Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre warned the EU that refusing Arctic gas forces Europe to turn to the Gulf or the United States, questioning the bloc’s claim that High‑North extraction is unsafe. He reminded Brussels that Norway’s Hammerfest LNG plant ramped up exports after Russia’s invasion, delivering the bulk of extra gas to the continent.

Støre argued the EU’s ban on new oil, coal and gas projects in the Barents Sea is out of step with today’s geopolitical reality. He said the moratorium ignores the security role of Norwegian platforms, which can monitor Russian activity in the “Bear Gap”. Lifting the ban, he claimed, would align EU rules with the world it now faces.

European officials acknowledge the need to review policy, but environmental concerns keep the issue politically charged. Norwegian firms such as Equinor and Vår Energi stand ready to finance new Arctic fields if the ban eases, positioning the region as a strategic energy asset rather than a climate liability. The EU’s next move will test whether security or sustainability dominates its energy strategy.