'European perspectives on a changing arctic" - Main contents

This European Environment Agency (EEA) report contributes to the growing international discourse on the Arctic region. It is both timely and important, since it examines the increasingly rapid changes that are taking place in the Arctic from a European perspective. It considers the national, regional and global challenges and opportunities that are emerging as a result.

There is increasing awareness that changes in the Arctic have considerable impacts beyond its boundaries. For example, the Arctic's role in global climate regulation and sea level rise is now widely recognised. The region is seen as an important barometer of global climate change.

Similarly, many of the mega-trends that affect the Arctic environment come from outside the region, such as climate change, long-range pollution or demand for resources. Such changes are having a massive impact on the Arctic environment, human health and the degradation of natural capital. These are challenges that the Arctic States cannot solve alone.

Change also brings about opportunities. The strategic importance of the Arctic region is growing as ice and snow conditions are changing rapidly. Access to natural resources is becoming easier and new transport routes are opening up. Economic developments too are accelerating, benefiting the region's inhabitants through improved job potential, better living conditions and higher health standards. Beyond the boundaries of the Arctic, the significant potential of green and blue

growth may also benefit the global economy.