Alain HUBERT, President of the International Polar Foundation, Isabelle DURANT (Greens/EFA, BE), Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of the European Council, Maria DAMANAKI, European Commissioner for Fisheries and HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, open the Arctic Futures Symposium, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

speech

environmental protection (T)

EU policy for Arctic (T)

VAN ROMPUY, Herman (BE)

DURANT, Isabelle (Greens/EFA, BE)

DAMANÁKI, María (EL, EC)

ALBERT II DE MONACO (MC, Prince)

HUBERT, Alain (BE)

Arctic Futures Symposium: opening speeches by Isabelle Durant (Greens/EFA, BE), Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of the European Council, Maria DAMANAKI, European Commissioner for Fisheries and HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco

Poster of the conference and logo of the International Polar Foundation and ambience shots before the meeting starts.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alain HUBERT, President of the International Polar Foundation, This symposium aims in assessing perspective for climate change in the region, establishing the related policy implications for ecosystem management, research and economic activities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Isabelle DURANT (Greens/EFA, BE), I am very happy to host this conference today in the EP, sure as ecologist but especially as Vice-President of this Parliament, to show that in this Parliament it's important, it's absolutely necessary to speak and discuss about this challenge in the polar region.

SOUNDBITE (English), Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of European Council, We need a constructive spirit on the road to the next climate conference in Cancun and also beyond Cancun. The climate is too important to be left on the hands of the disillusions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of European Council, A spirit of economic and political competition will not serve the future of the Arctic; we need a spirit of dialogue, a scientific dialogue between experts to examine the changing situation of the ground and a political dialogue between all the stakeholders, the States, communities and political authorities that play a role in the region.

SOUNDBITE (English), Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of European Council, The frost areas of the Arctic region belong to sovereign countries which are either EU members or belong to the EU's closest partners. In order to better work together the EU feels it would be useful to be a neutral observer in the Arctic Council: mutual trust and international coordination are key. We favour further development of the body of international law, EU is also very much open to dialogue on all issues with the indigenous populations of the region.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mar&#237;a DAMAN&#193;KI, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Practical progress on the ground it's being made in many EU programs and projects for the Arctic. Over the last ten years, the EU together with its' member states has become one of the biggest contributors to Arctic research underlining our dedicated commitment to the Arctic region. The most recent building block in the area of Arctic research is the joint-call 'Ocean of tomorrow'. This project addresses the social economic dimensions of human activities in the Arctic region, and for this program 11 million euro are already reserved.

SOUNDBITE (English), ALBERT II DE MONACO, I was in Moscow a few weeks ago when I was able to have long discussions with Prime Minister Putin about the creation of the Novaya Zemlya reserve and its development. I believe this is an extremely promising avenue which could be tried in other locations. I also thinking of the creation of protected Marine areas which in the Arctic they would allow the preservation and regeneration of stocks certain endangered species by creating 'sanctuaries. The successful experiment conducted for several years in the Mediterranean by France, Italy and Monaco to protect marine mammals is also worth expanding.

SOUNDBITE (English), ALBERT II DE MONACO, For all those who live in this planet, we must make them understand that the future of the polar regions is also their future; without the support of public opinion nothing will be possible, with it, they are ground for hope.