The Safety of Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas Operations Within the EU Regulatory Framework

The EU has shown strong interests in the Arctic seabed, ensuring maximum safety of offshore oil and gas operations and the protection of the environment. This paper studies the EU recent developments in the Arctic energy sector, with a focus on the safety of offshore oil and gas operations. It highlights how the EU Arctic policy develops both directly, through the EU Arctic policy, and indirectly, through its environmental and energy policies and through the presence of EU private operators in the Arctic. Special attention is given to the consequences for the Arctic region of the implementation of the EU Directive 2013/30 on safety of offshore oil and gas operations.