Summary:The changing climate gradually opens the way to the Arctic waters for commercial shipping. This requires long-term investments in infrastructure and hence strategic planning of shipping activities both by governments and the global maritime industry to take into account various global and regional factors influencing the economics of shipping. Many of these factors are inherently uncertain and subject to disruptive …
Summary:In July 2020, the European External Action Service of the European Commission launched a public consultation on the way forward for the European Union’s Arctic policy. The consultation was held to re-examine the role of the EU in Arctic affairs, to revise the priorities of the current Joint Communication on an integrated European Union policy for the Arctic and the …
Summary: This background paper presents the results of mapping of regional synergies in the North, implemented by the NDI as part of its EC-funded Action Support to the Northern Dimension Institute (2020-2022). The mapping was implemented by looking at the agendas of other regional policies and initiatives in the Arctic, Barents and Baltic Sea regions through the lens of the …
Summary: The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, better known as the “Polar Code”, came into force on 1 January 2017 to improve safety for ship operations in remote waters of the polar regions. It was developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a legally binding international framework that builds on existing mandatory regulations set by IMO …
Summary: This paper discusses marine plastic debris pollution, particularly the accumulation of microplastics in the oceans, which is one of the most significant environmental problems of our time both globally and in the Russian Arctic. Microplastics are a term used to describe the vast volume of microscopic plastic debris currently found throughout the World Ocean and its coastlines. Primary microplastics …
