EU to keep ban on Arctic oil and gas drilling despite Norwegian pressure
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/21/brussels-to-keep-ban-on-arctic-oil-and-gas-driling-despite-norwegian-pressure
Posted by Athrods
EU to keep ban on Arctic oil and gas drilling despite Norwegian pressure
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/21/brussels-to-keep-ban-on-arctic-oil-and-gas-driling-despite-norwegian-pressure
Posted by Athrods
26 Comments
Norwegian energy minister response:
Energy Minister Terje Aasland writes in an email to *Børsen* that **“Norway decides over Norwegian resources, not the EU.”**
“Norway has more than 40 years of experience with safe oil and gas production in the northern regions, and what we produce here is exported to the EU and the United Kingdom. The Norwegian continental shelf accounts for approximately 30 percent of gas consumption and 14 percent of oil consumption in the EU and the United Kingdom,” Aasland writes, adding:
“Without Norwegian supplies, the energy situation in Europe would have been far more challenging. Norway is a stable and reliable supplier of oil and gas, and this also applies to our production in the Barents Sea.”
(Norwegian article, https://borsen.dagbladet.no/nyheter/jubler-over-olje-nei-avviser-norge/85180330)
EU: “Lets shoot ourselves in the foot, it cant hurt that much”
This is stupid.
Lol Norway wants to drill the artic to keep the supply of fossil fuels going worsening global warming around the world.
Did I mention my local heroin dealer drives an EV? Good they are doing their part for the environment I guess…
Europeans and hypocrisy is there a more iconic duo?
Much better to buy oil from dictatorships, I see.
Almost feels like the EU is infiltrated by our enemies and im not even kidding, drilling isn’t so good for enviroment, but i guess the EU will enjoy buying oil and gas from Russia instead?
How has this entire global economy going to shit due to dependency on oil not painted the picture that we need to invest in alternative fuel sources?
Lets keep buying from Russia , no problem at all
I didn’t even know this was in the eu’s competency.
Ahh yes, by not drilling the Arctic that means the EU will use less oil and gas, and not just import it from elsewhere effectively offshoring emissions right?
Right?
It clear we can’t keep depending on fossil fuels, the climate is going to shit. Short term this will hurt, long term this is the right decision. Besides, its not like this will fix the issue the world is now facing, far from it. This would take a lot of time to get into place.
Nice, but should be followed with laws about significantly reducing dependency on oil in general.
Who do I vote for if I find this to be bullshit and I just want cheaper gasoline?
EU is of course the largest customer of Russian LNG produced in the Arctic.
I might be biased, but it seems more strategic to lessen the demand before lessening the supply. EU countries have done a good job developing green energy, but if we reach 2040 and still buy Russian gas either directly or indirectly through India, then will that be better?
The ideal scenario would be to not sustain current oil and gas supply by not expanding drilling in the Arctic, and also be energy independent without funneling money to hostile dictators, and that is achievable, in theory. But there is historical reasons and a lack of quality in politicians that makes me skeptical about whether this ideal will be achieved.
It’s not clear from the article whether this will in future lead to a ban on buying Russian gas and oil extracted in the Arctic. At present, the restrictions are imposed because of the war with Ukraine, not because of the method or source of extraction.
Nuclear
Decisions like this keeps Norwegians far away from joining the EU. Completely idiotic policy that will only force EU countries to buy more oil and gas from dictatorships. If the EU wants less drilling then reduce your demand BEFORE asking us to reduce supply.
This is the same kind of ideological thinking that brought Germany to shut down its nuclear plants. Moralist policies that mainly serves to strengthen immoral countries like Russia.
The duality of EU.
“Please don’t drill in the arctic 👉👈”
“Please can we buy your oil and gas? Also please join the EU”
Honestly, I’m a rather pro EU guy, I think the idea is great but it’s shit like this that doesn’t make sense. Not a big oil or gas guy either, driving an EV etc, the whole thing, but come on? In the current environment you need to be a bit more pragmatic. Work on ending your reliance on oil and gas.
Alternate headlines:
> Norway to keep drilling despite EU ban on Arctic oil and gass drilling
also
> EU to keep buying Norwegian gas despite ban
On a more serious note, I think this is clearly more of a demand issue.
While I believe we should phase out oil and gas entirely for renewables, only us Norwegians should have a say when it comes to Norwegian resources
This whole thing is nonbinding.
More EU climate insanity. During a time like this of high energy prices, we should be drilling for every drop of oil, fracking included.
Instead, we opt out of viable oil fields while Europe is deindustrialising and the cost of fuel drives up the price of pretty much everything.
Banning artic drilling, carbon taxes: please switch to low carbon energy.
Also: apply punitive excise duties to the cheapest electric vehicles (Chinese) in order to protect failing automakers that never properly embraced electric.
The average EU citizen is caught between a rock and a hard place.
Just let people buy the cheapest electric cars they can get and worry about the market share in 10 years when we’re not under such intense energy pressure.
We need more investment into renewable energy, the energy grid and energy storage solutions. We don’t need more oil digsites in vulnerable eco systems.
Western European: buy an EV.
Eastern European: bro, i can only afford a 20 yo diesel, and i live in a rural area where car is mandatory to travel to workplace. What should i do? Die of starvation? No, renting a place is so expensive, you basically only work for food, nothing else.
Open your eyes, not everybody lives as a millionaires, like you.