The Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment of development of the Arctic seeks to strengthen communication and outreach within the EU and between the EU and Arctic communities regarding the EU’s contribution to addressing environmental and other issues raised by the rapid development of the Arctic region as a result of economic and climate change. The Preparatory Action project aims to bring together scientific knowledge and stakeholder perspectives, increase awareness about the changing Arctic, enhance understanding of the impacts of EU policies, and test the effectiveness and sustainability of the network and a European Union Arctic Information Centre (EUAIC).

The main objectives are to:

• Compile stakeholder knowledge and perspectives on scientific information about the development of the Arctic and increase awareness about the Arctic, the Arctic’s changing political, economic, and environmental landscape, and the impact of EU policies. Impact assessment is used as a tool and channel to compile information for use by decision- and policy-makers.
• Test the effectiveness and sustainability of a network of leading communication and research centers as the basis of a possible future European Arctic Information Centre aimed at facilitating information exchange between the EU institutions, Arctic stakeholders, and the general public.

The project is carried out by a network of 19 leading Arctic research and communication centers and universities with extensive activities in and knowledge of the Arctic. Ecologic Institute leads a gap analysis in Work Package 1, analyzing the information needs of policy-makers, stakeholders, and the public by mapping out potential information providers and users, and by drafting recommendations and a communication plan. Ecologic Institute also contributes to the methodological framework for Work Package 2, assessing the impacts of development in the Arctic and of EU policies affecting the Arctic region and provide information on such impacts for use by policy-makers including the role of impact assessments, as well as to communication and outreach in Work Package 3.