Diana gives keynote speech on Arctic

2.00.00pm GMT Thu 5th Mar 2009

Giving a keynote speech at the Conference on 'Transatlantic Policy Options for the Marine Arctic' in Brussels today, Diana Wallis MEP said:

"It is important in the development of future policy options in the Arctic that politicians and politics are not ignored.

"I have always thought that the EU, with its history of multilateralism, was well placed to bring something to the debate about future governance in the Arctic. It seems to me increasingly important, given the rapid changes in the Arctic, that parliamentarians of these countries do have a role; otherwise there is a trend that issues in this region become ones of sovereignty and result in bilateral dialogue at best.

"Politics too must have a place. Indigenous people have been dealt a huge blow this week as a result of the vote on my report on the trade in seal products which looks now to ban all seal products in the EU. If we are serious about supporting indigenous peoples as stated in the European Parliament's resolution on Arctic Governance in October 2008 then we need to properly consider issues such as a trade ban on seal products otherwise we in the European Parliament will look very foolish."

Related Link:

Arctic Transform.