On Thursday 15 January, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, explained that the European Union would continue to cooperate with its partners on Arctic security, including the United States.
“We will thus continue our work on Arctic security with our allies and our partners, including the United States”, she explained in Limassol, at the end of a meeting in Cyprus between the College of European Commissioners and the Cypriot government, to mark the launch of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
“When it comes to its security, the discussions on Arctic security are, first and foremost, a core issue of NATO”, said the President, when asked about the dispatch to Greenland of a number of troops from European countries (France, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom) at Denmark’s request. “Arctic and Arctic security are core topics for the European Union and matter enormously for us”, she added.
Mrs von der Leyen also insisted on the EU’s economic support. “What is clear is that Greenland can count on us politically, economically, and financially”, she promised, adding that the Commission wanted to double European investment. Under the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Greenland receives €225 million, but the Commission is proposing €530 million for the period 2028-2034.
Ukraine. In addition to Greenland, the President of the Commission focused on Ukraine, calling on the Cyprus Presidency to obtain an agreement as soon as possible between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on the €90 billion Ukraine support loan for 2026 and 2027 (see EUROPE 13786/4).
“Now is the time to maintain firm and constant support in order to put Ukraine in a position of strength, both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. Your Presidency will have a key role to play in securing a rapid agreement between the EU Council and Parliament on the loan”, she told Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
Since February 2022, EU support for Kyiv has totalled €193 billion.
“Given the current security and defence context, we have decided that the time has come, during your Presidency, to propose a new European security strategy”, also announced Mrs von der Leyen, who did not wish to give any further details on this future strategy.
Mediterranean. The strengthening of relations with Cyprus’ neighbours was also highlighted.
“We agree that the Mediterranean is a region of the world of particular geostrategic importance for the EU. Our Presidency intends to promote initiatives to strengthen political dialogue and cooperation with the Member States and countries of the region in areas such as energy, migration and regional security”, explained the Cypriot President.
Mrs von der Leyen said that the Commission was currently drawing up an action plan for the Mediterranean “which will be presented in a few weeks’ time”, as part of the Pact for the Mediterranean (see EUROPE 13732/2). The first drafts of the plan are due to be presented at a meeting with the leaders of the 10 Mediterranean countries, on the sidelines of the informal European Summit in April.
Make progress on the ‘omnibus’ texts and the MFF. The Commission and the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council have also examined the competitiveness and simplification of European regulations.
Mrs von der Leyen called on the Cypriot authorities to make progress on the ‘omnibus’ texts that the Commission has presented in recent months. “10 ‘omnibus’ proposals are in the pipeline. It is imperative that they are completed during the term (of the Cyprus Presidency). The private sector is eagerly awaiting them - in total, the reduction in costs will amount to €12 billion a year”, she pleaded.
With regard to the ongoing negotiations on the future Multiannual Financial Framework, Mr Christodoulides promised that his country would work “actively” to make concrete progress in the discussions and “arrive at an advanced and completed negotiating framework”, which will be submitted to the Irish Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2026.
In his view, it is necessary to draw up “a strategic budget focused on the new priorities - defence, security and competitiveness - without neglecting important traditional European policies such as cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy”.
“The December European Council clearly expressed its support for a political agreement by the end of 2026. It is vital to maintain this momentum. With speed and determination, we can draw up a modern and ambitious European budget that supports Europe’s choice of independence and guarantees Europe the resources it needs to achieve its ambitions”, added Mrs von der Leyen (see EUROPE 13776/4). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)