15/10/2026
Yesterday, the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas hosted an official session together with The Mission of the Faroes to the EU and Délégation générale du Québec à Bruxelles et pour les institutions européennes at the European Week of Regions and Cities, titled “Towards a Secure, Sustainable and Prosperous Arctic Region”. Mikael Janson from North Sweden European Office moderated the conversation.
The session brought together 140 participants, filling the room with perspectives from across the Arctic and beyond, including representatives from the European Commission and the European Policy Centre (EPC).
One message stood out: there is no single Arctic. The region is diverse, with different realities, perspectives, and opportunities. Above all, the Arctic is home to people and communities. A secure, sustainable and prosperous Arctic can only be achieved by putting the people who live there at the heart of its development.
Through Slido, participants shared the words that came to mind when they thought of the Arctic. Responses ranged from resilience, investment and geopolitics to home, possibility and richness, reflecting the many different dimensions of the region.
The Arctic needs the EU, but the EU also needs the Arctic. Arctic communities are ready to contribute to the future of the Union, but this requires long-term commitment and investment from the EU.
One important example is the EU's specific allocation for the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA). This funding is at risk of disappearing in the next EU budget, despite being the EU’s only dedicated support for its EU Arctic territories. During the panel discussion, Åsa Ågren Wikström, representing Region Västerbotten and a member of the European Committee of the Regions, emphasised that this allocation must be maintained if Arctic regions are to continue developing and contributing to the prosperity and resilience of the entire Union.
Thank you to all our speakers, partners and participants for an engaging and important discussion on the future of the Arctic.
• Maria Martisiute, European Policy Centre
• Moray Gilland, European Commission
• Åsa Ågren Wikström, Region Västerbotten
• Riikka Pirkkalainen, Regional Council of Kainuu
• Monica Paulsen, Arctic Cluster Team
• Patrick Beauchesne, Société du Plan Nord
• Elisabeth F. Rasmussen, The Mission of the Faroes to the EU