Greenland withdrawal from the European Communities

Greenland withdrawal from the European Communities
Name	Greenland withdrawal from the European Communities
Caption	Greenland within Europe and Arctic context
Date	1985
Location	Greenland, Brussels
Participants	Greenland, Denmark, European Communities, European Commission, European Council

Greenland withdrawal from the European Communities was the process by which Greenland left the European Communities following a 1982 referendum and subsequent negotiations leading to the 1984 Greenland Treaty and formal withdrawal in 1985. The decision involved interactions among figures and institutions such as Margrethe II of Denmark, the Danish Parliament, the European Commission, and leaders of the Inuit Ataqatigiit and Siumut parties. The withdrawal influenced relationships among the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the wider European Union integration process.

Background and accession

Greenland joined the European Communities as part of the Kingdom of Denmark accession in 1973 alongside the United Kingdom and Ireland, influenced by debates in the Folketing and positions taken by the Social Democrats, Venstre, and Conservatives. The accession drew commentary from the Council of the European Communities, the European Commission, and journalists at the Financial Times and The Guardian. Greenlandic concerns involved access to the Common Fisheries Policy, rights recognized in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and relations with the United States base at Thule Air Base. Cultural and indigenous rights issues engaged members of Inuit Circumpolar Council and scholars referencing Hans Kristian Utoft and Tom Høyem.

Political developments and the 1979 Greenlandic Home Rule

The introduction of Greenlandic home rule in 1979 followed electoral contests involving Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit, debates in the Folketing, and consultations with Danish Prime Ministers including Anker Jørgensen. Home rule transferred authority over issues such as local fisheries to the Landsstyre while foreign affairs remained under the Kingdom of Denmark and institutions like the European Commission addressed Greenlandic participation in EC programs. Political leaders including Jonathan Motzfeldt and Leka Poulsen navigated tensions between autonomy advocates and proponents of continued EC membership, drawing commentary from the Nordic Council and researchers at the University of Copenhagen.

1982 referendum and decision to withdraw

The 1982 referendum on continued EC membership was organized by the Landsstyre and supervised by officials connected to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Commission. Campaigns featured parties and figures such as Siumut, Inuit Ataqatigiit, Atassut, and commentators in Berlingske and Politiken. The result showed a majority favoring withdrawal, which was communicated to the European Council and discussed in statements by Margrethe II of Denmark and the Prime Minister of Denmark. International responses involved diplomats from the United States Department of State, delegations from the United Kingdom Foreign Office, and analysts at the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

Negotiation of withdrawal and the 1984 Greenland Treaty

Negotiations between representatives of the Kingdom of Denmark and the European Communities were conducted in Brussels under the aegis of the European Commission and chaired by officials who engaged with representatives from Greenland, including Jonathan Motzfeldt. The negotiations resulted in the 1984 Greenland Treaty, which established arrangements concerning the Common Fisheries Policy, financial compensation from the European Development Fund and provisions related to Greenlandic access to the European Single Market in specific sectors. Legal counsel referenced instruments like the Treaty of Rome and precedents from accession talks involving the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Implementation, opt-outs, and Greenland–EU relations after withdrawal

Implementation of the treaty required ratification by the European Parliament and approval in the Council of the European Communities, and adjustments at the European Commission concerning fisheries management. Greenland obtained special status as an Overseas Country and Territory linked to the European Union and retained arrangements enabling participation in certain EU programs and trade agreements with the European Economic Community. Opt-outs resembled later arrangements for territories like French Guiana and echoed debates seen during the Maastricht Treaty negotiations, while liaison offices in Brussels and missions in Copenhagen maintained Greenland–EU dialogue. Cooperation continued on environmental issues addressed by the Arctic Council and scientific partnerships with institutions like the European Space Agency and universities in Oslo and Reykjavík.

Impact on Greenlandic society and economy

Withdrawal altered Greenlandic access to Common Fisheries Policy frameworks and led to revised fisheries agreements with European Community members, influencing exports to markets such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Financial transfers from the European Union were restructured, affecting social programs overseen by the Landsstyre and investments in infrastructure connected to projects funded by entities like the Nordic Council of Ministers and the World Bank. Cultural impacts affected Greenlandic language promotion linked to institutions such as the University of Greenland and indigenous advocacy groups including the Inuit Circumpolar Council, while demographic and employment trends were analyzed by researchers at the Arctic Institute and the OECD.

Legal and geopolitical legacy

Legally, the withdrawal set a precedent in relations between overseas territories and the European Communities and influenced later debates within the European Union about territorial status, seen during the United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum and discussions surrounding the Maastricht Treaty and Lisbon Treaty. Geopolitically, it highlighted the strategic importance of Arctic sovereignty involving the United States, Russia, and members of the Nordic countries, intersecting with issues explored by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and agencies like the United Nations. The Greenland case remains a reference in international law studies at the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and the European University Institute.

Category:Greenland Category:European integration