The European Parliament approves six-year EU-Greenland fisheries deal worth €17.3 million annually, granting EU vessels Arctic fishing access
Parliament Approves Six-Year EU-Greenland Fisheries Agreement Worth Over €100 Million
The European Parliament has confirmed the EU’s new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) with Greenland, allowing EU vessels to continue fishing in Greenlandic waters for the next six years.
The deal is worth more than €100 million and is seen as strategically important amid rising Arctic geopolitical tensions.
Under the agreement, which has been applied provisionally since December 2024, EU vessels will be authorised to catch up to 30,906 tonnes of fish annually in Greenlandic waters. This includes 13,000 tonnes of capelin (pending fishery reopening), 6,675 tonnes of Greenland halibut, 6,581 tonnes of Northern prawn, 2,100 tonnes of demersal redfish, and 2,050 tonnes of cod.
In return, the EU will pay Greenland €17.3 million per year, of which €14.1 million covers access to resources and €3.2 million supports Greenland’s fisheries sector. EU vessel operators are also expected to contribute around €4.5 million annually through authorisation fees.
The agreement was approved in Parliament by 616 votes to 29, with 36 abstentions. A non-binding resolution accompanying the vote also passed by 561 votes to 109, with 11 abstentions.
Strategic Arctic Access
Greenland’s geostrategic location in the Arctic, combined with growing diplomatic tensions and climate instability, makes this agreement politically significant. MEPs highlighted the need to bolster Arctic fisheries governance in response to shifting power dynamics, particularly those influenced by recent changes in US foreign policy.
Rapporteur Emma Fourreau (The Left, France) said, “Today the European Parliament reiterates the importance of its fisheries partnership with Greenland in the current geopolitical context. The resolution also sends a strong message on the need to adapt Arctic fisheries to the effects of climate change, address the impact on deep-sea marine ecosystems, and increase EU support for coastal fishing communities in Greenland and for scientific research.”
Concerns Over Northern Prawn and Ecosystem Data
Despite welcoming Greenland’s discard ban and bycatch monitoring systems, MEPs voiced concerns about the lack of detailed stock assessments. The Northern prawn stock, in particular, is seen as vulnerable to overfishing, warming waters, and predation by cod.
The resolution calls for improved data collection and better scientific mapping of vulnerable benthic habitats in the Greenland Sea ecoregion. It also urges the adoption of stricter protection measures to safeguard marine ecosystems in the deep sea.
MEPs further stressed that Norwegian vessels operating under quota exchanges must follow the same EU sustainability and control rules to ensure a level playing field. These provisions are especially relevant given the interlinked nature of the EU-Greenland and EU-Norway agreements, and post-Brexit shifts in Arctic fisheries governance.
Background: Greenland’s Fishing Industry and EU Access
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Fishing accounts for over 90% of its exports and provides 15% of its employment, with many Inuit communities depending on subsistence fishing. Greenland’s deep-sea fleet is also one of the most developed in the Arctic, with fishing agreements in place that allow foreign access to its rich waters.
The EU traditionally exchanges a portion of its Greenlandic quotas with Norway. The remaining quotas are mostly allocated to Germany (halibut, redfish, cod), Denmark, and France (prawn), with Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania typically utilising them.
With Parliament’s formal approval now in place, the agreement secures EU fishing access in the Arctic while also reinforcing cooperation with Greenland in scientific research, sustainability, and marine conservation.
Source: Press Release