Multi Level Governance in the Arctic

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 26th Jun 2010

On Thursday June 24th North Norway European Office arranged its fourth workshop on Arctic issues: Multi Level Governance in the Arctic.

Diana was among the speakers at the workshop were Mrs. Diana Wallis, along with Mr. Ilya Mikhalchuk, Governor of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, and Mr. Erik Lahnstein, Deputy Minister of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Diana reminded the audience of the increased importance and involvement of the European Parliament, post the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, in matters relating to international treaties and agreements which are currently the main instruments for controlling most activities in the Arctic.

She said, 'The European Parliament is now in a unique position both as a transnational legislature and parliament to oversee what would previously have been exclusively intergovernmental and international developments in the Arctic; the fracas over the trade in seal products is just a warning of the difficulties to come and of the need for the Parliament to be treated as a serious player.'

Link to the North Norway European Office: http://www.northnorway.org/content/view/760/49/