Norway is pressing the European Union to rescind a proposed ban on new oil and
gas drilling in the Arctic, saying the region holds nearly two‑thirds of its
hydrocarbon resources. The EU plans to publish a new Arctic policy by
end‑September; Norwegian politicians, civil servants and industry and
environmental lobbyists are lobbying Brussels. Norway, not an EU member but
Western Europe’s largest oil and gas exporter, says its continental shelf meets
about 30% of EU and UK gas demand, and recent threats to supplies via the Strait
of Hormuz have bolstered its case for keeping Arctic development options open.
Critics say the Arctic is warming three to four times faster than the global
average and is particularly vulnerable to exploration, and that expanding
drilling would impede the energy transition; they argue short‑term supply
pressures do not justify opening the Arctic.
