Overview
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT) associated with the European Union. Located in the Arctic and covering over 2.1 million km², it is the world’s largest island, with a population of around 56,600 people (2024) and the lowest population density globally. As nationals of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenlanders are citizens of the European Union, despite Greenland not being part of the EU itself.
The Arctic is experiencing profound environmental, economic and geopolitical challenges. Greenland is particularly exposed to climate change, which directly affects its environment, infrastructure and communities, while also facing long-standing structural constraints linked to its vast geography and remoteness.
The EU fully respects Greenland’s autonomy under the 2009 Self-Government Act and works alongside Greenland as a long-term, reliable partner, supporting mutually agreed priorities.
Our partnership
The EU and Greenland have been close partners for decades, cooperating on the basis of free choice, mutual respect and international law. The EU’s partnership with Greenland is underpinned by Part IV of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Council Decision on the Overseas Association, including Greenland (DOAG), and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA). It encompasses a comprehensive dialogue, trade and trade-related matters, as well as financial cooperation.
Since the adoption of the EU’s updated Arctic Policy in 2021, this partnership has further deepened, reflecting the EU’s long-term commitment to Greenland and to the Arctic region more broadly.
A key milestone in this strengthened engagement was the opening of a permanent EU Office in Nuuk in 2024. This presence enables the EU to work directly with Greenlandic authorities, local stakeholders and civil society, reinforcing political dialogue and promoting people-centred cooperation on the ground.
The EU supports Greenland’s priorities for economic diversification, resilience and sustainable growth, beyond an economy that still relies heavily on fisheries. The partnership is designed to deliver tangible benefits for people’s everyday lives, notably through education and skills development, digital connectivity, climate resilience and future-oriented economic opportunities.
For the period 2021–27, the EU adopted a Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP) for Greenland under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI–Global Europe). Within this framework, the DOAG allocates €225 million to Greenland, with 90% dedicated to education and 10% to green growth. This represents 45% of the total €500 million envelope allocated to all Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs).
Since 2007, support to the education sector has been the cornerstone of the EU’s partnership with Greenland. This cooperation is now expanding to additional priority areas, including renewable energy, digital connectivity, critical raw materials, sustainable tourism, as well as environmental protection and research.
In parallel, the EU is stepping up its engagement through increased European investment under the Global Gateway strategy. The first-ever EU–Greenland Week, held in Brussels from 17 to 21 November 2025, brought together public and private stakeholders for high-level discussions aimed at advancing the partnership in key strategic sectors.
EU–Greenland partnership programming documents can be found in the ‘Related documents’ section below.
Our key initiatives
- Fisheries
Fisheries are a central pillar of Greenland’s economy and a key area of cooperation with the European Union. The EU–Greenland Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) provides a stable framework for EU vessels’ access to Greenlandic waters in return for an annual EU financial contribution and licence fees paid by EU vessel owners.
Under the current fisheries protocol (2025–2030), the EU contributes approximately €17.3 million per year, including €3.2 million to support the sustainable development of Greenland’s fisheries sector. The Agreement promotes the sustainable management of fish stocks, strengthens fisheries governance and contributes to economic stability in coastal communities.
- Education
Since 2007, the EU has supported Greenland’s education sector through budget support, with the objective of improving living standards and fostering long-term economic development. The current programme is aligned with Greenland’s 2024–2030 education strategy, which prioritises primary education, transitions to youth and vocational education, support for students facing difficulties, upskilling and retraining, and cross-cutting structural reforms.
The EU’s support focuses on improving education quality and learning outcomes, strengthening innovation and entrepreneurial skills in line with labour market needs, reducing inequalities, promoting inclusion and wellbeing, and improving progression in upper secondary and vocational education and training. Despite progress, challenges such as high drop-out rates remain, underlining the need for sustained efforts to support Greenland’s economic resilience and prosperity.
- Green growth
EU support under the green growth pillar contributes to Greenland’s efforts to diversify its economy. Cooperation focuses on sustainable tourism, renewable energy, sustainable raw materials, environmental protection and research.
Greenland holds 25 of the 34 critical raw materials identified by the EU as essential for the green and digital transitions. EU cooperation supports the implementation of the 2023 Roadmap under the Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains, promoting responsible and sustainable development in line with Greenland’s priorities and the economic and industrial integration of raw material value chains.
Green growth cooperation also supports the renewable energy sector under Greenland’s Plan for Energy, including the expansion of hydropower capacity and clean energy solutions. In parallel, EU support contributes to biodiversity protection, climate adaptation and knowledge-sharing through initiatives such as the Arctic Hub, closely linked to Greenland’s sustainable tourism potential.
- Digital connectivity
Cooperation between the EU and Greenland on digital connectivity focuses on strengthening Greenland’s links to global networks, notably through submarine cable projects. Through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital, the EU has so far allocated €54.7 million to the Tusass Connect subsea cable project, which aims to establish a submarine cable between Aasiaat and Qaqortoq, linking North and central West Greenland with South Greenland, where most of the population resides.
In parallel, the EU and Greenland are strengthening digital connectivity through access to satellite connectivity and EU satellite services such as Copernicus for Earth observation and Galileo for global navigation and timing services. These services play a critical role in safety, monitoring and connectivity in the Arctic.
Greenland in the next Multiannual Financial Framework
On 3 September 2025, the European Commission presented a proposal to amend the Decision on the Overseas Association, including Greenland. The proposal would almost double total EU funding for Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) for the 2028–2034 period, increasing it to €999 million. Under the amended Decision, the Commission proposes allocating €530 million to Greenland, reflecting its growing geostrategic importance in the Arctic.
In addition, Greenland remains eligible for EU horizontal programmes such as Horizon Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility and InvestEU.
Beyond funding under the next EU budget cycle, the EU is also preparing a new investment package for Greenland, as announced by President von der Leyen. This initiative underscores the EU’s intention to further deepen its long-term partnership with Greenland, in close cooperation with Greenland and Denmark.