opinion parliamentary committee draft, 5 March 2026

On the Council Decision amending Decision (EU) 2021/1764 on the Association of the Overseas Countries and Territories with the European Union including relations between the European Union on the one hand, and Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark on the other

Document AFET-PA-785248 · (COM(2025)0599 – C100248/2025 – 2025/0264(CNS))

Committee on Foreign Affairs · Rapporteur: Urmas Paet

Where the law stands · dossier 2025/0264 →

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Amendment 1
Amendment 2
Amendment 3
Amendment 4
Amendment 5
Amendment 6
Amendment 7
Amendment 8
Amendment 9
Amendment 10
Amendment 11
Amendment 12
Amendment 13
Amendment 14
Amendment 15
Amendment 16
Amendment 17

Text 93 paragraphs

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Foreign Affairs submits the following to the Committee on Development, as the committee responsible:

Amendment 1

Proposal for a decision

Recital 1 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(1a) On 26 November 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the EU's diplomatic strategy and geopolitical cooperation in the Arctic, emphasising the need to protect critical infrastructure, secure raw materials and strengthen NATO cooperation in the region.

Or. en

Amendment 2

Proposal for a decision

Recital 1 b (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(1b) On 7 June 2023, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy adopted a joint communication on a New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on strengthening political cooperation, boosting trade and sustainable investment via the Global Gateway strategy, and fostering a fair, green and digital transition.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(1b) On 7 June 2023, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy adopted a joint communication on a New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on strengthening political cooperation, boosting trade and sustainable investment via the Global Gateway strategy, and fostering a fair, green and digital transition.

Or. en

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Amendment 3

Proposal for a decision

Recital 1 c (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(1c) On 8 October 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the EU's political strategy on Latin America, promoting a strategic partnership that is based on shared values and focused on democracy, sustainability and economic cooperation.

Or. en

Amendment 4

Proposal for a decision

Recital 8 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(8a) The OCTs significantly enhance the Union's geopolitical reach across the Atlantic, Antarctic, Arctic, Caribbean, Indian and Pacific regions, enabling the Union to maintain a presence in regional organisations through OCT representation, and thus to promote democratic values and the rule of law in those strategically sensitive areas.

Or. en

Amendment 5

Proposal for a decision

Recital 9 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(9a) All OCTs except one have permanent populations whose inhabitants enjoy the full rights of citizenship of the Union by virtue of their nationality of the associated Member State, thereby forming an integral part of the Union’s citizens while residing outside the Union's territorial scope.

Or. en

Amendment 6

Proposal for a decision

Recital 10 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(10a) Greenland, as the world's largest island and with a strategic position in the Arctic region, plays a vital role in an area of intensifying geopolitical competition, climate change-driven transformations and emerging shipping routes, which faces growing external pressure due to unfounded territorial claims.

Or. en

Amendment 7

Proposal for a decision

Recital 10 b (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(10b) Greenland constitutes one of the extremes of the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) gap, a strategic corridor critical for European maritime domain awareness. Control of the North Atlantic sea lanes and the detection and deterrence of hybrid threats is therefore increasingly important, also in light of initiatives such as Polar Connect and Vision 2030, which envisage submarine cable routes linking Greenland and Iceland to continental Europe. Ensuring the security of such undersea infrastructure, including cables and associated digital ecosystems, against sabotage, espionage and physical disruption, requires close and coordinated joint action between the EU, NATO allies and Arctic partners. Moreover, as foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) directed at Arctic and North Atlantic communities poses a distinct and growing threat to public resilience, democratic debate and situational awareness in the region, a comprehensive approach to the security of the GIUK corridor must integrate not only maritime surveillance and military deterrence but also the protection of critical infrastructure and the defence of the information environment through shared standards, early-warning mechanisms and coordinated counter-FIMI measures.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(10b) Greenland constitutes one of the extremes of the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) gap, a strategic corridor critical for European maritime domain awareness. Control of the North Atlantic sea lanes and the detection and deterrence of hybrid threats is therefore increasingly important, also in light of initiatives such as Polar Connect and Vision 2030, which envisage submarine cable routes linking Greenland and Iceland to continental Europe. Ensuring the security of such undersea infrastructure, including cables and associated digital ecosystems, against sabotage, espionage and physical disruption, requires close and coordinated joint action between the EU, NATO allies and Arctic partners. Moreover, as foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) directed at Arctic and North Atlantic communities poses a distinct and growing threat to public resilience, democratic debate and situational awareness in the region, a comprehensive approach to the security of the GIUK corridor must integrate not only maritime surveillance and military deterrence but also the protection of critical infrastructure and the defence of the information environment through shared standards, early-warning mechanisms and coordinated counter-FIMI measures.

Or. en

Amendment 8

Proposal for a decision

Recital 10 c (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(10c) Greenland has significant unexploited reserves of critical raw materials, including manganese and graphite, and possesses significant potential for renewable and hydroelectric energy.

Or. en

Amendment 9

Proposal for a decision

Recital 11 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(11a) Greenland's right to self-determination, its constitutional future and international relations, including potential EU accession, should be decided exclusively by the people of Greenland, free from external pressure.

Or. en

Amendment 10

Proposal for a decision

Recital 12 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(12a) Support for EU accession is increasing among Greenlanders, as evidenced by polling suggesting that around 60% of them now favour Union membership. Should Greenlanders eventually opt to rejoin the Union, Union membership would give Greenland a stronger voice in Arctic governance, enhance its security including through the development of critical infrastructure, and give Greenland access to Iris, Galileo and other relevant EU programmes. Should Greenland achieve EU candidate status, the Global Europe instrument could offer Greenland concrete pre-accession benefits through deeper strategic and economic cooperation with the Union.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(12a) Support for EU accession is increasing among Greenlanders, as evidenced by polling suggesting that around 60% of them now favour Union membership. Should Greenlanders eventually opt to rejoin the Union, Union membership would give Greenland a stronger voice in Arctic governance, enhance its security including through the development of critical infrastructure, and give Greenland access to Iris, Galileo and other relevant EU programmes. Should Greenland achieve EU candidate status, the Global Europe instrument could offer Greenland concrete pre-accession benefits through deeper strategic and economic cooperation with the Union.

Or. en

Amendment 11

Proposal for a decision

Recital 13 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(13a) French Guiana, as the Union's gateway to South America and home to the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou, represents a critical Union strategic asset in the context of heightened Union engagement in South America through the EU-Latin America partnership strategy and the conclusion of negotiations with MERCOSUR, while also ensuring Union autonomous access to space. Recent major oil discoveries in the Guyana-Suriname basin open up potential opportunities for the future exploration and exploitation of natural resources in French Guiana's adjacent offshore areas, which could contribute to the Union's energy security and diversification in the context of reduced dependence on Russian energy supplies;

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(13a) French Guiana, as the Union's gateway to South America and home to the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou, represents a critical Union strategic asset in the context of heightened Union engagement in South America through the EU-Latin America partnership strategy and the conclusion of negotiations with MERCOSUR, while also ensuring Union autonomous access to space. Recent major oil discoveries in the Guyana-Suriname basin open up potential opportunities for the future exploration and exploitation of natural resources in French Guiana's adjacent offshore areas, which could contribute to the Union's energy security and diversification in the context of reduced dependence on Russian energy supplies;

Or. en

Amendment 12

Proposal for a decision

Recital 14 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(14a) New Caledonia has the world's third-largest nickel reserves and significant deposits of cobalt and other critical raw materials, thus representing a crucial asset for the Union’s strategic autonomy and contributing to the diversification of Union supply chains. New Caledonia's political future remains subject to ongoing self-determination processes following three referendums on independence from France between 2018 and 2021, the outcome of which will have significant implications for Union presence in a region where China and other powers are rapidly expanding their influence.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(14a) New Caledonia has the world's third-largest nickel reserves and significant deposits of cobalt and other critical raw materials, thus representing a crucial asset for the Union’s strategic autonomy and contributing to the diversification of Union supply chains. New Caledonia's political future remains subject to ongoing self-determination processes following three referendums on independence from France between 2018 and 2021, the outcome of which will have significant implications for Union presence in a region where China and other powers are rapidly expanding their influence.

Or. en

Amendment 13

Proposal for a decision

Recital 15 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(15a) The remaining OCTs contribute substantially to the Union's global maritime estate, and embody the geographic, cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as the global reach, of the Union.

Or. en

Amendment 14

Proposal for a decision

Recital 16 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment(16a) Many OCTs possess significant reserves of critical raw materials and renewable energy resources that are essential to the Union's strategic autonomy and green transition. Those resources are the sovereign patrimony of the peoples of the OCTs, who hold the primary right to determine the conditions of their exploration and exploitation. The pursuit of the Union's strategic objectives should never compromise the sovereignty, prosperity or environmental integrity of OCT communities.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(16a) Many OCTs possess significant reserves of critical raw materials and renewable energy resources that are essential to the Union's strategic autonomy and green transition. Those resources are the sovereign patrimony of the peoples of the OCTs, who hold the primary right to determine the conditions of their exploration and exploitation. The pursuit of the Union's strategic objectives should never compromise the sovereignty, prosperity or environmental integrity of OCT communities.

Or. en

Amendment 15

Proposal for a decision

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2

Decision (EU) 2021/1764

Article 3 – paragraph 5 – point b

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission‘(b) to support and to cooperate with Greenland in addressing its major challenges such as the raising of its education level and economic diversification, and to contribute to the capacity of the administration of Greenland to formulate and implement national policies.’;	Amendment‘(b) to support and to cooperate with Greenland in addressing its major challenges such as direct threats to its sovereignty as well as to support Greenlanders by raising education level and economic diversification, and to contribute to the capacity of the administration of Greenland to formulate and implement national policies.’;

Or. en

Amendment 16

Proposal for a decision

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – first subparagraph

Decision (EU) 2021/1764

Article 14 – paragraph 1 –point a

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission‘(a) an OCTs-EU forum for dialogue (the ‘OCTs-EU Forum’), which shall meet every two years to bring together OCTs’ authorities, representatives of the Member States and the Commission. Members of the European Parliament, Representatives of the EIB and representatives of the outermost regions shall, where appropriate, be associated with the OCTs-EU Forum;	Amendment‘(a) an OCTs-EU forum for dialogue (the ‘OCTs-EU Forum’), which shall meet every two years to bring together OCTs’ authorities, representatives of the Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament. Representatives of the EIB and representatives of the outermost regions shall, where appropriate, be associated with the OCTs-EU Forum;

Or. en

Amendment 17

Proposal for a decision

Article 1 – paragraph 1–point 4 – second subparagraph

Decision (EU) 2021/1764

Article 14 – paragraph 1 –point b

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
Text proposed by the Commission(b) trilateral consultations between the Commission, the OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked, which shall be held on a regular basis. Those consultations shall be organised at least three times a year on the initiative of the Commission or at the request of OCTs and of the Member States to which they are linked. Member States shall be informed about the results of the consultations appropriately;’;	Amendment(b) trilateral consultations between the Commission, the OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked, which shall be held on a regular basis. Those consultations shall be organised at least three times a year on the initiative of the Commission or at the request of OCTs and of the Member States to which they are linked. Member States and the European Parliament shall be informed about the results of the consultations appropriately;’;

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(b) trilateral consultations between the Commission, the OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked, which shall be held on a regular basis. Those consultations shall be organised at least three times a year on the initiative of the Commission or at the request of OCTs and of the Member States to which they are linked. Member States shall be informed about the results of the consultations appropriately;’;

(b) trilateral consultations between the Commission, the OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked, which shall be held on a regular basis. Those consultations shall be organised at least three times a year on the initiative of the Commission or at the request of OCTs and of the Member States to which they are linked. Member States and the European Parliament shall be informed about the results of the consultations appropriately;’;

Or. en

Annex: declaration of input 4 paragraphs

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur for opinion declares that he included in his opinion input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that he received, in the preparation of the opinion, prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register

2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur for opinion.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for opinion declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.