The European Parliament adopted by 617 votes to 13, with 14 abstentions - in the framework of a special legislative procedure (Parliament consultation) - a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on relations between the European Union on the one hand, and Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark on the other.
Parliament approved the proposed decision subject to the following amendments:
Programming Document: Parliament called on Greenland should prepare and submit a Programming Document for the Sustainable Development of Greenland. That document should be prepared, implemented and assessed on the basis of a transparent and participative approach.
Exploitation of natural resources: any cooperation in the area of exploration, extraction and exploitation of Greenland natural resources, in particular minerals, oil and gas, should observe the highest safety, social and environmental standards and strict environmental management criteria in order to guarantee a sustainable use of resources and preserve the valuable though fragile ecosystem of the Arctic.
Dialogue and implementing actions: enhanced cooperation and policy dialogue on issues of common interest to both parties should include the following: (i) biodiversity; (ii) the participation of the European Union as a permanent observer in the Arctic Council. Parliament also added climate change and research in the mining sector.
Financial assistance in the area of education and training: should Greenland decide to include in the PDSD a request for the Union's financial assistance in the area of education and training, such assistance shall duly take into account the need to contribute to Greenland's efforts to strengthen capacity building in that area and to provide technical support.
Social partners: the PDSD should be based on consultations and dialogue with the Greenlandic civil society, social partners, Parliament, local authorities and other stakeholders and shall draw on lessons learned and best practices, to ensure sufficient ownership of the PDSD.
Delegated acts: Parliament called for the Commission to be empowered to adopt delegated acts to approve the programming documents and financing measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision. Consequently, all the articles concerning the committee procedure have been deleted.
Financial envelope: lastly, Parliament confirmed the continuation of the EU's financial commitment towards Greenland. The indicative amount for the implementation of this Decision for the period from 2014 to 2020 shall therefore be EUR 217.8 million.