Proposal for a new comprehensive partnership between the EU and Greenland - Main contents

The European Commission yesterday adopted a series of texts as a proposal to develop a new comprehensive partnership with Greenland.

The communication takes stock of the implementation of the 4th fisheries protocol with Greenland and responds to the request of the Council from February 2003 to produce concrete proposals for the broadening of future relations between the European Union and Greenland. Relations in fisheries, which remain a cornerstone of the cooperation between the EU and Greenland, will be based on a new Fisheries Partnership Agreement.

The present communication proposes the adoption of a joint declaration by the EU, Denmark and Greenland and a Council Decision based on Article 187 of the EC Treaty to extend their co-operation in areas other than fisheries. Greenland has expressed a priority interest for education and training, mineral resources, energy, tourism and culture and research.

The Commission considers that financial support of a maximum of 25 million euro a year for co-operation in other sectors separate from fisheries is within the limits of the proposal on financial perspectives (2007 - 2013). The Commission also refers to the Council's conclusions that financial support for Greenland should be around the present level of 42.8 million euro per year with the difference covered by the new Fisheries Partnership Agreement, which is currently being negotiated. It is expected that the new EC/Greenland Fisheries Partnership Agreement will be initialled in the coming months.

At the current time, the relations between Greenland and the EU are governed by the Greenland Treaty of 1 February 1985, which grants Greenland the status applicable to the Overseas Countries and Territories associated with the Community under Article 187 EC. Under the Protocol on special arrangements for Greenland attached to the EC Treaty, relations are governed by Fisheries Agreements which mean that Greenland receives the same financial assistance from the EU budget as the benefits it obtained from the Regional Fund before it left the Community.