ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the diverse approaches and policies that the European Union (EU) and the US have adopted with regard to the Arctic, in order to ascertain which characteristics pertain to an appropriate regime for the protection of Arctic environment. The exploitation of natural resources of the Arctic is an emerging problem due to the increasing need for resources on the part of the worldwide population. The required resources are both living and mineral. Another serious threat affecting the polar environment consists of increasing navigation, in particular, of tourist vessels in the Arctic. Global governance of the Arctic is partially provided by some multilateral legal instruments that are applicable in the area, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The differences that exist between the Arctic and Antarctic mainly affect their political and legal status. Unlike the Arctic, Antarctica has been governed by an international regime for five decades, namely the Antarctic Treaty (AT).
