The EU strengthens its commitment to the Arctic: former Commission Vice-President Katainen appointed Special Adviser

Brussels – In a move aimed at consolidating its geopolitical influence in an increasingly pivotal region, the European Commission announced today (13 April) has appointed Jyrki Katainen as Special Adviser on EU-Arctic Relations in a decision aimed at “strengthening the Union’s strategic presence and effectiveness in the Arctic region.”

Brussels has chosen a high-profile figure. Katainen, a Finnish MP since 1999, who served as Minister of Finance and Prime Minister of Finland between 2011 and 2014. His experience within the European institutions is equally solid, having served as Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for growth and investment from 2014 to 2019. 

In his new role, Katainen will report directly to the Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela. His task will be to provide expert advice on implementing European priorities in the Arctic, with a particular focus on economic security, connectivity, sustainable development, climate, and energy. The priorities in question are those outlined by President von der Leyen as early as last October, when she foreshadowed the need to review the EU’s Arctic strategy to align it with the broader European security framework. On that occasion, she warned of the speed of change in the region, stating that “the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the Earth” and that the area was moving to the “centre of geopolitics,” with a direct impact on the stability of all Member States.

Another step forward was taken in January 2026, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, where, speaking out against Trump’s territorial claims on Greenland, the President described the US’s retaliatory tariffs as a “mistake” and reiterated the need for a coordinated strategic approach involving greater investment in infrastructure in the region, particularly European icebreakers.