Policy

The EU is positioning the Arctic as a key source of critical raw materials to lessen its reliance on China, treating the region as a strategic economic security asset.

Residents of the Northwest Territories with a health card who are not Indigenous and have no other health benefits must now register for Extended Health Benefits to keep medical‑travel coverage as of Sept. 1, 2026. The change is administrative and leaves existing NIHB, Métis and EHB enrollees unaffected.

An Inuvialuk artist from Tuktoyaktuk will display her augmented‑reality work, Upinraksaq, in Umeå, Sweden this summer as part of the 2026 Arctic Arts Summit, underscoring shared Indigenous histories and the renewed Canadian government support for Arctic artists.

Through its Youth Together for Arctic Futures workstream, the EU selected ten young participants for the EU Arctic Youth Dialogue, aiming to promote maritime career pathways in the Arctic region.

Following a referendum where Icelandic voters rejected EU accession, the country announced plans to pursue new security partnerships, noting its NATO membership and reliance on bilateral defence agreements.

The article reports that Iceland’s Arctic fox population was estimated at 4,700 adults in spring 2024, down from 7,800 in 2011, and identifies the Westfjords—especially Hornstrandir Nature Reserve—as the highest‑density area, with June and July offering the best chances to see foxes.

Trilogy Metals secured US backing and the Ambler Road permit, boosting its Arctic Project, which boasts a high‑grade polymetallic deposit with a 2023 feasibility study valuing the venture at $1.11 billion after‑tax NPV and a 22.8% IRR.

An agreement to monitor suspicious Soviet activity in the North Atlantic and Arctic authorized construction and operation of facilities in Greenland, underscoring U.S. security interests in the region.

Norway’s energy minister Terje Aasland announced the country will keep drilling for oil and gas in the Barents Sea, rejecting the EU’s Arctic moratorium, while affirming continued sales of oil, gas and electricity to Europe. The move signals Norway’s sovereign choice to balance energy supply, trade and climate policy.

New funding will expand the Nunavut Research Institute’s ability to analyze DNA, water quality, and ecosystem health, strengthening Arctic science infrastructure.

The EU Intellectual Property Office upheld Rovaniemi’s 2009 “Official Hometown of Santa Claus” trademark after a Dutch journalist’s cancellation request was rejected, preserving the city’s key tourism brand that supports its Arctic economy.

A newly commissioned Arctic carrier has collected its first shipment of sanctioned LNG, highlighting the use of Arctic shipping routes for regulated energy transport.

HighNorthNews opinion piece questions Norway's High North strategy, noting concerns about research, infrastructure, local communities and security in Northern Norway amid escalating Arctic activity.

NATO's February launch of the Arctic Sentry mission to bolster security has prompted Russia to label the operation a direct threat, underscoring growing geopolitical friction in the high‑north.

Iceland rejects reopening EU accession talks while Greenland pushes back against U.S. control, reinforcing Arctic nations’ insistence on sovereignty and independent policy choices.

Svalbard residents are mandated to carry rifles when leaving settlements, replacing the earlier practice of carrying wooden sticks, as part of the archipelago's security law.

RGS is mapping about 300 Russian historical sites on Svalbard for a new Arctic heritage atlas, aiming to document and protect these locations amid rising climate‑related erosion threats.

$28.8 million federal grant will fund rehabilitation of the historic Hurricane Gulch bridge on the Alaska Railroad, improving the rail link between Anchorage and Fairbanks.