The European Union has launched a new cooperation programme linking 21 towns and cities across the Arctic, expanding work on sustainable development, climate resilience, youth participation, culture and emergency preparedness.
The initiative, called BRIDGE, Building Resilient International Dialogue and Governance for Arctic Engagement, is led by the Arctic Mayors' Forum and builds on the EU-supported Arctic Regional and Urban Cooperation network, known as AURC.
BRIDGE will bring municipal leaders, Indigenous representatives and young people from Arctic communities into a permanent cooperation structure. Participating communities are located across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Peter M. Wagner, Head of the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, announced the new phase of cooperation at the EU Arctic Forum 2026 in Brussels, saying cooperation among Arctic communities is more important than ever amid environmental and geopolitical change.
The programme will run for four years and is intended to deepen practical cooperation between local authorities facing many of the same challenges despite significant differences in geography, population and administrative structures.
Communities will work through peer learning, study visits, exchanges and joint problem-solving, building on earlier cooperation that has already supported international welcome houses, youth participation initiatives, sustainable tourism exchanges and wildfire preparedness.