Nicosia: On her visit to Nuuk, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a £200 million Global Gateway Partnership Package, to be invested in and with Greenland this year and the next. The EU, Greenland, and Denmark have also reinforced their partnership with a new Joint Declaration, signed in Nuuk by the President, Premier of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Declaration and the investment package aim to deepen EU-Greenland cooperation across a range of areas, including education, fisheries, satellite and cable connectivity, hydropower, and critical raw materials. The package also focuses on investments aimed at improving everyday life in the country, such as better housing, sustainable tourism, and stronger support for small businesses.
The EU, Greenland, and Denmark co-signed a new Joint Declaration on relations to strengthen the common investment agenda, political dialogue, and people-to-people exchanges. This builds on the previous Declaration from 2015 and recognizes Greenland's growing strategic importance. The Declaration aims to further strengthen and expand the partnership in areas of mutual interest, including education and training, infrastructure development, sustainable raw materials, clean energy production, digital connectivity, sustainable tourism, housing, research and innovation, civil protection, resilience and security, fisheries, environment, and climate action.
The EU is mobilizing a partnership package of £200 million for investments in Greenland. It will create new economic opportunities for the local population while contributing to a sustainable, prosperous, and peaceful Arctic region. A first set of Global Gateway projects in several priority sectors have already been agreed upon with Greenland, and they are working together on exploring a number of new investments.
The EU will support a program led by Greenland's national energy utility company, Nukissiorfiit, to modernize and decarbonize energy supply in remote settlements. Through the deployment of hybrid renewable energy systems, the program will strengthen the reliability of electricity supply while expanding the use of renewable energy. The EU and Greenland are also exploring support for the expansion of the Buksefjord hydropower plant to respond to rising electricity demand in Nuuk.
Greenland is the largest recipient of EU support per capita among the Overseas Countries and Territories. The EU has earmarked £225 million for the period 2021-2027, with 90% dedicated to education and 10% to green growth. The Commission has proposed £530 million for Greenland under the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, more than doubling the current level of support.
