global dimension. The January workshops focused on climate change, maritime transport, oil and gas extraction and fisheries.
Common facts identified by stakeholders across various themes included the need for broad public participation, supporting targeted research and international cooperation, in particular with Russian partners.
Stakeholder consultations were organized primarily by GRID-Arendal, the Tromsø Centre for Remote Sensing (University of Tromsø) and the Arctic Centre (University of Lapland). Currently, the project team is working on reporting the outcomes of the consultations. The process leading to final report will enter its concluding phase in February and March.
The outreach to stakeholders does not end with the consultation meeting. The participants to the workshops will have possibility to provide feedback both on the consultation reports and later on the draft final EUAIA report.
Moreover, until the first week of February the team is collecting stakeholders’ input also via an online questionnaire at http://arcticinfo.eu/en/online-questionnaire
Stakeholder Consultations in Tromsø, 22 January 2014
Workshop on mining developments in the European Arctic during EUAIA consultations in Rovaniemi, 3 October 2013. (Photo: J-E Kukko, Arctic Centre)
The second round of stakeholder consultations contributing to the work on the EU Arctic Impact Assessment (EUAIA) report will take place in Tromsø on 22 January 2014.
Stakeholders are the crucial source of information and knowledge in the EUAIA and play a key role in identifying recommendations for the EU policy-makers. Consultations are to enhance experts’ understanding of both the current developments in the Arctic and the role the European Union plays or could play in shaping these developments or addressing their impacts.
Plenary session of the EUAIA consultations in Rovaniemi, 3 October 2013 (Photo: J-E Kukko, Arctic Centre)Stakeholder consultations in Tromsø include a general meeting and content-focused workshops. During the general meeting experts will give an overview of the project and present issues of importance. Workshops will address specific trends and developments in the Arctic. The workshops in Tromsø will focus on climate change, oil and gas exploitation, Arctic shipping and fisheries. The main outputs from the workshops are:
> Critical factors for EU decision-making in the Arctic
> Assessment by stakeholders of information collected in factsheets
> Ideas towards recommendations for the EU policy-making
The consultations will be based on factsheets prepared by the project team.
Until mid-February 2014, stakeholders are also invited to fill out an online questionnaire at http://arcticinfo.eu/en/online-questionnaire.
For further information about Programme and Overview of the Tromsø Consultation Workshop click here.
Registration
http://www.arcticinfo.eu/en/consultations-registration
Contact
|
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Website: www.arcticinfo.eu |
Direct contact:
Researcher Adam Stepien, Assessment Expert, Arctic Centre: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">i; +358 404844298
