Brussels wants to lay an underwater internet cable that would connect Greenland directly to the European Union. And it doesn’t just end there, it also has plans to expand across Canada to Japan and South Korea. The project, known as the Pan-Arctic Cable and published by the European Commission, is one of the European Union’s strategic ambitions in the Arctic and a way to strengthen itself in terms of security on the continent.
Why does it matter? Underwater cables essentially travel over 99% of the world’s internet traffic, from financial transactions to cloud services, communications and more. And now that Europe’s exposure is increasing on several fronts, the EU wants to take action.
Most traffic between Europe and Asia passes through the Red Sea, where Houthi attacks on shipping have increased the risk of laying cables there. The Baltic Sea has seen ships dragging anchor and cutting cables. And relations with Washington have become more strained, making reliance on US-controlled infrastructure less comfortable.
Details. The strategy supports “a sovereign, secure and resilient submarine cable connecting Greenland directly to the EU,” according to the Commission document. The EU has already allocated 107 million euros for connecting Greenland, the agency itself said. The project stems from a 2025 agreement between European companies, research organizations and a Greenlandic telecommunications operator and is now expected to receive support through the “Connecting Europe” programme.
The plan also includes an Arctic cable centre, which would be open to EU members Norway and Iceland and which would monitor and protect cables in the North Atlantic and Arctic, helping to repair them. Brussels also said it would fund cables with “smart technology” that act as early warning systems.
It is more geopolitical than commercial. Elizabeth Braw, a researcher at the Atlantic Council, told Ars Technica that geopolitics “has played virtually no role” in recent decades, and we should expect more cables bypassing the waters of friendly countries to connect friendly countries. He added that five years ago the Greenland project would not have been commercially attractive.
Greenland’s role is also political. The EU strategy comes weeks after the US, Denmark and Greenland signed a security agreement between Denmark and Denmark to extend US military access to maintain Greenland’s autonomy. Jo Inge Baekevold of the Norwegian Institute of Defense Studies told Nikkei Asia that the strategy appears to focus more on building ties with Greenland in response to US policy than on countering China. China appears only once in the document, the outlet said.
Interruption. According to Euronews, the text does not set a specific route, budget or construction schedule and does not say who will pay for, own or operate the cable. Working in Arctic waters also requires specialized boats. The media also reported that the proposal even mentions nuclear power as a way to advance initiatives in the face of dire situations in the region.
Link to Asia. Hokkaido University’s Juha Sonavara told Nikkei Asia that Tokyo considers cable construction a private sector matter and public participation has been difficult to get there. He also noted that Japan’s investment in Russian hydrocarbon projects could complicate cooperation.
The outlet also reports that Polar Connect, led by the Nordic research institute, aims to connect northern Europe to Japan and South Korea by 2031, and the Far North Fiber commercial project is also studying routes. On the other hand, Bloomberg said Norwegian Bulk Infrastructure is already looking for a partner for a cable between Europe and Canada called Leif Ericsson.
Cover image Submarine Cable Map
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