Von der Leyen heads to Greenland as EU seeks materials for green transition: Guardian

By Andrew Blackman March 14, 2024
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Faroese Prime Minister Aksel V. Johannesen sign an agreement on better cooperation between the EU and the Faroe Islands in Torshavn, Faroe Islands March 14, 2024. Ritzau Scanpix/Alvur Haraldsen/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK.

Ursula von der Leyen has embarked on a two-day trip to the Arctic region to open a European Commission office in Greenland, the Guardian reports.

  • Accompanied by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the EC president will spend Thursday in the Faroe Islands before heading to Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, the following day.
  • While not part of the EU, Greenland is of strong interest to Brussels—not least because of its highly sought-after raw materials. They include rare earth elements and metals that the EU needs for its green transition, according to one of von der Leyen’s special advisers.
  • In November, the European Commission formed a strategic partnership with Greenland to develop “sustainable raw materials value chains”. They agreed to cooperate in five areas, including research and development.

You can read the full story here.