Emily McGlynn, Transatlantic Fellow at Ecologic Institute, presented the EU Arctic Footprint and Policy Assessment project to Arctic indigenous stakeholders at a side event organized by the European Commission, DG MARE during the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway on 25 January 2011. The EU Arctic Footprint report was discussed alongside other EU Arctic policy developments.

During the two-hour side event, indigenous stakeholders were able to communicate their concerns, questions and support for various aspects of emerging EU Arctic policy. Environmental issues were of high priority and generated much of the discussion throughout the event. The EU Arctic Footprint and Policy Assessment, as coordinated by Ecologic Institute, was highlighted as an important component of the European Commission’s ongoing process of EU-Arctic policy development. The EU Arctic Footprint final report comprehensively describes the EU’s environmental impacts in the Arctic in nine distinct issue areas (Biodiversity, Chemicals, Climate Change, Energy, Fisheries, Forestry, Tourism, Transport, and Arctic local and indigenous livelihoods) and provides policy recommendations for the European Commission on reducing the EU’s Arctic footprint.

The Commission representative, DG MARE Head of Unit Paul Nemitz, encouraged indigenous groups to provide written feedback on both the EU Arctic Footprint and Policy Assessment as well as the new European Parliament resolution "on a sustainable EU policy for the High North" in order to provide guidance to the European Commission on future steps for Arctic policy.

The EU Arctic Footprint and Policy Assessment reports are available here.