EU Artic Forum to begin on Thursday in Kittilä, Finland

This year, the European Union’s most important Arctic event will take place in Kittilä, on 26–27 June. The event is expected to attract about 350 attendees from across Europe.

The Forum will be hosted on behalf of the European Commission by Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis. Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand will represent the Government of Finland. Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland, will participate in The Indigenous Peoples’ Dialogue organised in connection with the Forum. The Arctic Youth Dialogue will also be part of the event.

“For Finland, hosting the EU Arctic Forum in Kittilä is an opportunity to remind us all that sustainable development of the Arctic will benefit Europe as a whole. It is important that the region’s special characteristics – fragile nature, the rights of indigenous peoples and the impacts of climate change – are taken into account in EU decision-making. The event will also be an occasion for Finland to showcase its Arctic expertise and strengthen cooperation with its European partners,” Minister Strand says.

The EU Arctic Forum is held on alternate years in Brussels and the Member States. Active engagement in the EU’s Arctic policy has been a long-standing objective for Finland. The Union is a major player in the Arctic owing to its legislative power and funding programmes for the region, such as Horizon Europe.

The Forum coincides with a turning point in international Arctic cooperation. The Kingdom of Denmark assumed the Chairship of the Arctic Council in mid-May. Greenland plays a leading role, with its Arctic Ambassador Kenneth Høegh acting as the Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials for the newly commenced two-year term.

Side events on Arctic research and the EU's Arctic funding will be hosted on Wednesday 25 June, a day before the actual Forum.

The EU Arctic Forum is organised by the European Commission and its Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG Mare), in collaboration with the REBOUND project of the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, the Arctic Working Group of the Baltic Sea Commission, the municipality of Kittilä, Finland, the EUROPE DIRECT Information Point of the Regional Council of Lapland, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.